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Mortal Secrets

Freud, Vienna and the Discovery of the Modern Mind
Brief Description
A lively and accessible portrait of a major figure - Sigmund Freud - and the unprecedented era of creativity that shaped his ideas. Some cities are like stars. When the conditions are right, they ignite, and they burn with such fierce intensity that they outshine all... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
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Like Sarah Bakewell's How to Live and Andrea Wulf's Magnificent Rebels, Mortal Secrets is a lively and accessible portrait of a major figure - Sigmund Freud - and the unprecedented era of creativity that shaped his ideas

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A lively and accessible portrait of a major figure - Sigmund Freud - and the unprecedented era of creativity that shaped his ideas.

Some cities are like stars. When the conditions are right, they ignite, and they burn with such fierce intensity that they outshine all their rivals. From 1890 and through the early years of the 20th century, Vienna became a dazzling beacon. The city was powered by an unprecedented number of extraordinary people - artists Klimt and Schiele, thinkers such as Theodor Herzl, and fashion icons like the glamorous Empress Sisi. Conversations in coffee houses and salons spurred advances in almost every area of human endeavour: science, politics, philosophy, and the arts.

The influence of early 20th century Vienna is still detectable all around us - but the place where it is at its strongest is in our heads. The way we think about ourselves has been largely determined by Vienna's most celebrated resident: Sigmund Freud. Mortal Secrets is the story of Freud's life, Vienna's golden age, and an essential reappraisal of Freud's legacy.

'Tallis' clear-eyed judicious analysis is the best I've read - about the city and the man' William Boyd

'Brilliantly rich and vivid' The Times, Books of the Year

'Fascinating... the best book I have read on Freud and Vienna' TLS, Books of the Year

'Excellent and entertaining' Amanda Craig

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349144559

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 March 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Abacus

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 38.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 388g

Pages: 496

About the Author

Dr Frank Tallis is a writer and clinical psychologist. His non-fiction books include The Incurable Romantic, The Act of Living and Mortal Secrets: Freud, Vienna and The Discovery of the Modern Mind, which was a book of the year in The Times. In the TLS William Boyd said 'Tallis' clear-eyed judicious analysis is the best I've read'. Tallis is also the author of the Liebermann Papers, a psychoanalytic detective series set in Freud's Vienna and adapted for television as the BBC drama Vienna Blood. He lives in London.

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