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Was ist ein Mensch? Wo beginnt die Neurose? Ist das sexuelle Verlangen die Quelle aller Wünsche? Lassen sich Traumata, Ängste und Depressionen auflösen?
Und was, nebenbei bemerkt, ist der Sinn des Lebens?
Dieses farbenfrohe und lebendig geschriebene Buch führt uns zurück in die Geburtsstunde der Psychotherapie im Wien des Fin-de-Siècle. Es erzählt die faszinierende Geschichte von Visionären wie Freud, Jung, Adler und anderen, die das erfanden, was zu einer der Säulen der westlichen Zivilisation wurde – das Versprechen von persönlichem Wohlbefinden.
Es ist jener Wandel im Denken, der die Psychologie zu einer der prägendsten Wissenschaften des 20. Jahrhunderts machte – und mit der Psychoanalyse einen intellektuellen wie gesellschaftlichen Trend auslöste. Die Abgründe der »Seele« kannte man auch vor dieser Zeit. Doch die Vorstellung, man könne die Psyche heilen, den Menschen verbessern und seine Potenziale optimieren – diese Idee war neu und revolutionär.
Und was, nebenbei bemerkt, ist der Sinn des Lebens?
Dieses farbenfrohe und lebendig geschriebene Buch führt uns zurück in die Geburtsstunde der Psychotherapie im Wien des Fin-de-Siècle. Es erzählt die faszinierende Geschichte von Visionären wie Freud, Jung, Adler und anderen, die das erfanden, was zu einer der Säulen der westlichen Zivilisation wurde – das Versprechen von persönlichem Wohlbefinden.
Es ist jener Wandel im Denken, der die Psychologie zu einer der prägendsten Wissenschaften des 20. Jahrhunderts machte – und mit der Psychoanalyse einen intellektuellen wie gesellschaftlichen Trend auslöste. Die Abgründe der »Seele« kannte man auch vor dieser Zeit. Doch die Vorstellung, man könne die Psyche heilen, den Menschen verbessern und seine Potenziale optimieren – diese Idee war neu und revolutionär.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published August 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 29, 2024
Eine sehr interessante Lektüre, die in die Welt der psychoanalytischen Genese einführt und diese, was das Buch noch überzeugender macht, auch im Spannungsverhältnis zwischen etablierter Wissenschaft im Rahmen einer Diskussion um Eminenz und Evidenz kritisch beleuchtet und kommentiert. Unbedingt lesenswert!
September 10, 2026
I have not written a book review in years, but as I recall this is an activity I enjoy, I thought why not revive this long-lost hobby. In the age of AI, for some time I have doubted whether I am even able to write a review, for even finishing a book takes much longer than I would wish it to. Nevertheless, the other day, I made a decisive choice. I deleted my instagram, and I reactivated my goodreads account, with the solemn determination to begin, yet again, to actually process every book that I read from here on. For however futile our efforts, I suppose every single action that promotes the focus and attentiveness of the mind is of benefit.
Now, to the book! I picked this up at a bookstore due to the alluring title, and curious cover. While I know quite a bit about the origins of psychology as a field, I have always been drawn to learn more, and the idea of a comprehensive overview pulled me in. Soul Magic covers pretty much every single notable name in the field of psychoanalysis from the beginning of the 20th century, focusing on the history and the background story of each individual. Having mainly learned about the orientations of each psychoanalysts prior to this, it was more than refreshing to have a detailed outlook on the personal often very challenging circumstances of the founding fathers of psychology. The more I read, the more clear it became what a clash of egos and personalities the formative years of psychology truly were, and in a sense, the fervor with which each clung to their ideas of human nature appears rather immature. Having read this book, it is hard to see formation of psychology as anything but 'blind leading the blind', and not to pay attention to the problematic methods of many of the so called great men. From sleeping with their patients to plainly cruel research methodology, to broken families, infidelity, petty rivalry and pursuit of power, the origins of psychology are not quite the mecca of healing that one might imagine.
Regardless of the book being rather dense, and at times perhaps too detailed, I very much appreciated the ambitious effort to collect the majority of the great psychological thinkers without a filter in the same book. The books' primary focus is to be historical, and to give an honest outlook on the formation of large philosophical strands that have shaped our current reality. It's hard not to recall Freuds' words as he traveled to America to advertise psychoanalysis for the first time with Adler and Jung: "Little do they know that we are bringing the plague."
Having read Soul Magic, any idealistic narratives that I upheld about the formation of psychology as a field are gone. What remains, is the frightening observation of what individual psychology has done to our culture, and how lost the Western civilization has become as a result. Flawed theories by flawed men have shaped our understanding of ourselves in unprecedented ways, and to a degree, much of today's widespread pathological narratives can be traced to those days.
I wish this book had been easier to read yes, perhaps something was lost to the English translation, but I am grateful for the authors' historical research that has illuminated many dark corners in my knowledge of early days of psychology.
Now, to the book! I picked this up at a bookstore due to the alluring title, and curious cover. While I know quite a bit about the origins of psychology as a field, I have always been drawn to learn more, and the idea of a comprehensive overview pulled me in. Soul Magic covers pretty much every single notable name in the field of psychoanalysis from the beginning of the 20th century, focusing on the history and the background story of each individual. Having mainly learned about the orientations of each psychoanalysts prior to this, it was more than refreshing to have a detailed outlook on the personal often very challenging circumstances of the founding fathers of psychology. The more I read, the more clear it became what a clash of egos and personalities the formative years of psychology truly were, and in a sense, the fervor with which each clung to their ideas of human nature appears rather immature. Having read this book, it is hard to see formation of psychology as anything but 'blind leading the blind', and not to pay attention to the problematic methods of many of the so called great men. From sleeping with their patients to plainly cruel research methodology, to broken families, infidelity, petty rivalry and pursuit of power, the origins of psychology are not quite the mecca of healing that one might imagine.
Regardless of the book being rather dense, and at times perhaps too detailed, I very much appreciated the ambitious effort to collect the majority of the great psychological thinkers without a filter in the same book. The books' primary focus is to be historical, and to give an honest outlook on the formation of large philosophical strands that have shaped our current reality. It's hard not to recall Freuds' words as he traveled to America to advertise psychoanalysis for the first time with Adler and Jung: "Little do they know that we are bringing the plague."
Having read Soul Magic, any idealistic narratives that I upheld about the formation of psychology as a field are gone. What remains, is the frightening observation of what individual psychology has done to our culture, and how lost the Western civilization has become as a result. Flawed theories by flawed men have shaped our understanding of ourselves in unprecedented ways, and to a degree, much of today's widespread pathological narratives can be traced to those days.
I wish this book had been easier to read yes, perhaps something was lost to the English translation, but I am grateful for the authors' historical research that has illuminated many dark corners in my knowledge of early days of psychology.
April 27, 2026
Not quite as deep a dive as I’d hoped 3.5
I’m not quite certain of the intended audience for this one. I was, I think, hoping for more of the kind of ‘from the psychiatrists chair’ thoughtful exposition of different analytic styles. This seemed to dwell more on the profession and personal power struggles between different, generally male, giants in the field, and the often horrifying overstepping of boundaries engaged in by many. The tone was at once racy, but sometimes a little dry, and as it dipped and darted about, backwards and forwards, I was not always able to sort out clear lines of development in my own mind
Perhaps some of the problems for me arose from the fact that this is a translation from the original German, and occasionally sentences seemed a little stiff, and strangely structured. Perhaps also I had too personal a response, bridling at a comment calling Viktor Frankl ‘Too clever for his own good’, for his depth of reading. Frankl is one of the figures who particularly resonates for me, as a visionary
Nonetheless I was grateful to receive this as an ARC
I’m not quite certain of the intended audience for this one. I was, I think, hoping for more of the kind of ‘from the psychiatrists chair’ thoughtful exposition of different analytic styles. This seemed to dwell more on the profession and personal power struggles between different, generally male, giants in the field, and the often horrifying overstepping of boundaries engaged in by many. The tone was at once racy, but sometimes a little dry, and as it dipped and darted about, backwards and forwards, I was not always able to sort out clear lines of development in my own mind
Perhaps some of the problems for me arose from the fact that this is a translation from the original German, and occasionally sentences seemed a little stiff, and strangely structured. Perhaps also I had too personal a response, bridling at a comment calling Viktor Frankl ‘Too clever for his own good’, for his depth of reading. Frankl is one of the figures who particularly resonates for me, as a visionary
Nonetheless I was grateful to receive this as an ARC
August 15, 2025
Ein langsamer Einstieg - dan wurde ich hineingezogen in das Buch. So viele Anekdoten, Geschichten und Zusammenhänge. Die Psychologie als eine Geschichte eitler Männer auf der Suche nach Berühmtheit und dem Wunsch, anderen Menschen zu helfen. Schön, wie der Autor die Balane findet zwischen Wertschätzung und Kritik und auch an einem Aufzeigen der großen Bigotterie. Manchmal schien das Buch den Faden zu verloren, aber die Psychologie ist ja auch eine sehr komplexe Materie.
June 21, 2026
Viele Zeitsprünge und einige Wiederholungen; einige Passagen hätte man ganz weglassen können. Insgesamt aber ein schöner Rundumschlag über die verschiedenen Strömungen der Psychotherapie.
April 25, 2026
This is a fascinating book. As a counsellor and psychology graduate I really enjoyed reading about both the personal lives and the historical background of the psychotherapists. It only touches on the theories each developed so it’s a book more of social interest than instruction. I enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC.
Did Not Finish
June 15, 2026The dnf doesn’t have anything to do with the book itself, but because I didn’t have the time to finish the digital arc I was given by NetGalley in the set time frame. It was an interesting read, but I don’t see myself finishing it through other channels.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews