Not sure if this is the correct section, but...

[Zelly]

So, I have to write a report about Freud, and I figured I'd check with you guys on whether you know any really good biographies/books relating to him or his works, before I get actually start writing. I have plenty of time to get and read the books, so no worries about being too late. =)

I know it's kinda off-topic, but if anything springs to mind, that would be awesome. Thanks in advance! =)

[rmd]

I just mentioned in another forum a novel by D. M. Thomas entitled The White Hotel. The story concerns a young woman who undergoes analysis with Sigmund Freud. So maybe you might be interested in reading this novel and then basing your report on how a novelist uses Freud's theories.

[PeterL]

Freud, Biologist of the Mind: Beyond the Psychoanalytic Legend by Frank Sulloway might be interesting. I haven't read it, but I am acquainted with Frank, and he is very intelligent, but he tends to write from unusual points of view. Much of this book is about how people have latched onto a few things that Freud wrote but ignored the bulk of his work.

[Etienne]

Freud, Biologist of the Mind: Beyond the Psychoanalytic Legend by Frank Sulloway might be interesting. I haven't read it, but I am acquainted with Frank, and he is very intelligent, but he tends to write from unusual points of view. Much of this book is about how people have latched onto a few things that Freud wrote but ignored the bulk of his work.

That's not the kind of thing you want when writing a paper usually. And when reading a scholarly work using "unusual points of view" you should be very wary and double-check and see what peer-review has to say about the work. Unfortunately the world of the rebel scholars who were controversial but ended up changing the face of science posthumously is quite behind us. Now almost all of these controversial works go to the silly or dubious theory folder, as they're often only made to grab attention in the first place.

[PeterL]

That's not the kind of thing you want when writing a paper usually. And when reading a scholarly work using "unusual points of view" you should be very wary and double-check and see what peer-review has to say about the work. Unfortunately the world of the rebel scholars who were controversial but ended up changing the face of science posthumously is quite behind us. Now almost all of these controversial works go to the silly or dubious theory folder, as they're often only made to grab attention in the first place.

I didn't refer to a controversial book, but to a serious academic work. Freud's work wasn't peer reviewed, and the bits of it that are looked at today are some of his least academic work, and much of it should "go to the silly or dubious theory folder."

[Etienne]

I didn't refer to a controversial book, but to a serious academic work. Freud's work wasn't peer reviewed, and the bits of it that are looked at today are some of his least academic work, and much of it should "go to the silly or dubious theory folder."

Well, it cannot be peer-reviewed when there is no peer, but in fact, psychoanalysis stays are rather controversial topic in itself. But there is a difference between a controversial work like Freud's and a controversial work ON Freud, for example. But yeah, this debate is useless since it wasn't what you meant anyways.

[Zelly]

Thanks guys, checking them out. Anymore?

On an off note, Freud seems to be really strange. Hadn't realized quite the extent when I chose him as the topic... o.O

[PeterL]

On an off note, Freud seems to be really strange. Hadn't realized quite the extent when I chose him as the topic... o.O

You have a gift for understatement.

[yewon]

<The interpretation of murder> might be helpful as well as interesting !

[AuntShecky]

Read "Civilization and Its Discontents" and see how the philosophical/ psychological positions have changed in the past century.

Whoever mentioned The White Hotel -- that was a good depiction of psycholanalysis. Of course there have been numerous novel depictions of such: Ordinary People (author? Judith something? Rossner?)
Avoid Pat Conroy like the plague.

The second novel in our beloved Robertson Davies Deptford trilogy is The Manticore. Fantastic (in every sense) fictional representation of Jungian analysis, if you want to springboard from Freud.

[Zelly]

You have a gift for understatement.

I didn't want to be rude if someone thought he was amazing or some such.

Truthfully, I think the guy was a nutcase cocaine was mentally and emotionally disturbed. What was with the whole all girls want penises thing anyway? And that you're in love with your mother/father?

But... Back on topic...

Thanks loads. This is really helpful since, I pretty much had no idea where to look. =)

[PeterL]

Truthfully, I think the guy was a nutcase cocaine was mentally and emotionally disturbed. What was with the whole all girls want penises thing anyway? And that you're in love with your mother/father?


He had some problems, but he deserves some credit, because he did start psychology on the path toward scientific investigation. Psychology hasn't gone far down that road yet, but it is making some progress. At least they aren't trying to drive out demons very often anymore.

[Oniw17]

I didn't refer to a controversial book, but to a serious academic work. Freud's work wasn't peer reviewed, and the bits of it that are looked at today are some of his least academic work, and much of it should "go to the silly or dubious theory folder."
Actually just about all of his work could go in that folder(with a few exceptions of course).

[PeterL]

Actually just about all of his work could go in that folder(with a few exceptions of course).

Most of it did decades ago.

[Etienne]

Thanks guys, checking them out. Anymore?

On an off note, Freud seems to be really strange. Hadn't realized quite the extent when I chose him as the topic... o.O

Well his theory is quite, well let's call it strange, but the character was actually a hard-working and serious person.

"Truthfully, I think the guy was a nutcase cocaine was mentally and emotionally disturbed. What was with the whole all girls want penises thing anyway? And that you're in love with your mother/father?"

He was chewing coca leafs, which is absolutely not like blowing it. Opium, LSD, mescaline, mushrooms, hashish, Crystal Meth (the story about this one is relatively interesting, it was thoroughly used by the Nazis on their soldiers during WW2, Hitler is supposed to have taken a lot of it as well),... have all interested scientists when they were still relatively unknown and many do have therapeutic effect and do have potential interests, however prohibition (due to irresponsible use) is a brake to potentially very interesting discoveries.

My point here is not an apology of all the drugs, but an attempt to understand not all the drugs fit in the same basket and that you cannot discredit someone that easily. Freud was absolutely not a hippie type of person, all the contrary.

As for the rest of his theory, well, you have to read books about it to understand what he means, it would be rather hard to explain it quickly, and I have only very basic knowledge of psychoanalysis.