Sigmund Freud

Giants of Science

by Kathleen Krull, Boris Kulikov (Illustrator)

Explores the world of Sigmund Freud, who, making it into the author's highly popular series due to his creation of a brand-new branch of medicine called psychoanalysis, introduced the world to such controversial theories as Oedipal complexes, the id, and the ego.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Psychology, History, Middle Grade, Science, Medicine

144 pages, Hardcover

Published October 19, 2006

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography for middle-grade, part of Giants of Science series, brings a figure of Sigmund Freud, a man who was ahead of his time.

When Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) is four, his family moves from Freiberg to Vienna, Austria. At school, he is an eager student. Each month he buys a new book and adds to his library. He is inspired by great leaders he reads about. When attending the World Exhibition in Vienna bursting in science and technology, he gets inspired and sees a future in science.

In 1859, when Charles Darwin publishes his book On the Origin of Species, he rocks the world with his controversial theories. But Freud sees advancement and decides to study medicine. He is fascinated with bacteriology. He enjoys observation over microscope. He becomes interested in curing serious diseases. He is appalled by mistreatment of mentally ill patients.

When he falls in love, he realizes that he can’t provide for a woman. The microscope research doesn’t pay much. He searches for something revolutionary. He tries experimenting with cocaine. He hopes for a breakthrough in his research. But the addictive side of the drug makes him look suspicious. He drops this research.

At thirty, he opens his own office to treat patients with mental illness as this is something that interests him.

It’s fascinating to see how understanding the brain has progressed over one hundred years. Some of the past methods to treat the mental patients were simply barbaric.

There is a lot of information here which is explained in the most possible simple way. Despite that I’m not sure if it all would be understood by young readers.

This biography is mostly focused on his work, which is understandable. However, it would be nice to get to know him more on personal level; how his childhood shaped him and how he was with his own children. There is some mention of it, but to have it shown would make his character more engaging.

Overall, it is written interestingly and has a good flow.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several other books in the Giants of Science series. All of them are well-researched, informative, and depict the scientist as a whole person, sharing family and individual personality information. I like how each scientist is depicted within the historical context of his life.
This particular book is probably the most controversial in that many people would not label Freud a true scientist. Yes he was a medical doctor and well-educated, but Freud did not use the scientific method of research and his results are not reproducible by others.
Freud has undoubtedly made a huge impact on human lives. He is definitely a very influential historical figure but I don't think he belongs in this series.
With that said, I did find this an informative and entertaining read. My final question is: would this book appeal to middle school children? Some maybe, but I doubt if there will be a wide readership among the intended audience.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ❤ Freud (thanks, Dan)

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sigmund Freud, siapa yang tidak mengenal nama tersebut? Bagi orang yang menyukai bidang Psikologi pastilah sudah sangat familiar dengan tokoh legendaris ini. Freud adalah Bapak Psikologi Modern, sang penemu Psikoanalisis, sebuah cabang ilmu Psikologi baru yang merevolusi bagaimana kita memandang pikiran manusia sebagai subjek sains yang bersifat pasti dan universal.

Buku yang ditulis Kathleen Krull dengan ilustrasi yang keren dari Boris Kulikov ini sebenarnya tak lebih dari rangkuman kisah biografi Freud dari sejak kecil hingga ia meninggal. Dengan bahasa yang mudah dimengerti, Krull menceritakan bagaimana Freud kecil dibesarkan (termasuk nama kecilnya, Sigi), ketertarikannya terhadap Biologi dan Darwin, awal mula perkenalannya terhadap ilmu Psikologi, kegagalan-kegagalannya, sisi eksentriknya, love-hate relationship-nya dengan sang ayah, hingga perjumpaannya (sekaligus perpisahannya karena berbeda paham) dengan sang murid, Carl Jung.

Satu hal yang paling membekas di ingatan saya usai membaca buku ini adalah saat dikisahkan Freud bertemu dengan Einstein untuk pertama kalinya (dan menjadi satu-satunya pertemuan mereka) di Amerika. Setelah berbincang-bincang hangat, dengan jenaka Freud berkelakar, "Pengetahuannya yang mengagumkan tentang Psikologi sama besarnya dengan pengetahuan saya tentang Fisika." :-)

Direkomendasikan penuh bagi siapa pun yang ingin membaca biografi Sigmund Freud tanpa perlu takut berhadapan dengan bahasa yang rumit dan istilah-istilah Psikologi yang berat!

Sekilas seperti: menatap tajam ke sebuah cermin yang tergantung di dinding gudang dan kau bertanya-tanya, siapa sajakah yang pernah bercermin di sana sebelum dirimu

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathleen Krull weaves magic with words. She introduces us to the life and the world of great scientists, in this case, Sigmund Freud. As Freud’s life is told in novel form, the story comes alive, rich with humorous anecdotes and everyday snippets of events and we are drawn more to the character of the man, rather than his contributions to science.

Having said that, Krull does methodically recount how Freud was influenced by other important scientists of his day and how he relished his interaction and camaraderie with them. A genius of his time, he was well-read, learned and craved knowledge with a passion so great, that in some ways it was a detriment to his family, but nonetheless a part of his drive to acquire all knowledge.

Some of the theories and experiments Freud and his contemporaries alluded to are almost laughable today, but when much of the human body and mind was a mystery to scientists, all theories, whether credible or not, needed to be proved or not. Freud’s story is made compelling by Krull and her ability to connect the story to the reader is remarkable.

Finally, the illustrations by Boris Kulikov, although minimal in number, offer a glimpse into the thoughts of Freud. They are thought-provoking and enlightening. The story is enhanced by the inclusion of these images.

[Özlem Koçak]

Benim özellikle okuma sebeplerim bir giriş yapmaktan fazlası idi . Birincisi ; Freud'un tedavi örneklerine yer vermesi ki bu bana kitaplarında anlattıklarının pratiğini gösterdi. Bir diğeri Freud 'un şahsı ve yaşamı ile bilgi verirken bunu yaptığı iş ile ilişkilendirmesi oldu .

Mesela ; Freud'un ilk psikanaliz deneyimini kendisi ile kazandığını bu kitaptan öğrendim . Yani Freud kendini analiz etmekle başlamıştı ve birçok teorisini kendi üzerinde denedi. Yine psikanaliz ile tedavi gören ilk insan olan Anna O. ve tedavisinin bahsinin geçmesi de kitabı güzelleştiren bir etken .Freud 'dan önce ki tedavi yöntemlerinin insanlıkdışı hali karşısında ürperdim . Böylece Freud'un sadece bilimsel olmayıp aynı zamanda çağına göre oldukça insani tedavi yöntemleri üzerine kurulu sistemini bir kez daha takdir ettim.

İnsan zihninin homojen ve şeffaf olduğu yanılgısına karşı farkına varmadığımız duygu ve düşüncelerin yeri ,rüyaların ve dil sürçmelerinin önemi Freud 'u çağının ötesine taşıdı. Kitapta bu süreç akışında anlatılmış. İd ,ego ve süperego kavramları da güzel açıklanmış ; Freud'un id'i bir ata egoyu ise atın binicisine benzeten açıklamasına yer verilmesi de bu kavramların anlaşılması bakımından etkileyici .

[Dillon Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book even though at first I thought I would dislike it. Krull skillfully spun the life of Sigmund into this biography and between Freud's struggles and her story telling it was a pretty decent read. It starts off rather slowly and doesn't really get anything nigh interesting until at least chapter 3 ,when it gets into Freud's phycological pursuit. Between that and some repeated ideas or facts it was pretty good which is why it got a 3.

[Dream Conversations · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big big fan of Kathleen Krull - from her expansive range of biographies to the many reading levels she captures and the way in which she distills and disseminates her research.

I was curious to read an encapsulation of Sigmund Freud aimed specifically for young readers. I felt this portrayed nicely a full spectrum of the man without biases or opinions. One I can easily share with young readers and openly discuss.

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big big fan of Kathleen Krull - from her expansive range of biographies to the many reading levels she captures and the way in which she distills and disseminates her research.

I was curious to read an encapsulation of Sigmund Freud aimed specifically for young readers. I felt this portrayed nicely a full spectrum of the man without biases or opinions.

[Gail DiVico · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a quick read and geared to students in middle grades. A good overview of Freud's life was presented including his most popular theories. It was presented in an easy-to-understand style, as well. Good book for the younger set interested in Freudian concepts.

[Yassmin Aboelezz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book basically covers the whole life of Sigmund Freud in not that many pages. If you are interested in learning about him this book would be a very good start. However even if you aren't interested in learning about Sigmund Freud but like psychology, this would also be a great book. It discusses how different ideas were about mental health back in the day and how Freud(despite holding some very questionable and inaccurate ideas) allowed for an advancement especially in the field of talk therapy. I personally enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about mental health and how it was seen throughout time.

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Czech Republic. He studied medicine at the University of Vienna, and became interested in studying the human brain. He came up with his own theories about human behavior and invented a branch of science called psychoanalysis. The Viennese didn’t agree with him at first, but later, Freud’s psychoanalysis spread around the world. He used it to cure the soldiers that fought in World War I. He died on September 23, 1939 from mouth cancer.
The book seemed pretty interesting to me. It taught me a lot about human behavior. Sigmund Freud had a very big imagination. Like most visionaries, he had a peculiar side. Once he thought that the nose was the cause of all illnesses, mental or physical. Doctors still perform psychoanalysis today.

[Sonia Jarmula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this book from the library hoping to learn more about Freud's theories and practices, and came away with an abundance of knowledge about who he was as a doctor, a friend, a husband and a father. I expected an easy, bland children's book, (although I don't know many people-particularly children-interested in Freud) but I found that this gave me details about terribly cruel methods of curing mental illnesses, his relationships, journey through triumph and failure, his methods and so much more. This was so much more than I expected, a basic, well-paced, informing read on the great Sigmund Freud.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview of the life and ideas of Sigmund Freud. While the book is geared towards younger readers, everyone can appreciate the book's easy-to-read style and anecdotes that show she's put a lot of research into the book.

I believe Einstein once said to make everything as simple as possible but not simpler. Kathleen Krull has done just that: she takes Freud's complicated ideas and life, and she presents them simply without distorting them through simplification.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so delightful to read. Although written for younger readers, I found it a good intro to Freud's work. It highlights the major points in his work and how these were developed through his own internal drives, and acknowledged his groundbreaking work in the area, whilst acknowledging the lack of scientific evidence for his theories.

I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants a quick summary of Freud without getting bogged down in scholarly texts.

[Alison Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative overview of Freud's life, work and legacy. Freud's work appeared on the world stage around World War I when millions came face to face with the psychological effects of war. This book inspired me to read more about psychology, starting with Carl Jung, Anna Freud, Erik Eriksson, and Daniel Goleman.

[~mars~xp]

I enjoyed this immensely.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I question whether the intended age range would enjoy this title. How many 11 year-olds are interested in Freud?

[Jemayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to learn a little bit about the man and this book gave me just the right amount of information I was wanting. :) I love junior non-fiction.

[Yesse || Within_the_Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this more for my own personal interest in psychology. The book itself was alright.

[Pattie Babbitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathleen Krull is a great biography writer for kids! Quick read, and I loved the last sentence. I totally want a pair of fuzzy Freudian slippers!!!

[SuSanne Henriksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Educational, very easy to read.