Freud and Beyond: A History of Modern Psychoanalytic Thought [Paperback]

Stephen A. Mitchell (Author), Margaret J. Black (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 1996

Freud’s concepts have become a part of our psychological vocabulary: unconscious thoughts and feelings, conflict, the meaning of dreams, the sensuality of childhood. But psychoanalytic thinking has undergone an enormous expansion and transformation over the past fifty years. With Freud and Beyond, Stephen A. Mitchell and Margaret J. Black make contemporary psychoanalytic thinking—the body of work that has been done since Freud—available for the first time. Richly illustrated with case examples, this lively, jargon-free introduction makes modern psychoanalytic thought accessible at last.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Inclusive, integrated, and lively, this book sets a new, high standard as an introduction to contemporary psychoanalysis. The authors, both of whom are respected as teachers, clinicians, and theorists, concisely demythologize Sigmund Freud and engage themselves with a score of his key successors (including five women). Brief biographies and succinct theoretical summaries are fleshed out with clinical examples. Sophisticated but unpretentious, the authors have a grasp of philosophy and history of science and the ability to make sense of the most difficult writers, including Harry Stack Sullivan, Melanie Klein, and Jacques Lacan. Students, therapists, and serious general readers will find this richer than Charles Brenner's An Elementary Textbook of Psychoanalysis (Doubleday, 1974), sounder than Judith Mishne's The Evolution and Application of Clinical Theory (Free Pr., 1993), and more readable than either.?E. James Lieberman, George Washington Univ. Sch. of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Mitchell and Black, experts in the field of psychotherapy, have written an excellent work on the history of modern psychoanalytic thought and on the ideas and theories of several prominent psychotherapists. The various schools of thought are introduced and basic concepts are explained as the authors explore the work of such major psychotherapists as Sigmund Freud, Henry Stack Sullivan, and Melanie Klein, eventually encompassing all the major developments in psychoanalytic thought since Freud. Although this is an extremely well written book and provides a clear, thorough introduction to several theories about the mysterious workings of the mind, the jargon inherent in this field makes it somewhat difficult to read. Readers will need at least a basic understanding of or interest in psychotherapy to comprehend it fully. Kathleen Hughes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (August 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465014054
• ISBN-13: 978-0465014057
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,028 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Behavioral Sciences > Behavioral Psychology
  • #14 in Books > Medical Books > Administration & Medicine Economics > Medical History & Records

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief yet very good introduction to psychoanalysis., December 30, 2001

By 

Michael Strassberg - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freud and Beyond: A History of Modern Psychoanalytic Thought (Paperback)

This book is an excellent beginners text on the history of psychoanalysis. It is by no means exhaustive, nor could it be. It simply covers too many important personalities to be more than introductory, yet it fulfills that purpose admirably. The book traces the history of thought in and about the subject of psychoanalysis. It begins with Freud's discovery of the psychogenic nature of hysteria, to his discovery of the unconscious, some of his other theories, and how he applied them in clinical management of patients. Others studied under him, and came to realize new facts about the mind, and new dimensions in the way it operates. This, in turn, gave rise to newer theories. The book traces this expansion, synthesis and sometimes clash between theories to bring us to our present understanding of the mind. The meaning of these theories is demonstrated in concrete terms by the inclusion of clinical cases to demonstrate the various types of pathological manifestations. The book flows very well from one psychoanalyst to another, emphasizing the indebtedness of each to their predecessors. Sigmund and Anna Freud, Adler, Bettelheim, Jung, Sullivan, Bowlby, Kahn and many others are revealed. It is both scientific and historical at the same time, and is very engaging. A good read!

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Guide, January 25, 2000

By 

Susan McConnaughy (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freud and Beyond: A History of Modern Psychoanalytic Thought (Paperback)

Mitchell and Black provide an essential guide to the major theoretical developments in the field of psychoanalysis since its founding by Freud. They do just what you'd want them to do: they introduce you to each major theorist as a person as well as a thinker, they put each theoretical development in historical perspective both in the context of psychoanalysis and the larger social picture, they show how each thinker developed and how they responded to challenges in the field, and they show how unresolved issues led to the next theoretical breakthrough. All this is done in an accessible narrative style that even educated beginners will find rewarding. Social work students in my classes found this book very helpful. Mitchell and Black are both seasoned clinicians so their writing sometimes sings with clinical insight.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, comprehensive primer on psychoanalysisMitche, August 28, 1999

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[e-mail] (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freud and Beyond: A History of Modern Psychoanalytic Thought (Paperback)

Mitchell and Black have produced a comprehensive account of psychoanalytic thought from its origin (with a clear, cogent overview of Freud) to contemporary psychoanalytic theory and practice. This book will be useful to students of psychology as well as to more informed readers interested in an enjoyable and well-executed review of the basics of psychoanalytic thought, theory and practice. A good read.