This important summary of the present status of psychoanalysis originates from the Institute for Psychoanalysis of Paris, founded in 1953. Its purpose is stated to be "to transmit and continue the work of Freud." It consists of a series of essays by twenty-four different authors on various phases of psychoanalysis and its relation to education, medicine, neurobiology, and mental prophylaxis; its relationships to literature and linguistics are not discussed.
As might be expected in a work of multiple authors, the chapters are not all equally good; some are largely collections of case histories, and others are careful and critical discussions. The authors range from Marie Bonaparte, who initiated the study of psychoanalysis in France, and S. Nacht, the director of the Institute, to others who are less well known. The best chapters are written by Nacht, who gives every indication of attempting to be candid and objective. These chapters could