Surviving and Other Essays

by Bruno Bettelheim

Twenty-four essays range over the entire spectrum of Dr. Bettelheim's concerns, from the Holocaust, the sexual revolution, to schizophrenia and totalitarianism

Genres: History, Psychology, Essays, Nonfiction, Holocaust

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Bruno Bettelheim (1903-1990) was an Austrian-born American child psychologist and writer. He gained an international reputation for his views on autism and for his claimed success in treating emotionally disturbed children.

Reviews

[Erich Habich-Traut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was about 11 years old when I read Bruno Bettelheim's "1955 Truants From Life". He helped me to understand and survive my own situation. His description of concentration camp children closely mirrors upbringings in postwar German households with frustrated fathers who had wanted to become a member of the Totenkopf SS and who could not get over the defeat of fascism.

The incapability to accept defeat may be a hallmark of fascists.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettelheim offers impressive insight into the mechanism of the Holocaust, not because his writing is so eloquent, but because many of the essays in this collection were written and reflect on a time during the Holocaust. His life-course narrative is really interesting, and, though he may be contentious to some scholars, I think the essays in this book are worth reading.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's sort of amusing to reread the essay on privacy, given how long ago it was written.