Ten texts on the concept of narcissism are presented here, texts either considered to be major landmarks in the development of psychoanalytic theory or which outline their authors' views on the subject. An extensive summary of Freud's (1914) groundbreaking work, which paved the way for future psychoanalysts, is provided, followed by outlines of papers by Balint, Rosenfeld, Kohut, Kernberg, Stolorow, Modell, Grunberger, Green and Britton. The aim is to give the reader a view of the development of the concept and of the different ways of understanding narcissism in theory and practice. These outlines are no substitute for the wealth of knowledge and ideas offered through the reading of the original works.