A History of Psychoanalysis: Reuben Fine,  Columbia University Press, New York, 1979,  686 pp.

Reuben Fine is Visiting Professor of Psychology at Adelphi University and Director of the New York Center for Psychoanalytic Training. In this imposing book of 686 pages he has written the history of psychoanalysis. It is an excellent textbook, giving a detailed description of the developmental structure of psychoanalysis from the beginning to its newest vicissitudes. The instinct theory is the basis of Freudian psychoanalysis and is presented here as that. The chapters on the unconscious, fantasy, language and creativity are most instructive. They are followed by chapters on ego autonomy, character structure, and affective and cognitive functioning. Neurosis and psychosis form a more specific section. Almost one-third of the book treats values, philosophy, and the recent shift to object relationship theory. All organizational aspects of the psychoanalytic movement, which were of such vital importance to Freud personally, are treated objectively and clearly. The history of The American Academy of Psychoanalysis is retold. The split between the psychoanalytic association and The Academy happened over the question of regressive transference neurosis and its solution (Phyllis Greenacre versus Franz Alexander). It probably was the most important split in the psychoanalytic movement and has its own chapter in Reuben Fine's book.

Within the framework of historical development, Reuben Fine describes the facts of analytic growth, but also the details of conceptual deepening and of the growing understanding of human motivation. This book is a great help for the teacher or student of psychoanalysis.