Freud and Beyond: A History of Modern Psychoanalytic Thought

Rating:
Summary: Especially the Beyond
Review: An excellent history and explanation of psychoanlytic theory and practise. But especially valuable for the review of post-Freudian psychoanlytic understanding of why people have personality problems and what the "new" psychoanalyts have to offer (which is plenty!). I might mention that the authors were apparently not aware that Kohut's "patient", Mr. Z, is actually a disguised portrait of his own psychological history. This book is especially valuable for the relatively simple understandings of why people suffer and how the professional/personal relationship formed between the psychoanalyst and patient is helpful. Disabuses the stereotype of the distant, impersonal psychoanalyst.

Rating:
Summary: Especially the Beyond
Review: An excellent history and explanation of psychoanlytic theory and practise. But especially valuable for the review of post-Freudian psychoanlytic understanding of why people have personality problems and what the "new" psychoanalyts have to offer (which is plenty!). I might mention that the authors were apparently not aware that Kohut's "patient", Mr. Z, is actually a disguised portrait of his own psychological history. This book is especially valuable for the relatively simple understandings of why people suffer and how the professional/personal relationship formed between the psychoanalyst and patient is helpful. Disabuses the stereotype of the distant, impersonal psychoanalyst.

Rating:
Summary: Great Summary
Review: I actually used a gift card to purchase this book - much to my gift-givers amazement (and confusion)! I enjoyed it then, and a couple of years later found I had a head-start on assignments for a doctoral level class in Psychodynamic Theory (Freud and Beyond was on the syllabus). I think it is well worth reading, even the parts that take a couple of "reads" and are a little plodding. Great Summary!


Rating:
Summary: Hard to Beat!
Review: I can't imagine a more comprehensive introduction to the vast psychoanlytic field than this one. Mitchell and Black do an excellent job of comparing and contrasting all of the major theorists. Their organization is impressive, not only addressing major schools of thought but adding two chapters at the end that outline major theoretical and clinical controversies that help clarify the preceding chapters. The outcome is an exceptionally clear, comprehensive, even-handed introduction that is hard to beat. The writing is stimulating and simple enough to satisfy those of us who appreciate unpretensious presentations. The compact and brief nature of the book serves its purpose well.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to Beat!
Review: I can't imagine a more comprehensive introduction to the vast psychoanlytic field than this one. Mitchell and Black do an excellent job of comparing and contrasting all of the major theorists. Their organization is impressive, not only addressing major schools of thought but adding two chapters at the end that outline major theoretical and clinical controversies that help clarify the preceding chapters. The outcome is an exceptionally clear, comprehensive, even-handed introduction that is hard to beat. The writing is stimulating and simple enough to satisfy those of us who appreciate unpretensious presentations. The compact and brief nature of the book serves its purpose well.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, comprehensive primer on psychoanalysisMitche
Review: Mitchell and Black have produced a comprehensive account of psychoanalytic thought from its origin (with a clear, cogent overview of Freud) to contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice. This book will be useful to students of psychology as well as to more informed readers interested in an enjoyable and well-executed review of the basics of psychoanalytic thought, theory and practice. A good read.

Rating:
Summary: Essential Guide
Review: Mitchell and Black provide an essential guide to the major theoretical developments in the field of psychoanalysis since its founding by Freud. They do just what you'd want them to do: they introduce you to each major theorist as a person as well as a thinker, they put each theoretical development in historical perspective both in the context of psychoanalysis and the larger social picture, they show how each thinker developed and how they responded to challenges in the field, and they show how unresolved issues led to the next theoretical breakthrough. All this is done in an accessible narrative style that even educated beginners will find rewarding. Social work students in my classes found this book very helpful. Mitchell and Black are both seasoned clinicians so their writing sometimes sings with clinical insight.

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Summary: psychoanalysis revealed
Review: Mitchell's review of the lasting importance and revolutionary impact of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalitical theories struck a deep cord within me. Informative, lucid and surprisingly well-paced, this history of the modern journey into the mind emerged as an abbreviated form of clinical therapy for the curious, yet, perhaps psychologically unsuspecting reader. I came out of this book feeling that I had spent years lying on a couch in Vienna. As an introduction into an intimidating and vast field, "Freud and Beyond" gently guides its student into an appreciative approach to psychoanalysis and its profound impact on modern thought.

Rating:
Summary: Brief yet very good introduction to psychoanalysis.
Review: This book is an excellent beginners text on the history of psychoanalysis. It is by no means exhaustive, nor could it be. It simply covers too many important personalities to be more than introductory, yet it fulfills that purpose admirably. The book traces the history of thought in and about the subject of psychoanalysis. It begins with Freud's discovery of the psychogenic nature of hysteria, to his discovery of the unconscious, some of his other theories, and how he applied them in clinical management of patients. Others studied under him, and came to realize new facts about the mind, and new dimensions in the way it operates. This, in turn, gave rise to newer theories. The book traces this expansion, synthesis and sometimes clash between theories to bring us to our present understanding of the mind. The meaning of these theories is demonstrated in concrete terms by the inclusion of clinical cases to demonstrate the various types of pathological manifestations. The book flows very well from one psychoanalyst to another, emphasizing the indebtedness of each to their predecessors. Sigmund and Anna Freud, Adler, Bettelheim, Jung, Sullivan, Bowlby, Kahn and many others are revealed. It is both scientific and historical at the same time, and is very engaging. A good read!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction
Review: This book is very well written. An excellent introduction to the topic, if you are a guy like me, who had been thru psychoanalisys but really didn't understand what the foundations of the process were. The author explains that there are many different theories and kinds of psychoanalisys, not only one (freud), like most of us think. Even though the subject is hard and complex, the author makes it easy to understand with his fluent prose.