I'm surprised there aren't a lot more reviews on this book. It might just be the best book I've ever read (and it's really short and easy to read).

Viktor Frankl is an amazing man- a psychiatrist who lived in the concentration camps during WWII, and not only made it through and came out alive, but went on to touch many people's lives.

The first half of the book, Viktor takes you through his experiences as a prisoner of the concentration camps. It's a unique perspective because he's really getting into what happens mentally to the prisoners and guards. Why do some continue to have the will to live despite everything? Why do others give up and let themselves die? Why do some prisoners show incredible cruelness toward their fellow prisoners, while some of the guards show compassion and kindness? Everything seems to hint to the fact that we are not just a product of our experiences. Even in a concentration camp where it seems like every freedom is stripped of the prisoner, the prisoner is still free on some level to make choices about his own will to live and his own character. So what is it that causes different men in the same situation to make different choices?

The second part of the book delves into the answers he came to for all of those questions, as Viktor explains his psychotherapy (or "logotherapy"). I'm not going to get into all of it now, because I'd rather just recommend you read it yourself. I am sure you will not be dissapointed!

Frankl touches upon the most fundamental aspect to some of the psychiatric problems (and non-psychiatric) that face us today: life lacking meaning. his genius and foresight that is seen as he details his experiences and perspective while in the camps is a feat, or rather a level of magnitude, to which we should all aspire. I read the book in 1 1/2 days, it was a truly compelling read. I hope it affects everyone else as positively as it affected me. Happy (or at least "meaningful") reading.
-S.