Man’s Search for Meaning - Summarized for Busy People

Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, stirs generations of readers with its portrayal of life in Nazi death camps and its psychological lessons for survival. Between 1942 and 1945, Frankl moved to four different camps while his family—parents, brother, and pregnant wife failed to survive. Drawing from his own experience and the experiences of others he later treated, Frankl asserts that suffering is unavoidable but we can choose how we can cope with it, find meaning in it, and live with a new sense of purpose. Frank’s logotherapy takes into consideration how our drive in life is not found in pleasure but through the discovery and pursuit of what is meaningful. In 1997, Man’s Search for Meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. The Library of Congress found in their 1991 reader survey that the book was named one of the ten most influential books in America—naming it the book that made a difference in your life.