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shimauchiha 's review for:
When Nietzsche Wept
by Irvin D. Yalom
3.5 stars.
What would have happened if it was Nietzsche, not Freud, who first coined the idea of psychotherapy? From that idea the alternative history in this book is born. With himself as both patient and therapist, in the depths of Vienna, Nietzsche tries to use philosophy to grapple with the every-day depressions of renowned physician Josef Breuer. At the same time, Breuer attempts to heal Nietzsche of his suicidal thoughts under the guise of treating his migraine.
Which is a fancy way of saying it's a book of conversations between two white dudes. As horrible as that sounds, the beautiful clarity of the writing and the strong distinct voice of the two characters, alongside the fascinating philosophy makes it a surprisingly grappling read.
That being said, from hypnosis (or mesmerism, as it is called here) to talking therapy and even the first seeds of psychoanalysis, this book goes into pop psychology in a way that I suspect would be interesting to someone unfamiliar with the topics, but that makes me, as a psychology student slightly uncomfortable. I just have an image of people reading this book and imagining this idea of healing through human connection to still be what psychology strives for. (It isn't.) It makes me wonder if someone more educated about philosophy than myself would similarly take offence at the philosophical aspects of it, but I have no way to know.
What would have happened if it was Nietzsche, not Freud, who first coined the idea of psychotherapy? From that idea the alternative history in this book is born. With himself as both patient and therapist, in the depths of Vienna, Nietzsche tries to use philosophy to grapple with the every-day depressions of renowned physician Josef Breuer. At the same time, Breuer attempts to heal Nietzsche of his suicidal thoughts under the guise of treating his migraine.
Which is a fancy way of saying it's a book of conversations between two white dudes. As horrible as that sounds, the beautiful clarity of the writing and the strong distinct voice of the two characters, alongside the fascinating philosophy makes it a surprisingly grappling read.
That being said, from hypnosis (or mesmerism, as it is called here) to talking therapy and even the first seeds of psychoanalysis, this book goes into pop psychology in a way that I suspect would be interesting to someone unfamiliar with the topics, but that makes me, as a psychology student slightly uncomfortable. I just have an image of people reading this book and imagining this idea of healing through human connection to still be what psychology strives for. (It isn't.) It makes me wonder if someone more educated about philosophy than myself would similarly take offence at the philosophical aspects of it, but I have no way to know.