Viktor E. Frankl’s most famous insights from Man’s Search for Meaning, based on his experiences as a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist:

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

His reminder was that no matter how harsh, unjust, or uncontrollable our external conditions may be, there is always one thing that cannot be taken from us: our inner power to decide how we respond.

Frankl observed that even in the unimaginable suffering of the concentration camps, some people still found ways to maintain dignity, extend kindness, and hold on to hope. For him, meaning comes not from controlling what happens to us, but from the stance we take toward it.

In short: circumstances may limit our actions, but our attitude remains our freedom — and that freedom is where meaning lives.

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Amazon Reviews

“It’s an absolute must-read for every human being. Period.”
—Anna Chlumsky.

“This is a book I reread a lot . . . it gives me hope . . . it gives me a sense of strength.”
—Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper 360/CNN

A book for finding purpose and strength in times of great despair, the international best-seller is still just as relevant today as when it was first published.

This seminal book, which has been called “one of the outstanding contributions to psychological thought” by Carl Rogers and “one of the great books of our time” by Harold Kushner, has been translated into more than fifty languages and sold over sixteen million copies.

“An enduring work of survival literature,” according to the New York Times, Viktor Frankl’s riveting account of his time in the Nazi concentration camps, and his insightful exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of the worst adversity, has offered solace and guidance to generations of readers since it was first published in 1946.

At the heart of Frankl’s theory of logotherapy (from the Greek word for “meaning”) is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but rather the discovery and pursuit of what the individual finds meaningful.

Today, as new generations face new challenges and an ever more complex and uncertain world, Frankl’s classic work continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living, in spite of all obstacles.

Companion Book

A must-read companion to this classic work, a new, never-before-published work by Frankl entitled Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything, is now available in English:

Find hope even in these dark times with this rediscovered masterpiece, a companion to his international bestseller Man’s Search for Meaning: Yes To Life – In Spite of Everything

Eleven months after he was liberated from the Nazi concentration camps, Viktor E. Frankl held a series of public lectures in Vienna. The psychiatrist, who would soon become world famous, explained his central thoughts on meaning, resilience, and the importance of embracing life even in the face of great adversity.

Published here for the very first time in English, Frankl’s words resonate as strongly today—as the world faces a coronavirus pandemic, social isolation, and great economic uncertainty—as they did in 1946.

He offers an insightful exploration of the maxim “Live as if you were living for the second time,” and he unfolds his basic conviction that every crisis contains opportunity.

Despite the unspeakable horrors of the camps, Frankl learned from the strength of his fellow inmates that it is always possible to “say yes to life”—a profound and timeless lesson for us all.

Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.

Enjoy the reads!

Janice Dugas – Book Lover
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#Resilience #spiritualSalvation #Strength