Biography: Sigmund Freud

With the skill and finesse we've come to expect from A&E's Biography series, this video presents the life of a man who is the subject of much controversy even to this day, who is more often than not misquoted, and who has done more than anyone in history to shape the progress of mental health science around the world. ‘Freudian slips', the familiar couch, the stereotypical image of psychiatrists as being bearded men with accents--Freud's influence pervades our cultural symbols. Using excepts from letters written by Freud, interviews with prominent contemporary psychoanalysts, and recollections by family members, the video suggests that if Freud's personal life had been a bit more normal, the world of psychiatry that we know today would be profoundly different. During his battles with his own internal demons, he was able to develop theories and concepts covering everything from dream interpretation to sexual dysfunction. This story of Sigmund Freud succeeds admirably in making complex ideas understandable to the average viewer. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)