I like the 'Introducing' series, they really do make complex theoretical literature accessible. This one was especially quick to read and clearly explained. Indeed, in comparison to Lacan's convolutions Freud seems positively staid. Of course, Freud's work has filtered into the mainstream far more thoroughly, so his terminology seems much more familiar than Lacan's. This book provides a useful explanation for what Freud actually meant, though, as the vague understanding I'd gained from popular culture was incoherent. It's funny how many of Freud's terms have entered popular speech, really. Someone being 'anal' about something, a Freudian slip (apparently his term was 'parapraxis'), and the Oedipus complex occur in conversation with relative frequency.

Actually, it's interesting to compare Freud's current reputation to his actual work. He often seems to be dismissed these days as a sex-obsessed crank, but he pioneered the 'talking cure' approach to treating mental disorders and this continues to thrive. It is his emphasis on sexuality as the motivation behind nearly all behaviour that has been dismissed. I didn't previously realise, also, that he was moved the concept of 'hysteria' away from being exclusively female and wrote about how femininity and masculinity are social constructions rather than absolutes.

As with every other bit of psychoanalytic theory I've read, I just can't believe that there is a single universal model for human development and behaviour. Freud's may apply in some cases, but his emphasis on the Oedipus complex and infantile sexuality doesn't convince me. I rather like his model of the id, ego, and super-ego, though, as long as the impulses and desires within the model aren't all assumed to be sexual. Likewise, 'libido' is a tricky concept. As far as I can tell, Freud identifies it almost exclusively with sexuality, whereas I think Lacan did so only partially (distinguishing a 'sexual libido'). Personally, I think Lacan's definition is more helpful, although his theories are bewilderingly complicated.

I also wondered whilst reading this to what extent Freud thought the purpose of psychoanalysis was to achieve sort of ideal, balanced personality. Labelling fetishists, for example, as neurotics implies that they should identify the root of that behaviour and stop doing it. You could also argue, though, that if their neurosis isn't hurting anyone and doesn't upset them, there is no need. Psychoanalytic theory seems to have been taken up in the sphere of political theory, at least in the bit of Žižek that I've managed to read. That makes me think of psychoanalysis as a potential tool for persuasion, or simply to reduce heterogeneity. Rather than speculating vaguely, however, I should just read more Žižek. After all, the reason I've been working my way through several of the 'Introducing' series is that they provide helpful stepping stones towards reading and understanding other books. They are useful enablers. ( )

This book one is a very odd summation of Sigmund Freud’s life and work. Odd in the fact that it present Freud’s history as a sort of graphic novel with photo collages and hand-drawn illustrations of his case studies and theories.

The book is a fairly linear biography, with the important case studies fleshed out to show how his psychoanalytical techniques helped him to cure those particular patients. It shows that as his theories evolved, so did his writing and conception of both human history and human consciousness. Because those theories took control away from the conscious mind and gave it to the unconscious, he naturally came under a lot of criticism. Unfortunately, though, for him, his theories also became more convoluted every time he came across a case that couldn’t be handled by previous findings. The book also details the basic outline of each of his publications (with the exception of Moses and Monotheism).

Appignanesi has put out a few of these illustrated beginners manuals on various subjects, including Lenin and postmodernism. I think the inclusion of loads of illustrations along with short bursts of “textbook-y” parts makes it easier to consume the high-level information about the subject. It really helps to get away from the dusty, old college course feel that some books on psychology can have. The drawings are strange at times, and downright sexual at others, but if you’re going to illustrate Freud’s theories, there’s going be some genitalia in there somewhere. If you’re looking for dip your toe into Freudian psychology, then this one might be right up your alley. Just don’t read too much into it. ( )

I had to read this graphic novel for history, just like Darwin for Beginners . I enjoyed the humor and subtle subliminal messges in the graphic novel, though at times, I thought they went too far. ( )

Cartoon-esque ( )

Sigmund Freud was born 150 years ago, in May 1856, and went on to revolutionise the way we think about ourselves. Along with Darwin, Marx and Einstein, he is considered one of the key thinkers of the modern world. However, he excites controversy, with virulent opponents and loyal champions still battling out the meaning and significance of his work. Introducing Freud's irreverent and witty approach, which has made it a bestseller throughout the world, demystifies Freud's psychoanalysis. It tells the story of Freud's life and ideas from his upbringing in 19th-century Vienna to the gradual evolution of his theories on the unconscious, dreams and sexuality.

Including for the first time a thought-provoking discussion of Freud with Jonathan Miller, this is a reasonable introduction to the life and work of this challenging and seminal thinker.

However, it must also be recognised that many of Freud's ideas will remain undecipherable to anyone who has not had the experience of clinical practice of a certain kind.