Review of The Three Lives Led by Sigmund Freud: Volume I The Fledgling Scientist -- 1856-1898

[Shirley Ann Riddern Labzentis]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Three Lives Led by Sigmund Freud: Volume I The Fledgling Scientist -- 1856-1898" by Larry S. Milner MD, JD, MLS.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Sigmund Freud started the psychoanalytic movement before WWI in Vienna. His idol was Charles Darwin, known for his evolution theory. Freud was deeply disturbed by what was happening with the war. He could not comprehend the violence and murder that was imposed on innocent people and children. He also hated the atrocities that were dealt to the soldiers who were fighting in the war. He attended to many soldiers who were having hysteria, depression, and hallucinations. He had three sons who served in the war, and he worried about them surviving in his daily thoughts. This all affected Freud's state of mental health. The war ended on November 11, 1918, Armistice Day. In 1918, the official recognition of the effects of the war on soldiers was called "war neurosis" or "shell shock."

Sigmund Freud was known as the “Father of Psychoanalysis." One of his theories was the Oedipus Complex, which he wrote in 1899. The term Oedipus comes from a Greek myth where Oedipus kills his father and marries his mother. Freud theorizes that a child starts having feelings of incest towards the parent of the opposite sex. They then become jealous and angry at the parent of the same sex. They want to do away with the one parent and marry the parent of the opposite sex. He felt that all boys had this complex, and it should be managed for fear of it turning into a neurosis.

Freud was married three times and had three sons and a daughter, Anna, who cared for him in his declining years. He wrote several books in his lifetime. One being Moses and Monotheism. In this book, Freud stated that Moses was not a Jew. Instead, he was an Egyptian priest. As a baby, he was found in the river, and a Jewish woman rescued him and raised him Jewish. This outraged the Jewish population, for Moses was beloved and was not Egyptian. This theory made Freud very unpopular, not only with the Jewish population, but he also lost some of his friends because of it.

Sigmund was always well-kept and groomed, but he smoked cigars constantly, and his daily nicotine intake was equivalent to 200-400 cigarettes daily. He also had a severe cocaine habit. So, it wasn’t surprising that in 1922, Freud developed symptoms of cancer of the jaw. Freud ended up having over 25 operations on his jaw and palate and had to have several prosthetics made, but he never quit smoking.

Hitler came into power during WWII, and the Freud family was advised to leave Vienna. This greatly disturbed Freud, as Vienna was where he was born and raised. The Nazis burned all of Freud’s books on May 11, 1933. Sigmund Freud was nominated for the Nobel Prize thirteen times from 1915 to 1938 but never won. He did win the Goethe Prize.

The Three Lives Led by Sigmund Freud, Volume III, was written by Larry S. Milner MD, JD, MLS, who started writing this book because he was angry at Freud for writing Moses and Monotheism and felt that his Oedipus Complex theory was a mistake. He ended up not being so angry and thought that Freud’s actions were the outcome of the cancer and being under the influence of powerful drugs.

I found the book very interesting. I did not know much about Freud besides his Oedipus Complex theory and starting psychoanalysis. The book had a lot of repetition, especially concerning his theory of Moses. I think that the author was so upset on this subject that he couldn’t get off the subject. The story was written in a way that you could understand, but I felt that it was very dry and loaded with factual information. For those reasons, I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. If you like reading biographies about famous scientists, this is a book that you will enjoy. I only found one error and one profanity in it. It is a book worth learning about Sigmund Freud and what made him do some of the things that he did. He was a brave man who saw patients well into his advanced stages of cancer.

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The Three Lives Led by Sigmund Freud: Volume I The Fledgling Scientist -- 1856-1898
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[Louis Donald]

Freud’s life and struggles are fascinating, especially the impact of his personal experiences on his work. I like that the book dives into his theories, but the repetition of certain topics, like Moses, might make it feel a bit dry for some readers. Still, it seems like a solid read for anyone curious about Freud’s life and the complexities behind his theories.

[Pearl Flourish]

Freud’s life was clearly as complex as his theories, and it’s fascinating how his personal struggles, from war trauma to illness, shaped his work. The mix of admiration and critique from the author adds an interesting perspective.

[Gerry Steen]

Wow! Your review has piqued my interest in this book. From your review, I learned some facts that i did not know about Freud. I did not know that he stirred controversy with a book about Moses. I did not know that he worked at healing WW1 soldiers' mental illnesses, and I didn't know that he had cancer of the jaw. What an interesting man! I am adding this book to my burgeoning bookshelves. Thank you!

[George Bastem]

A deep dive into Freud's life, full of fascinating details about his theories and struggles. While it might be dry for some, it offers a thorough look at the man behind psychoanalysis and the forces that shaped him.

[Seetha E]

I was unaware of any of the mentioned details about Freud's life other than his role in the study of psychoanalysis. Despite the drawbacks mentioned this book sounds a valuable read for all those interested in his inner battles.