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As Charles Brenner has become known and respected for his intellectual rigour, clarity, and precision, so would it befit the Festschrift in his honour to reflect in its structure and content these academic virtues. Arnold Richards & Martin Willick have put together Psychoanalysis. The Science of Mental Conflict: Essays in Honor of Charles Brenner, in a most intelligent and creative way. Indeed, the reader actually gets two books instead of one. The first concerns itself with Brenner, the psychoanalyst and scientist, acquainting the reader with his distinguished contributions to psychoanalysis, his neurological career, and his own views of his efforts. The second is a group of essays organized in six sections which address a wide variety of topics. The editors introduce each section with a brief synopsis of the papers, as well as a reminder of Brenner's contributions to each of these areas. As this distinguished group of Brenner's colleagues present their work on the theory, technique, and application of psychoanalysis, they all pay tribute to Brenner. Some authors pitch their efforts towards the direct explication of Brenner's contributions while others include at least some reference to him in the course of the development of their own ideas. The significance of Brenner's work is reflected in these offerings and provides the impetus for this Festschrift. Whether we agree with him or not, for many psychoanalysts today, to write about psychoanalysis is to acknowledge Brenner because of the major and enduring influence he has had on modern psychoanalysis.
Arnold Richards 'Introduction' is a short course on Brenner's major efforts over the past three decades. Synopses of Brenner's conceptual perspectives on psychoanalysis as science, the drives, aggression, and structural theory, affects; defences, and technique are adroitly presented. Together these ideas, Richards reminds us, are not a new school of psychoanalysis, but are refinements and clarifications o