“Man’s search for meaning" is a poignant memoir penned by a holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl (1905-1997), a psychiatrist by profession. This book has riveted millions around the world with its lucid narrative of life in the Nazi Concentration camps. Based on his own personal experience and that of his patients and fellow prisoners, Frankl comes to an ultimate conclusion that “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms -to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
The book is divided into two parts. The first part chronicles the brutality faced by the prisoners at the concentration camps. Frankl, being a prisoner for three years, has intricately described his journey of finding meaning in life in that wretched place. The message comes out loud that it was the most terrible suffering one could ever think of, where life seems disillusioned. As a closing note, one can perceive the true meaning of life, love and also how to appreciate little things in life. The second part is about Logotherapy developed by Frankl himself, a psychotherapy which is based on the fact that search for meaning becomes the impetus for survival.
At the time of Frankl’s death this book had sold over 10 million copies and had been translated into 24 languages. A positive outlook on life can be gained after reading this book. Man’s search for meaning is indeed one of those classic books which will leave an indelible mark in your mind.
