By extensive use of freudian interpretations and clinical material the author proves the validity of his main thesis. He shows us that the words we use are symbols of our behavior and can be traced back to preverbal and subverbal forms of communications, to our body, its parts, and the functions of the body organs. Thass-Thienemann in this brilliant book demonstrates with considerable evidence that when we communicate with words we behave symbolically. When men talk to each other, or communicate in writing, they unconsciously understand the primary meaning of the symbols. The words are symbols, like symbols in dreams, and their meaning is realized by associations and interpretations. This is a great work: scholarly, captivating, and educational. The style is smooth, the examples abundant and convincing.