Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor E. Frankl

1946

May, 2023

7.5/10

Part one is a really well-told account of a prisoner's experience in concentration camps. What makes Frankl's retelling so unique is the way he tells his stories in a "detached" manner. He talks almost objectively about everything, then analyzes the psychological impacts of these events. I would describe it as being a very "scientific" approach, which was likely his goal. In any case, he did a good job of demonstrating the emotions that everyone was feeling.

The second half of the book presents the idea of having meaning in life and how to have meaning in life. While I found Frankl's framework to be very accurate, even powerful, I felt like maybe too much time was spent on things I didn't find useful. In a way, it felt like a psychology textbook.

I resonated with his description of what gives life meaning. However, the book covered many topics within Frankl's belief systems, and I felt the book was too short to dig deep enough to be "life changing." It was still a very good and effective book.