What Freud Really Meant

Reviews / Votes

'Here is the trajectory of Sigmund Freud's thought from early to late, and at the same time a delineation of its systematic structure; the story goes smoothly, widening like a river - an illuminating, eminently followable guide to one of the boldest investigations ever of how the human mind works.' Ruediger Bittner, Universitaet Bielefeld, Germany 'Susan Sugarman's account is not only an affirmation of the complexity and depth of mind of one of the twentieth century's greatest thinkers, it is a remedy to the frequent mischaracterizations of the interpreters and critics of Freud who have preceded her. It is the tribute of one scholar to the magnificence of another.' Philip Costanzo, Duke University, North Carolina 'Sugarman offers a masterful, overarching account of the development of Freud's thought, stressing the coherence and systematic nature of his work and explaining the way his ideas evolved throughout his career. The book should serve as a touchstone for any future studies of Freud's theories.' Robert Schwartz, Distinguished Professor, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 'Susan Sugarman gives us a fearless and highly readable synthesis of Freud's evolving theory of mind. She is an exceptionally lucid writer; her clarity makes this book invaluable to the reader who wants to understand what Freud really meant. I particularly recommend it for teaching purposes, as it makes arcane information inviting and accessible.' Virginia R. Youngren, Harvard Medical School 'Sugarman skilfully guides her readers through Freud's writings and convincingly conveys that Freud's theory is indeed a complex and meaningful whole; far from reducing our mental lives to primitive instincts, Freud portrays the human mind as rich, subtle, and sophisticated.' Sebastian Petzolt, Metapsychology (www.metapsychology.mentalhelp.net)