A Brief Introduction to Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalysis and His Enduring Legacy

Abend applies his considerable psychoanalytic scholarship, as well as his long clinical experience, to making a thorough, careful, and complete presentation of Freud's essential ideas-- which is something not to be taken for granted: important elements of Freud's work are all too often misunderstood or overlooked elsewhere. Abend never talks down to the reader; he does not shy away from detail and complexity. At the same time, he makes his presentation clearly and with a deceptive simplicity, so that it is always easy reading.

Abend's format is to trace the historic unfolding of Freud's thinking. This is, again, a difficult task which is rarely accomplished with complete success, because of the many twists and turns Freud's thinking took, not to mention the incompletions and even contradictions that Freud left standing. Abend gracefully unties the knots and connects the dots, permitting the reader to appreciate Freud's consistent ulterior logic.

Abend makes the well judged choice to take up only those developments in psychoanalysis following Freud that have remained directly in line with Freud's thought. It is, of course, very much in keeping with the psychoanalytic understanding that what comes first has a profound influence upon what comes after to make as complete as possible a study of the elaboration that has taken place of the principles originally articulated by Freud before studying divergences and departures from those principles. As Abend emphasizes, judgments about what is and what is not truly Freudian are bound to be controversial. Confronted with the necessity to make difficult choices, Abend's distinguished scholarship shines in his discussion of post-Freudian Freudianism. He offers neither too much nor too little, and shows that it is all of a piece.

Abend has done justice to Freud's enduring legacy. Readers of this book are given the very valuable opportunity to learn what that legacy is and why it has endured.

Simply put, this book should be required reading for anyone wishing to study psychoanalysis. Here are three good reasons: First, Abend applies his considerable psychoanalytic scholarship, as well as his long clinical experience, to making a thorough, careful, and complete presentation of Freud's essential ideas-- which is something not to be taken for granted: important elements of Freud's work are all too often misunderstood or overlooked elsewhere. " From the introduction to this volume by Owen Renik. MD., Past Editor-in-Chief, The Psychoanalytic Quarterly It is a product of many years of serious thought and reflection, scholarship and scientific contribution, practice of tact and clarity in teaching, editing and persuading, and of fighting to discipline the presentation of complex ideas in order to construct a comprehensible whole out of a multitude of ideas and suggestions. The cohesiveness and inclusiveness of Abend's description is sure to reward the reader. Ernest Kafka, MD., Training and Supervising Analyst, The New York Psychoanalytic Institute The clarity with which Dr. Abend's book demonstrates the trajectory of Freud's thinking will appeal to all educated and interested readers, even non-clinicians, helping them to understand the enduring legacy that Freud gave to the world. Albert Sax, MD, Training and Supervising Analyst, The New York Psychoanalytic Institute