Introducing Psychoanalysis

Rating:
Summary: A Good Introduction To Psychoanalytic Theory
Review: I'm preparing myself to delve into the voluminous works of Freud and this little book is a good introduction to Freud's theory of psychoanalysis. This book, like so many others about Freud, embraces and celebrates Freud's purported genius. I'm not much of a fan of fawning over Freud and characterizing his thought as scientific. I've always found psychoanalysis to be a modern form of the confessional and the notion of the "unconscious" to be a modern term for mythical religious creations, such as angels and ghosts. While authors Ward and Zarate do raise questions about the validity of psychoanalytic theory, they are enthralled with the notion that psychoanalysis is a medical treatment producing great results for patients.