Freud: The Theory of the Unconscious

A clearly written and highly organized introduction of the work of one of the twentieth century's greatest thinkers.

Octave Mannoni worked in France, Madagascar, and Africa throughout the twentieth century to develop Lacanian psychoanalytic methods into the field of ethnology. He is best known for his research on the psychic affects of colonization: domination of a mass by a minority, economic exploitation, paternalism, and racialism.

Positioning his perspectives within the Freudian framework, Mannoni's book Freud: The Theory of the Unconscious is a well-crafted and concise introduction to the Austrian neurologist's life, work and theories. The major part of this book consists of an intellectual biography of Freud which traces the various crucial Freudian concepts which are key to understanding his work. Along with an introduction, the book also provides a critical account of the various shortcomings in Freud's work.