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Summary
Summary
Kathleen Krull proves Sigmund Freud deserves a place in her much-lauded series, because he essentially created a brand-new branch of medicine- psychoanalysis.
Author Notes
Kathleen Krull is well known for her innovative approach to biographies for young readers. Her books include The Road to Oz: Twists, Turns, Bumps, and Triumphs in the Life of L. Frank Baum; The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss; the Lives of . . . series of collective biographies; the Giants of Science series ; and more, as featured at kathleenkrull.com. Kathleen lives in San Diego, with her husband, children's book illustrator Paul Brewer.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
To her outstanding Giants of Science series (Leonardo Da Vinci; Isaac Newton), author Kathleen Krull adds Sigmund Freud, illus. by Boris Kulikov, describing life in 19th-century Vienna and what was known of mental illness before Freud put his theories and psychoanalysis to work. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) This third Giants of Science book demonstrates the conceptual scope of a series that traces the nature of scientific thinking. Leonardo da Vinci (rev. 9/05) explored the beginnings of scientific inquiry; Isaac Newton (rev. 5/06) showed how one man introduced inductive reasoning through the scientific method. In her latest work, Krull introduces Freud, who brought empirical research into the canon. Freud himself was ""unable to decide whether he preferred seeing himself as a respectable man of science or a solitary genius above and beyond traditional science."" After several missteps, such as his early advocacy for the widespread use of cocaine, Freud finds his niche but not universal acceptance. Clearly and without sensationalism, Krull presents his theories on infant sexuality, but these are but a small part of Freud's contributions, which include dividing the personality into Id, Ego, and Superego. Back matter includes a listing of Freud's works, a bibliography, a list of pertinent websites, and an index (unseen). (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
With her usual breezy, forthright, and intelligent approach, Krull continues the Giants of Science with Freud. Krull unravels just how much the inventor of psychoanalysis and student of the human mind has shaped the way we think, and the way we think of ourselves, while at the same time noting his personal and professional shortcomings. She does not shirk from Freud's study of cocaine, his problems with understanding women, or the horrors of his final disease. Freud is shown in the context of his life in Vienna and his last years in London escaping the Nazis, the author captures a difficult man with an enormous ego who also was capable of great merriment and compassion. Illustrator Kulikov provides knowing and witty illustrations. --GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright 2006 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9-This biography begins with a brief look at Freud's childhood, focusing on his role as his mother's "golden Sigi" and the extremes to which his family went to cater to his needs (e.g., he had his own room, while the rest of his large family crowded into three bedrooms). Krull shows that he continued in this vein later on, expecting to be adored and catered to by his wife and colleagues. Most of the book deals with Freud's adult life, focusing on his drive not only to make progress in understanding the human mind, but also to live out his mother's dream that he make a name for himself. His theories are explained, and the author also discusses the ways in which later generations of psychoanalysts found his work simplistic, sexist, or otherwise limited, but also groundbreaking for their time. Freud is depicted as a complex human being: dedicated, driven, often egotistical, but also as a caring man who loved his family and who wanted to help his patients. Sophisticated cartoon pen-and-ink drawings add to the text. Catherine Reef's Sigmund Freud (Clarion, 2001) has more child appeal with its extensive use of photographs. For libraries wanting another biography on Freud, Krull provides a worthy addition.-Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Krull lives up to the promise of the first two entries in her Giants of Science series with this lucid and thoughtful examination of Freud's life, work and legacy. Sketching out the state of mental health care in the 19th century, she makes a convincing case for the real and lasting good done by Freud in his insistence that emotional health is inextricably linked to physical health, and his conviction that talk therapy is a key to healing. Such tricky concepts as the relationship of the conscious to the unconscious, the tripartite construction of the mind into id, superego and ego, the Oedipus complex and the interpretation of dreams receive just enough detail for clarity, but not so much as to mire the reader in psychological arcana or mumbo-jumbo. Criticism shares space with appreciation, perhaps more so than in previous volumes in the series, as Freud's circularity of reasoning and his fondness for such patriarchal assumptions as penis envy come under heavy questioning. To tactfully admit young readers into such a contentious dialogue is no mean feat, and marks this offering as truly stellar. (Biography. 10+) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
