Book Description
For the 75th anniversary, a new edition of the seminal work with an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Menand. Civilization and Its Discontents may be Sigmund Freud's best-known work. Originally published in 1930, it seeks to answer ultimate questions: What influences led to the creation of civilization? How did it come to be? What determines its course? In this seminal volume of twentieth-century thought, Freud elucidates the contest between aggression, indeed the death drive, and its adversary eros. He speaks to issues of human creativity and fulfillment, the place of beauty in culture, and the effects of repression. Louis Menand, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Metaphysical Club, contributor to The New Yorker, and professor of English at Harvard University, reflects on the importance of this work in intellectual thought and why it has become such a landmark book for the history of ideas. Not available in hardcover for decades, this beautifully rendered anniversary edition will be a welcome addition to readers' shelves.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German


From the Publisher
4 1-hour cassettes


About the Author
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) has left a lasting impact on psychology, literature, and intellectual history. The 75th anniversary of Civilization and Its Discontents will lead into the following year's celebration and reappraisal of Freud's lasting legacy upon the commemoration of his 150th birthday.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Civilization and Its Discontents may be Sigmund Freud's best-known work. It has been praised, dissected, lambasted, interpreted, and reinterpreted. In this seminal volume of twentieth-century thought, Freud elucidates the contest between aggression, indeed the death drive, and its adversary, eros. He speaks to issues of human creativity and fulfillment, the place of beauty in culture, and the effects of repression." Louis Menand reflects on the importance of this work in intellectual thought and why it has become such a landmark book in the history of ideas.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal