Sigmund Freud

Praise for the First Edition:

`Will be welcomed by those seeking a good introduction to Freud and by others who already "know" him. ?Jacobs' book helps us both in our own search for meaning and in appreciating why Freud continues to be a major milestone in it' - Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Journal of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

`Jacobs had the daunting job of compressing Freud into 150 pages, a task which he successfully completed, letting Freud speak for himself where possible. Furthermore, Jacobs attempts to deal with the problems of the status of psychoanalytic theory as a science and to discuss its relationship to philosophy and sociology. He presents some highly interesting arguments in this section' - British Journal of Medical Psychology

`Jacobs's approach is refreshingly contemporary as well as invitingly written... It is the critical perspective which Jacobs brings to Freud that particularly impressed me... he presents a thoroughly reasoned and balanced introduction to Freudian thinking... Freudianism has become our "second nature". The ubiquity of Freudian thought is all the more reason for us to maintain a critical perspective towards psychoanalysis and its continuing influence, which Jacobs's little introduction more than adequately enables us to do' - Psychology in Society

`a pleasantly accessible and clear introduction to Freud's life and ideas... useful both for trainees and professionals, as an introduction to historical material that can lead to something useful in day-to-day practice' - The Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Review

`A concise work... Jacobs' assessment of the contribution of Freudian theories is fair and inclusive of relevant literature. The book is intelligible to any student of Freud, including general and scholarly readers. The latter may appreciate the summary statement assessing the Freudian revolution that started the century with a bang. Both the publishers and series editor Windy Dryden are to be congratulated on this volume' - Choice

In refreshing contrast to most other books on Sigmund Freud, this is a highly accessible account of his life and ideas, which focuses on the relevance of Freud's work for contemporary approaches to counselling and psychotherapy.

The book provides an overview which is based firmly on Freud's own writings, but which goes far beyond a recapitulation of the existing literature, to offer fresh insights and some surprises, both about Freud the man and his theories. Written by bestselling author, Michael Jacobs and now fully updated for its Second Edition, Sigmund Freud presents and responds to the criticisms that Freud's work attracted, and charts his continuing influence in the 21st century.

This is highly recommended reading for those training in counselling and psychotherapy as well as those studying Freud in other contexts.

Michael Jacobs is a retired lecturer in Counselling Studies and bestselling author whose publications include (in the same series), D W Winicott (SAGE, 1995) and Psychodynamic Counselling in Action, Second Edition (SAGE, 1999).