This is a great cookbook, with anecdotal information that makes it feel like you're sitting down with the authors over hot Turkish coffee, reminiscing about their travels.

Each recipe has the country/ies of origin, and what it's called in Arabic (which could come in very handy next time you're in a Middle Eastern restaurant!). The instructions are clear, and it has a great index.

My one complaint is that it has only a few photos. I like to know what it's supposed to look like when I'm trying a new recipe. I know that's not a deterrent for many cooks, but for those of you like me, that is a drawback. The varied selections and the cultural tidbits between the covers more than make up for that lack, though, and I recommend this cookbook heartily.

What I liked about this book is the fact that many Arabic complicated dishes were simplified, and it encouraged me to cook many dishes that I like but thought would take me a lot of time!

What I did not like is the fact that the writer has generalised the Marocan cuisine for the whole of North Africa or the Magreb. The Couscous is a Berber dish, the Berbers live all over Tunisia, Marocco and Algeria, this is why couscous is found in all those countries. Couscous is NOT a Marocan dish that is popular in Algeria and Marocco ad the author claims. Also the Tunisian Tajin has nothing to do with the Marocan Tajin, I think the author has never had a Tajin in Tunisia and he used a Marocan recepie and claimed it to be a Tunisia dish.

I hope those 2 mistakes will be rectified in the future edition, and I would welcome the author in Tunis and introduce him to the Tunisia cuisin which will make his book more complet!

Other than that, I highly recomend this book.

This is an amazing book! I have been able to recreate dishes that I ate as a child. There are excellent traditional recipes for Lebanese, Egyptian and Palestinian/Jordanian food. Also included are several versions of the same recipe with regional differences which is a rare treat for those with more experience and knowledge of middle eastern food. A must have.

for many years i have been a Koontz fan but have found characters and stories from last 3 or 4 books to be too unbelievable and even boring.First i read of Peter James was "The Truth" and am now on a mission to find all his other books."Alchemist" is easy reading,has a plausible story and keeps the pace going with good dialogue. It is horror without the vampires werewolves and dismemberments! Now reading his latest "Denial" and its the best to date!

One of the best reads for a long time. Stanic rituals, sex, suspense ...But it aint no script for some B movie. Read it but be prepared to be scared

For a generation of British schoolboys brought up on Dennis Wheatly a new star has appeared in the heavens. Peter James describes the dark forces behind so much of corporate culture. In Dennis Wheatly's day the Satanists were usually Nazis or Leninists. With the demise of these all too obviously totalitarian cultures the target list has diminished. For a while fanatical muslims provided the soft target for the creators of nightmares. The end of the Cold War saw opinion formers creating villains out of muslims: Robert Ludlum wrote about them; Schwarzenegger acted in films about them, and Willi Klaas suggested NATO turn it's military prepredness against Islam. But muslims are obviously suffering a severe pounding under the world's weaponary. The basic respect for truth enshrined in the Islamic message is too great for the religion to be really hated. No writer can be consistently successful by casting muslims as ignorant fanatics. The widely despised and detested Iran of the 'Salman Rushdie' fatwa becomes a bastion of liberal and progressive ideas compared with the Afghanistan of the Taliban (and perhaps TEXACO). It is widely rumoured that the Taliban leaders have enjoyed hospitality of Texas Oil millionaires. In the meantime bereaved and perhaps cynical widows and daughters undertake military training in the freezing cold mountains because they knew that someone had once built a university that would teach women in nearby Mazar-i-Sharif. The Iranians have women in the government. ALCHEMIST is a very topical book. At 'The End of History', with the eradication of obviously totalitarian dictatorships the corporate sector is the only arena for the play of good against evil. The arms trade is mentioned. But more important for the characters in the book are the life and death powers held by modern corporations. None of this is news to anyone who saw pictures of Hitler's rocket making bunkers in the Harz mountains. Slave labourers were drafted in by corporations and worked to death. Primo Levi is one of the best chroniclers of twentieth century science based capitalism. He experienced it's sharp end. If it is no longer necessary to use armed guards and barbed wire to keep the workers in the factories, that does not mean that armed guards and barbed wire have disappeared altogether. On the contrary the fiefdoms have proliferated. In an unregulated world of free markets any trans-national corporation can administer its own slave labour organisation. Mostly this is done by proxy, through militaristic regimes. Other forms of slavery exist. Addiction is the most basic. Liquor, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals are the mainstays of physical enslavement, while gambling and perhaps internet addiction are more in the spiritual sphere. ALCHEMY deals with the pharmaceutical industry. The corporate world is every bit as boorish as the author describes. The Satanic rituals are mere kid's comic stuff compared with the real hold that darkness and ignorance have over the corporate elite. Old time Satanists summon up the Devil, usually by the sacrifice of a maiden. The modern corporate boss will happily condemn a whole generation of Afghani maidens to the demons of poverty and ignorance at the mere stroke of a pen. A mere satanist who develops psychic powers is no match for Damma. Light wins over Darkness. The author maintains the interest of the reader by a high body-count, and a fairly precise description of much of modern corporate psychology. The settings in the novel are mostly upper class, but that is no problem. In a past era Dennis Wheatly was read widely. It's also fairly true that interest in the occult has few class or even racial barriers. The classical 'Black Mass' and reversal of good symbols to become evil are standard for the genre, and transcend cultural barriers. After reading this book it is all too easy to imagine that every corporation has its resident satanists and dowsers. And in the Far East you never pass a large building without its cabbalistic symbols and runes.

One of man's greatest struggles is his effort to determine his position in the universe. From the past ages to present history, mankind has been in conflict with his own mortality. In his attempt to rectify his seemingly meaningless existence, he has created countless religions and renditions of the afterlife. Often man has also created numerous supernatural agents, such as divine spirits, to aid him in his walk through life. Religion has been a hallmark of every civilization. However, in The Future of an Illusion Sigmund Freud has come to the conclusion that religion is an illusion. Freud believes that the sooner mankind shuns all aspects of a divine, supernatural being the better off man will be in all facets of life.
In the passage, Freud has a tendency to compare the belief of Providence and a benevolent God with a concept he developed through psychoanalysis: the father-complex. He sees mankind as a frightened child using God as a crutch in order to make it through his every day occurrences. Freud sees this as a weakness and labels this as an illusion. His conclusion is basically that humans who depend on-or even believe in God-are delusional.
My reaction to Freud is one of disgust. I believe that in Freud's attempt to psychoanalyze every facet of the mind he merely saw an aspect of life which he could not rationalize scientifically and simply removed it altogether. Since God cannot be explained through the scientific method, belief is a divine Being is rubbish in Freud's eyes. I see this as a weakness on Freud's own character. I believe that Freud is uncomfortable with the idea that there is something in which science cannot wholly explain. Therefore he argues in this exposition in a way in which he justifies his own insecurities by making himself out to be a sadder but wiser man. However, I wonder if he considered the fact that although he could not prove the existence of God, he does not necessarily rule out God's existence. I believe that God is a postulate, something that cannot be proven or invalidated through scientific discourse. Freud may be right in the nature of God, but he automatically rules out His existence without giving a definite reason. I am sorry Freud, but a father-complex model does not have enough reasonable evidence to convince me that you are correct and that I am wrong.
Another aspect of Freud in which I find disconcerting is his religious fervency for science. Since Freud has discredited the existed of God he is forced to replace the vacuum with the only rational solution: science. Freud is so obsessed with the scientific method that he even rationalizes its shortcomings. In his comparison between Aristotle's "error" and Columbus's "illusion", he supports Aristotle over Columbus. This is due to the fact that Aristotle's mistake was an inaccurate scientific hypothesis, whereas the Columbus's fallacy was caused by a false belief. He states that the difference between these two mistakes is that an illusion is "derived from human wishes" and therefore it is the feebler mistake. However, I see Aristotle as a much more drastic error than Columbus who simply had a major miscalculation of the world's size and poor navigation equipment.
All in all, I appreciate Freud for his support for science. However, I believe that science does have its limits. Therefore, in the areas which science cannot explain, we should not immediately jump to conclusions as Freud has done. Until science can reasonably discredit God, I will continue on with my delusion. Actually, even if science was able to prove that there was not a God, I would probably continue to believe. In my case, hope is better than what Freud has, which is nothing. I will let Freud remain the sadder, but wiser man while I continue to believe in my Illusion.

In Freud's "The Future of an Illusion," he attempts to establish human motives for the creation of religion. If you hadn't guessed, Freud was a diehard atheist. He recognizes religion and an all-seeing, all-knowing man in the sky as an illusion to compensate for the mortality of our given father figures and as a divine system of reward and punishment for one's actions necessary for any society to function.

Most people will live to see their father die. Rather than move on and accept responsibility for his own life, man invented a fallback -- GOD. It was easier to, rather than adapt to a life without a strong but ultimately fair authoritative figure, setup and eternal epitome of "daddy."

As many philosophers have explored, man is naturally self-serving and anti-social. Without any reliable system to prevent destructive, anti-social behavior, society invented punishment for these actions, inescapable punishment that lasts eternally. Without this divine, angry-hand-of-God type punishment system, today's society simply could not exist.

Though Freud sees religion as an illusion- the paper bag that man pulls over his head to make life easier- which must be eradicated, I tend to see it more as a blessing from generations-passed. Though many people are intelligent enough to understand that their actions must be suitable for society simply for the sake of society, most are not. Further, most people are not strong enough to deal with the inevitable loss of their father figure. It is religion that allows them to function in society, and they are rewarded with the happiness that other aspects of the illusion provide (ever-lasting father, reward of heaven, etc.). If these "sheep", as some will call them, are intellectually dull enough to believe something merely because it is what their parents believed, then they would not, most likely, be acute enough to recognize that they must renounce their self-serving instincts to better server the common good.

This book is definitely worth reading. Fortunately, religion is a self-reinforcing delusion and people like Mr. Shives will read it knowing from the start that it will be brimming with blasphemy-- crimethink, and therefore read it with closed eyes. We will never run out of sheep.

Reading Freud is always refreshing -- not only is he a good writer, but he also has many deep psychological insights. In his 71 page text, "The Future of an Illusion," he tackles the subject of religion. A livelong atheist, Freud argues that religion is derived from a child-like sense of helplessness in the world. Its purpose, he says, is to explain the sometimes-unfathomable world, to provide societal order, and to give comfort and happiness (particularly for the "the masses" and the poor, uneducated and oppressed). Although Freud wants to reshape civilization's relationship with religion, he also recognizes that widespread atheism could undermine societal stability. Overall, this is a good, quick read -- perfect for those interested in religion/atheism, psychology and the intersection between the two.

I met Harry in 1974, when I was 14, in between sets at the South Shore Music Circus. He had two trumpet cases, one for his horns and another for something clear he was drinking. As a young trumpet player, he was my idol, and musically still is. The accompanying CD to this bio has some terrific releases on it, but would have been even better had they included "Countin," "One on the House," "Blues for Harry's Sake," and "Bangtail," the key charts from his great comeback band.

As much as I always wanted to read an account of his life, however, I'm almost sorry I did. Now I know what the clear liquid was, and how badly it tormented the greatest trumpet player ever. The book is interesting, but we still need an account of Harry's super-human technique. What bore did he use on his King, and how did that bore, which I've heard was the largest they ever constructed, mesh with the tiny Parduba mouthpiece. What mouthpiece did he learn on when he was building his chops on circus music, the hardest music in the world?

And how on earth did he ever manage to perform at such a high level for 45 years with his lifestyle, is unanswered here. Playing at his level after a fifth of bourbon just doesn't seem credible, although if he could drink Phil Harris under the table maybe it was. There is likewise no evidence presented to justify the physical abuse charge levelled against Everette, save for the rapped on the knuckles vignette Harry told to Merv Griffin. There are other munched nuances as well: Harry is placed at Reagan's second inaugural, even though he would have been dead for a year and a half then. It would have been interesting to hear more from FS, Jr., as well. Artie Shaw had it right in this jacket blurb: this is a horribly depressing story. Harry, when I finished it, I cried for you.

Having known Harry James from 1963 on, as well as being a professional player myself, I enjoyed the book tremendously. There are a couple of glaring inaccuracies however. One was the statement that Harry's solo on "Shine" was left out of the "Benny Goodman Story" just isn't so. I have the movie, and it's in it. Another was the reference to the get-well card signed by all of the top trumpet players in Hollywood to Harry. The author stated that Conrad Gozzo signed it. That would have been a neat trick, because Goz pre-deceased Harry by almost 20 years. All in all, however, it was a good read. I recommend it to all who are interested in this titan of trumpet swing. Tony Horowitz

Harry James was a titan of the trumpet and Big Bands. We have sorely needed a biography, and I think that this first biography is absolutely superb. Harry James has always been my #1 favorite. "Trumpet Blues" confirms for me James' extraordinary musical contributions but also fleshes out his story with a rich, full treatment of the realities - both good and bad - of his professional and personal lives. Included are excellent materials on his grand musical history, his first wife, the appealing singer Louise Tobin, and his second wife, the marvelous Betty Grable. I came away from the book with a much different and far more realistic vision of Harry James than I had going in - that he indeed was a musical giant (he is still my #1 favorite) but that he also was a human being with his share of personal flaws and imperfections to go with his fine qualities. I am glad that "Trumpet Blues" is here and that I read it.

Boswell persuaded Johnson, almost age 64, to visit the highlands of Scotland with him in August, 1773. Both Boswell and Johnson wrote small books about it. Johnson's view, both in his letters to Hester Thrale and in this book, was as a social scientist cum historian, taking a clinical examination of the changes that were occurring in Scotland after the Union. Where Boswell's volume (sometimes paired with Johnson's) tends to focus on dialogs with Johnson, Johnson discusses the decaying of the clan structure, emigration, assimilation into the Union... Johnson is very careful as he describes what he sees, carefully measuring distances and relating his observations to historical context.

This review may appear with other editions, but the Oxford edition, edited by Fleeman, is a very thorough and detailed edition for the specialist. For the specialist, it's worth the relatively high price. Fleeman provides detailed notes, and appendices on the the various early editions, cancelled sheets, clans structures, etc. If you are a serious reader of Johnson, as I am, this is the edition to have.

If you are -not- a serious reader, then you would do well to buy the penguin paperback, which combines Johnson's and Boswell's volumes. The two books are fascinating to read in tandem, and it's revealing about Boswell that Johnson doesn't even mention conversations which meant so much to Boswell. In addition, the notes in the Penguin edition (by Peter Levi) are also very helpful.

The -third- part of the story, however -- Johnson's letters to Hester Thrale while J & B were traveling -- are not included in any current edition that I know of. I suspect we will have to wait for an electronic version in order to be able to compare all three resources at once.

This book was my companion on my first trip to Norway, the origin in viking times of the settlement of much of Northern Scotland and the Hebrides. I was curious to know how the region looked in earlier times and, is always the case with the writing of Johnson and Boswell, was happily entertained. If one reads only one travel book then maybe this one is the right one--maybe Lawrence's 'Travels in Italy' is second on my list.

Quite a while back I posted a review of the Oxford edition of Samuel Johnson's writings in which I included a short review of the Penguin edition of the Sctoland journey/journal. Reposting that review to the newest edition of the Oxford book, it occurred to me I ought to place this review where it belongs.

There is little with which one might compare these two wonderful pieces of writing today -- and yet to some extent they are, each in its own way, foundations upon which much of modern writing has been built. Johnson is here, if not at his finest, still nearing an apogee of clarity, lucidity and intellectual rigor. Boswell is making his initial foray into the published first-hand journal, written only half-a-thought out of the public eye, that would eventually lead him to write his enormous and enormously popular Life of Johnson.

Reading the two interlaced is an utter delight -- moving from the formality, grace and power of Johnson to the smaller, more intimate pleasures of Boswell gives one the feeling of having captured, in the adventurous peregrinations of these two inimitable characters, the very breadth and depth of eighteenth century English writing. (I must point out that the Penguin book does not print the two Journals in interlaced fashion, but with a little effort the reader can move between the two so as to get the efect of Johnson and Boswell speaking in turns on the same topology, if not always the same topic...)

To love and admire Johnson, but not appreciate the brilliant, even if much different, stylistic inventions of Boswell seems to me somewhat perverse. Certainly Boswell had his shortcomings, but half the joy of reading and 'knowing' Johnson and his circle comes from appreciating the little peccadilloes and foibles that each displayed in his turn--not the least the Great Cham, Johnson, himself. Having said that I hope I may be allowed one short comment on Frank Lynch's review below. While meaning no disrespect to Frank it seems odd to me that he would note that Johnson does not comment on conversations that Boswell took as very important. Johnson knew of Boswell's journals as they were being written and encouraged Boswell to publish them. Moreover, Johnson was writing a topographical piece and not the more intimate "Travels with the Great Cham" journal that Boswell was writing.

In the long run, that Boswell found these conversations important is what delights us -- his ability to possess and bring weight to the smallness of life contrasts wonderfully with Johnson's ability to enlarge and ennoble life -- and the reflection is an interesting one when we find some of the Great Cham's noble thoughts somewhat bitterly missing the mark while Boswell's little thoughts can roll about one's mind for a very long time.

I cannot think of either of these two men that I don't see Thomas Rowlandson's wonderful caricature of the two walking arm in arm -- the older man a head taller, wagging his finger and pontificating casually and brilliantly on some weighty matter, and the other rolling along beside him smiling with sweet admiration and pride of association. To read Johnson and bypass Boswell, is to find one great treasure and forsake another.

If I must add one small quibble it is that the notes to the Penguin edition seem rather eccentric -- more the product of a dyspeptic travel writer than a Johnsonian scholar.

I would like to see a more complete version of this book written for the professionals. It provides a good review of the topic although at times lacking in depth. Highly recommended for the dental student.

less comprehensive than Shafer's but it is more direct to the target and more actually clinically oriented. thanks to the authors

The text is an exellent analysis and summation of many common and uncommon disorders. The text builds and updates the previous publicaions which in my opinion are some of the most useful works in oral pathology. Clear, concise, understandible and well organized. This text should be in every Dental and Medical professionals library. Dr. Steven Sudbrink, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.

And this time trough those primitive manifestations performed by that very primitive peoples like aborigenes from Australia, North and South America indians and many others discovered by colonization european, manifestation that we are used to call by Totem and Taboo. This is the standard Freud's view on the subject and to understand this book is a necessary step to proceed to other important Freud's work like Moses and Monotheism, The Future of an Ilusion and many others, where he approaches with reluctance the idea of religion as an offspring of early animism.

The prior standard way of seeing these types of primitive manifestation was to see them trough the amount of dread the primitive men have against the manifestation of some praeternatural agency, to use a term used by Mr.Thorstein Veblen, a contemporary of Freud, in his magnificent book on the leisure class (The Theory of the Leisure Class). It is worthy to note that nobody can be sure on the origins of this type of tradition and that adds substance to Mr.Freud's arguments.

Sigmund Freud goes a step further to the classical view and says that totemism and taboo as animism are the manifestation of something not outside ourselves but rather inside human minds of the primitive people, where the unconscious played a good part to the forming of this kind of culture manifestation and where there is an intricate and unconscious and almost mathematical calculation in order to attribute to the priest-king, who typifies the carrier of this tradition, both the pleasures and the burden of the function. In Freud's view, both totem and taboo are traditions that have to find their origim in the unconscious of that primitive folks and not in the concurrence of fear to the dead, following the tradition of his many other books on the latent manifestations of the unconscious. The ritual and actual killing of the father by the Horde or Band of Brothers, who are in search of vital space for their development, is the real reason behind all that happens afterwards and, following Freud's hypotheses, are the groundwork of modern and ancient religion.

The concepts here explained will be fundamental to the development of the hypotheses developed latter in Moses and Monotheism.

Totem and Taboo, along with _The Future of an Illusion_, should be necessary reading for any serious student of social science. Of course, there are massive holes in Freud's arguments (such as his tendancy to make sweeping generalizations about other cultures from his armchair in Europe), but people who disagree with him for moral and ethical reasons tend to amplify those holes and simply ridicule Freud the man instead of intelligently approaching his arguments.
The fact is, his suppositions about parental relations (as they relate to "totem" cultures), about religion, and about sexuality are extremely relevant and have proven, over the years, to possess an extraordinary predictive power. Even if one disagrees with this literature, one should read it and know exactly what they disagree with.

Parricide, guilt, cannibalism--what's not to love?

A controversial and uncannily plausible bestseller... so superbly done, crammed with such matchless setail, that it is nigh impossible to detect where fact becomes fantasy. The pace is so swift, the drama so hightened by alternate flashes of comedy and tragedy that one has to stop to catch one's breath... it all works perfectly.

James Douglas is a natural storyteller, though demanding; carefully plotted and meticulously researched, Kevin Custer

Masterfully written. Tom Clancy R.I.P. Here comes James Douglas... outstanding!

I used this book as a guide to recovering from patellofemoral pain syndrome, a very common, but very difficult and debilitating problem.

What I found is that the book's recommendation to strengthen the vastus medialus and stretch the quadriceps group is fine as far as it goes. But for many sufferers it will not go far enough. Many doctors feel that any or all of the muscles in the leg, from the hips to the ankles, may need strengthening/and or stretching to overcome this syndrome.

If you do work on your vastus medialus (which practically every doctor recommends, it's just that other muscles may be involved), follow the author's suggestion to use an electic muscle stimulator. It builds the muscle much faster than any other form of isometric exercse. Muscle stimulators are now sold on the net.

If this doesn't cure your knee problems, don't despair. Find a more comprehensive (but not necessarily more stressful) exercise program.

This book gives excellent information and advice on how to live with your injuries and continue to enjoy your favorite sports. It gives blunt information on the benefits of surgery for different conditions--pro and con. Garrick's credentials show his ability to get injured athletes (professionals as well as weekend warriors) back onto the playing field as quickly as possible. He also gives advice on sport-specific prevention of injuries--strengthening excerises and playing techniques. Besides a copy for myself (an aging tennis player), I am buying one for my son who does extreme snowboarding and biking and spends much time in emergency rooms!

Dr. Garrick's book reads like an office consultation with this highly qualified and experienced orthopedic surgeon; it is clear, straightforward and informative. For twenty years he has dealt with the abuses and insults I've heaped on my 58-year-old body during mountain climbing excursions, wilderness skiing, backpacking, foot races, ocean kayaking, and heavy back yard work. Each time I limped into his Sports Medicine Center at Bush and Hyde Streets in San Francisco, complaining about plantar fascitis, neck pain, or my latest nemesis, a torn medial meniscus, he convinced me to follow a regimen of strengthening exercises over a period of weeks instead of recommending surgery right off the bat. Sometimes it worked, other times surgery was necessary.

Jim's book is a valuable resource for any athlete, professional or otherwise. It is organized in such a way that it explains the body parts in detail and what can go wrong with them. If you are like me, you want to know just what a medial meniscus is, how it functions, and why it went south on you. Sidebars on the first page of each chapter warn you to see a doctor if any of the listed symptoms are present. Just as likely, the book may steer you along your own path to recovery. If you are a serious athlete, you should have this book in your library.

....but a daring example of the willingness of a thinker to make fundamental changes to his theoretical framework very late in his career. This is where Freud shifts his emphasis from ego vs. id instincts to the famous Eros/death polarity, clinically questionable but archetypally informative.

Freud did a remarkable job of reinstateing, and clearifying exsisting established beliefs, In this his finale publishcation. Although it is a bit wordy on occassions, a even a bit (dare i say) nonsenseacal. It is a enlightning and fasanating piece of work. And though I would'nt recommend it for new-comers to the world of psyco-analysim, it is diffently worth reading.

Sigmund Freud's "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" is a key text, not only for psychologists, or literary theorists, but anyone who thinks about why our minds work the way they do. If your mind is open to extreme possibilities, give this text a read. It is short, barely 75 pages, but give yourself time to pore over and make notes, as Freud moves very quickly.

In "Beyond the Pleasure Principle," Freud seeks to discover the causes and effects of our drives. To this end, he begins with the pleasure principle, which basically holds that the job of our 'mental apparatus' is to lower tension and move us towards pleasure and stability. Working against the pleasure principle are our baser instincts, which must be repressed by a vigilant brain. The pleasure principle can also be interrupted by the reality principle, which operates in moments when basic life functions are threatened - to wit, when maintaining life is more important than pleasure.

Examining the pleasure principle, Freud looks at scenarios which may shed light on mental processes that seem to challenge it. These include repetition compulsion, wherein adults seem to fixate and reenact moments of trauma. Seeking a more primal cause for repetition instinct, Freud analyses children's games. Interestingly, the further Freud regresses, the more speculative and intense he gets - from childhood, Freud talks about the brain itself, moving back to simple multicellular organisms, unicellular organisms, and ultimately inorganic matter - all the time looking for an explanation of the origin of instincts themselves.

Freud's queries on instinct and repetition compulsion lead him to the darkest possible places - the revelation of the death instinct. Freud posits that the repetition compulsion manifests itself in all conscious beings in the desire to return to the earliest state, total inactivity. The remainder of his treatise is spent developing the conditions of the death instinct, and trying to find a way out of this shocking thesis. Taking up Hesiodic Eros as symbolic of the life instinct, Freud attempts to argue out of the seemingly inescapable conclusion.

Freud's writing style is direct and fluid, but not necessarily straightforward. If you're not paying attention, Freud can go over your head quickly. For example, on page 50 of this standard edition, his line of argument dismisses Darwin, Marx, and Nietzsche in a matter of two paragraphs to astounding effect. His language is highly figurative, drawing on philosophy, literature, biology, and anecdote to make and illustrate his points. A critical text for anyone interested in psychoanalysis and its figurehead author.