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In a somewhat apologetic introduction Margaret Mead introduces the author as a 'young psychiatrist' who applies the hypothesis that family life may be used as a key to the understanding of a cultural character—'authoritarianism'. David M. Levy adds his hope 'for further psychiatric investigation on this topic'. Referring to the 'German mentality', Levy states what now sounds outdated: '… the primary requirement' for winning the peace 'is an understanding of the psychology of the German people. The modification of that psychology is the main task of Military Government.'
Perhaps this reviewer, with thirty-three years of his life spent in Germany, should have disqualified himself to report on this book. However, even a reader less handicapped by a representative German background will be appalled by the misuse of a technique initiated by Freud in Totem and Taboo, later applied with considerable skill by Wilhelm Reich in his analytic interpretation of German Fascism, and later applied in a modified form by Margaret Mead. Schaffner's book collects all possible clichés concerning The German Family, The German Mother, The German Father, The Anti-Nazi German, culminating in a chapter called, The American Soldier as Educator. 'The German father lays so much stress upon respect for his authority that he actually may sacrifice other familial values in order to maintain it. The American father tends to assume the authoritative rôle because there is a need for some one "in charge" and he is usually the logical one to have such authority.' On page 107 is the following curious statement: '… there is some satisfaction in knowing that the bombing of