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Volume 21, Number 40 • Copyright ©2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

Prisoners of Our Thoughts Viktor Frankl’s Principles at Work Alex Pattakos Foreword by Stephen R. Covey ©2004 Alex Pattakos, PhD Adapted by permission of Berrett-Koehler ISBN: 1-57675-288-7

Reviewed by Lydia Morris Brown

Introduction In his foreword, Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People) says, of Victor Frankl’s seminal Man’s Search for Meaning (considered one of the most important works of modern times), The Doctor and the Soul, and his other writings and lectures, that they stand as a reaffirmation of “… our power of choice, our unique endowment of self-awareness, and our essence, our will for meaning.” Pattakos introduces seven Core Principles, derived from Frankl’s philosophy and approach, and applies them explicitly to work and to the world of business. Doing for the phenomenon of work what Frankl the psychiatrist did for the field of psychotherapy, Prisoners of Our Thoughts supplies a conceptual foundation, as well as practical guidance, for bringing the will for meaning to the workplace and to the everyday experiences of people in every walk of life. Business Book Review™ Vol. 21, No. 40 • Copyright © 2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

Prisoners of Our Thoughts

PART I: LIFE AS A LABYRINTH OF MEANING

Alex Pattakos

it holds everything humans are—their minds, emotions, physical being, spirit, losses, gains, successes, failures, joys, and sorrows. When people walk the path inward, they carry their burdens with them, meditating or praying in the center,

Pattakos notes that life, like the classical labyrinth, is neither a maze, nor a puzzle to be solved, but a oneway-in, one-way-out, convoluted path of meaning to be experienced. Although it is impossible to perceive exactly where the path leads— “We are on one path and it takes us through many turns of fate around long curves or short, along the and fortune. … It is a path that shapes us, that uncovers our edge or around the center—we are never fears, that tests our courage, and that leads us to this very really lost. Sometimes it is possible to moment. It is a sacred path of individuality and no one walks it move forward with ease and confidence; but us.” and, at other times, it is necessary to creep and asking for grace, forgiveness, and understanding. When forward with caution. Sometimes the need arises to stop they walk the path outward, they are lighter, more joyful, and reflect; and, at other times, we might feel the urge to and ready to take on life’s challenges once again. retreat. And, sometimes the path is shared with others; and, Just as life presents a labyrinth of meaning, so do at other times we must tread the path alone. our jobs. Pattakos believes that when life is explored as a Because the labyrinth holds all the experience to be labyrinth of meaning, experience is deepened—whether found in life and in work, it is also a metaphor for what is one is driving a bus or running a corporation, meaning is sacred in life. Through its twists, turns, and spaciousness, everywhere. In the workplace, people can actively choose

About the Author Alex Pattakos, PhD, is the founder of the Center for Personal Meaning, a principal of the Innovation Group, and past president of Renaissance Business Associates (RBA), a nonprofit international organization committed to integrity in business and elevating the human spirit in the workplace. He has also had over 25 years experience with “community building” in business (across a wide variety of industries), government, and the nonprofit sector. As a speaker, author, facilitator, consultant, personal counselor, and coach, Dr. Pattakos helps his clients (including executives, athletes, celebrities, workers from all sectors, and retirees) find meaning in their work and everyday lives and re-energize and identify new approaches to planning their futures. Among his other publications, he is the coeditor/coauthor of Intuition at Work and a contributing author in Rediscovering the Soul of Business. And, his work has been featured in Executive Excellence, Success, Personnel Journal, Training, Investors’ Business Daily, and other magazines. For more information, please visit: www.prisonersofourthoughts.com www.seedsofinnovation.com

to look for and find meaning, or they can see their jobs as something outside their “real” lives. If the latter is chosen, an enormous amount of life experience is lost. Even in situations where people think they hate their jobs, they can still find rewards if they stop long enough to connect, inside and out, so as to have a broader relationship with meaning. If this connection is to occur, however, the complaints must end. Although complaining can feel satisfying for the moment, it ultimately undermines the integrity of our experiences. When complaining becomes a habit, meaninglessness becomes a habit, and before long, we become so deeply invested in griping that every opportunity to see our work situation as a rich part of life vanishes. When we miss the meaning in our work life, we miss the life in our work. And, when the life in our work is missed, we become “confined within our own inner concentration camp.” While Pattakos admits that it is no easy task to stay the course with reverence while navigating the labyrinth, he warns that, unless we honor our own paths, we cannot know authentic meaning in our lives. And, if authentic meaning is unknown in our lives, it cannot be known in our work. “Our will to meaning, rather than our will to pleasure or our will to power, is what illuminates our lives with true freedom.” Thus, in the final analysis, we are all free to choose our own responses to everything that happens to us,

Business Book Review™ Vol. 21, No. 40 • Copyright © 2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

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including those things that happen through our work. This idea, which strikes at the very heart of Frankl’s teachings, forms the basis of Pattakos’s seven Core Principles, which are available to all, at any time, as a means of leading us to meaning, freedom, and a deep connection to our own lives and to the lives of others.

into reality. When facing a challenging situation, instead of opting to abstain from taking full responsibility—deciding to remain stuck in thought patterns that may no longer serve their highest good—they actively exercise their ultimate freedom to choose. They make themselves aware of their attitude toward the situation, and they decide to change it. PART II: SEVEN CORE PRINCIPLES FOR MEANING, Principle Two: We can realize our will to meaning by FREEDOM, AND CONNECTION making a conscious commitment to meaningful values and Principle One: We are free to choose our attitude goals. From Sigmund Freud’s perspective, the Kozlowskis toward everything that happens to us. The freedom to (Tyco), Lays (Enron), Ebberses (Worldcom), and Martha choose one’s attitude in response to one’s life circumstances Stewarts, in this world, are all manifestations of the “will is what Frankl called the last of the human freedoms—one to pleasure”; according to Alfred Adler, however, these that belongs to all individuals in every aspect of their lives. infamous individuals demonstrate that the “will to power” Still, it can be difficult—even during those times when is alive and well in corporate America. But, in Frankl’s view, life is comparably safe and “free,” for we all struggle with the relentless pursuits of pleasure and/or power, which these situations that are, in one way or another, beyond our people represent, are really attempts to cover up a void—the control. Bringing them under our control, says Pattakos, nonexistence of the “will to meaning.” In other words, when even if it is only in terms of attitude, is where freedom the will to meaning is frustrated, for whatever reasons, takes shape, no matter what the circumstances. people choose alternative paths, based on the premise that “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In pleasure and/or power can somehow replace what is that space lies our freedom and our power to choose missing. However, only the search for meaning holds the potential to bring the kind of authentic enrichment our response. In our response lies our growth and and fulfillment that most people desire from their our happiness.” work and in their daily lives. Unlike Freud or Adler, --Unknown Frankl considers the main concern of human beings Exercising this freedom effectively, however, requires to be the fulfillment of meaning, and the actualization of viewing any given situation from different perspectives. values, rather than the simple gratification and satisfaction We must know who we are and be flexible and courageous of drives and instincts. enough to change, even if change means moving away from Pattakos notes that the promise of pleasure often what is expected or considered “normal.” For example, we captivates us (whether it is drugs, sex, pay raises, or celebrate our freedom to choose our attitude at work (and vacations), only to leave us unsatisfied after the event in our personal life) only when we decide to move from occurs, for this kind of gratification is fleeting. Moments being a part of the problem, and from waiting for solutions of true pleasure only come unbidden; they are serendipitous to materialize magically, to becoming a part of the solution. “gifts” that transcend one’s planning and, even, one’s In the final analysis, the most capable, responsible, and perception of gratification. By the same token, power resilient people are those who adopt (consciously or over anything or anyone is “out there”—illusory at best unconsciously) a coping “maxim” and the skills for guiding and terribly destructive at worst. Although people think and driving themselves towards meaningful resolution. they have power, they never know for sure; and even when Pattakos believes that when people choose this they do have some, the ground is always shifting. Thus, approach, in light of what he calls true optimism, they like pleasure, the search for power becomes an endless, make three choices: (1) they choose a positive attitude exhausting, and joyless undertaking. And, like pleasure, it about the situation at hand; (2) they choose a mindset that is fleeting and always subject to unforeseen forces. supports a form of creative visualization about what is Frank’s will to meaning rises above and distinguishes possible; and (3) they choose a perspective that generates itself from the will to pleasure and power because it comes the kind of passionate action for turning mere possibilities Business Book Review™ Vol. 21, No. 40 • Copyright © 2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

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from within—only the individual can find, control, and looming large, sometimes slipping in unobserved. fulfill it. When we take the time to cultivate a relationship Meaning, says Frankl, is present in every moment, but to our original selves, all experience becomes grounded in only if we actively look for it. meaning, and all work, from running a company to cleaning Before cell phones and email, answering machines, hotel rooms, is a reflection of meaning in our lives. Yet, and voice mail, there was spaciousness to think, consider, this culture has traditionally drawn arbitrary “A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he boundaries in order to separate work from bears toward … an unfinished work, will never be able to play, and profession from recreation, making us throw away his life. He knows the ‘why’ for his existence, prisoners of our thoughts, unable to see clearly and will be able to bear almost any ‘how.’ ” through the bars of our metaphorical prison cell. --Man’s Search for Meaning As a result, we frequently miss the opportunity to enjoy the “spaciousness” that exists within and that allows and contemplate our decisions—both simple and complex. us to feel authentic meaning in life and work. No matter Now, because of our sound-byte society, meaning, like how much power and pleasure we possess, only meaning time, is getting away from us, and the frenzy of activity at sustains us throughout our lives and through any pain and work and at home is challenging the very nature of our own suffering we must endure. existence. Thus, we must stop long enough to “sniff out” this Even “as the struggle for survival has subsided, the existence—it all comes down to awareness, and awareness question has emerged: survival for what? Even more takes time. Moreover, the responsibility for determining people today have the means to live but no meaning to meaning cannot be delegated to others—we must each live for.” This existential vacuum has more and more people detect the meaning of life’s moments for ourselves. We feeling trapped at work and in life, with little opportunity must understand that whatever we do, it has meaning. to experience Thomas Moore’s “enchantment,” which Knowing why we do things is also essential—it is the Pattakos explains as being “soulfully involved … beside beginning of real freedom and meaning in life. Frankl ourselves with excitement, gratitude, appreciation—to be believes that love and conscience are the two intuitive full of possibility.” When people bring meaning-focused capabilities (i.e., things done without thinking) that sensibility to their work, creativity flourishes and so does motivate us the most and define us at our deepest level. productivity. Such decisions as working nights, so as to be with one’s Of course, when organizational leaders honor meaning, children in the morning; making quilts for the homeless; bringing meaning-focused sensibility to the job is easy. and/or waiting tables so as to pay the light bill, all come Nonetheless, it might be even more important to honor down to love and conscience. Seeing how our world is meaning at work when there is little of it being manifested connected in this way allows us to name the “why” and from above. All individuals, no matter what their role in to know meaning. the company, can choose meaning: They can pay attention Nonetheless, people often avoid doing good deeds out to everything around them. They can choose respect, of love or conscience because they fear losing something— kindness, courtesy, justice, and fair play. They can have an status, a loved one, a job, security, their identity, or their impact that is ethical and moral. And, they can understand place in the world. Pattakos says that, in this context, fear that when they bring meaning to work, they bring with them relates to “our inability to actualize creative expression, to the possibility of meaningful change in the workplace. experience new situations and relationships with others, Principle Three: We can find meaning in all of life’s and to change our attitude toward something or someone.” moments. Pattakos observes that over time, some people Also, in this context, courage is not the absence of fear but become oblivious to their own roles and responsibilities as the willingness and the ability to walk through fear into co-creators of their own reality. Because they are too busy life’s labyrinth of meaning. complaining about what life has been doing to them, they The lesson is that the most intolerable circumstances lose touch with the meaning of life’s precious moments and and the smallest of moments can open individuals up the fact that it comes in all shapes and sizes—sometimes to meaning, if they take the time to pay attention to the Business Book Review™ Vol. 21, No. 40 • Copyright © 2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

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details and know “why.” By reflecting upon our existence and seeking to detect the meaning of life’s moments, we can create the opportunity to draft our personal legacies. According to Frankl, this kind of examination is a true manifestation of our “humanness.” Principle Four: We can learn to see how we work against ourselves. The meaning of life is meaning. The meaning of life at work is meaning. And, when we look for meaning, meaning exists in the looking. However, when we try too hard to create meaning, it can often backfire, especially at work. Take, for example, those individuals who try too hard to get everything done “my way.” As a result, they estrange themselves from the very colleagues upon whom they depend for success. Their fixation on the “right

at ourselves. Frankl believed that a sense of humor is another trait that distinguishes our humanness. The ability to laugh at ourselves is the essence of self-detachment, telling us, and everyone else, that we do not take ourselves so seriously. It is an approach that takes the edge off of critical work conditions—the very situations that need a dose of humor. For, no matter how significant the work, its meaning comes from the deeper inclinations of our hearts and minds (i.e., our values). Although our jobs are part of our meaning, in that they represent our intentions to provide for self, families, communities, etc., they are not who we are, but what we do and how we do it. Cheerfulness goes hand in hand with a sense of humor. Much more than a “have-a-nice-day artifice,” real cheerfulness is a way of experiencing the “All that is good and beautiful in the past is safely preserved present, no matter what the situation. Buoying in that past. On the other hand, so long as life remains, all us up beyond our individual concerns, and guilt and all evil is still ‘redeemable.’ … the future—hapinviting us and others to find something to pily—still remains to be shaped … at the disposal of man’s be happy about, cheerfulness celebrates the responsibility.” possibility of meaning around every corner. --Viktor Frankl This is not about hiding behind gratuitous way” has the effect of marginalizing their contributions to optimism in order to diminish our circumstances—it is the process and, in some cases, invites either subtle or overt about detaching from ourselves and our situations so as to sabotage. Thus, they become their own worst enemy. go beyond them. Nearly everyone wants to please, perform well, and Another very useful skill at work is the ability to detach be effective in their jobs; but, it is usually when we want from mistakes—our own and those of others. Mistakes to impress others the most that we undermine our success are momentary, so dwelling on them gives them too much by becoming obsessed with results. We must understand credit; thus, when we acknowledge them and laugh them that a job is more than a job—it is our relationship to off, we reassure those around us that their missteps are also ourselves and to our colleagues, products, the services we momentary and do not define who they are. In addition, offer, the environment, and our impact on the world. When mistakes are part of life and provide lessons about humility we focus too intently on outcomes, these relationships and, eventually, meaning—teaching us that we are much (which have meaning individually and collectively) more than our most terrible oversights. tend to suffer. Frankl calls this inclination—this flying Pattakos notes that this “self-detachment” must not, in the face of our own success by neglecting our own however, be confused with denial. When people detach, meaning, the meaning of others, and the meaning of they do so knowingly and with an orientation toward action. the process—paradoxical intention. But, when we take In other words, they understand their situations and choose the time to nurture our relationships, the definition of to behave in ways that support their relationships with success expands exponentially. Tremendous meaning and, others. In this way, self-detachment leads to connection, therefore, success, can even be found in failure. When we learning, and growth. Denial, on the other hand, leads trust in our own meaning, our failures can leave us with to disconnection, separating individuals from their a legacy of wisdom, experience, heightened appeal, and experiences, the benefits that can be derived from their increased possibilities. experiences, and the experiences of others. Thus, in the Principle Five: We can look at ourselves from a final analysis, self-detachment is not about detachment at distance and gain insight and perspective as well as laugh Business Book Review™ Vol. 21, No. 40 • Copyright © 2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

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all, for its ultimate value lies in its unlimited potential for and productively with others, individuals can experience bringing wholeness and authentic meaning to life. profound meaning. When one works directly for the good of Principle Six: We can shift our focus of attention when others, going beyond satisfying one’s own personal agenda, coping with difficult situations. Children are naturally meaning deepens in ways that reward beyond measure. This resilient—knowing instinctively how to think of something connection to “a higher self,” to “God,” to one’s “spirit,” to else when someone hurts their feelings or takes their toys. “universal consciousness,” to “love,” or to “the collective They may yell for a few moments, but it is unnatural for good” is what Frankl called the ultimate meaning that them to obsess about a wrong done to them. Because their transforms one’s life. attention spans are short, and their interests many, they Team spirit is always bigger than the individual, yet it simply get on with the next big adventure. cannot exist without the individual. Moreover, no matter As adults, we tend to think things through, which is what the stated goal, team spirit has nothing to do with useful unless this “thinking” becomes an obsession with any result, but emerges out of the process—out of the the negative. However, if we turn our focus to positive doing and the being together. In fact, focusing too much experiences (doing what Frankl calls de-reflecting), we can on results makes them more difficult to attain; even when find potential meaning in our predicament. “De-reflection is intended to counteract … compulsive incliWhen we think good thoughts on the job (often nation to self-observation. … [It] can only be attained to it is one’s job that becomes the scapegoat for the degree to which … awareness is directed toward posithe obsessive negativity and complaints), we tive aspects. --The Doctor and the Soul feel better at work and we are better at work. Using creative distraction allows us to see the outcome is an unqualified success, personal rewards ourselves more fully and more generously. We are able to are always more profound and transformative during the get out from under our own shadows and open ourselves process. It is the give, the take, and the being there for each to constructive action. This ability to detach from distress other that brings people together, rewards beyond the self, and focus imaginatively on something pleasing returns us and anchors meaning somewhere “out there,” where it has to freedom and to our source of authentic meaning. By value for everyone. drawing imaginatively from where we feel most authentic in The spirit of creative play creates exuberance and keeps the world, it is possible to go beyond role playing in our jobs people energized through working with others or working to where an “ethics of authenticity” emerges and real work well as individuals. Pattakos notes, however, that this can begin. It is a capability that is particularly important natural inclination toward playing together cooperatively when we find ourselves assuming roles that others expect and joyfully is most likely to get squelched at work, where of us. Being authentic and doing our jobs effectively is the it is most needed. Many misguided managers, thinking most powerful combination of all. that work is not being taken seriously, rush to put an end Essentially, de-reflection encourages us to perceive to the “fun” before it spreads. They fail to understand something new in a situation so that we may let go of that whenever work takes people outside themselves, they our old perceptions and ways of doing. Through this experience greater meaning beyond the bottom line, which, meaning-centered process, we are able to mature by in turn, brings meaning to everyone involved and to life transcending those conditions that limit us, by making new itself. commitments, and by identifying those things that can and According to Frankl, “self-transcendence”—the should be avoided. Moreover, when a bit of de-reflection is capacity to extend beyond oneself—is another trait unique to incorporated into our process, it is an invitation to others to human beings. When people go beyond their own interests, be as effective as they know how to be, for they know they those interests are served in ways that are inexplicably and are not being judged by the different histories, experiences, profoundly meaningful—even when they do the impossible skills, and motivations they also bring to their jobs. and forgive. Forgiveness is perhaps the most challenging Principle Seven: We can reach out beyond ourselves thing we can do to go beyond ourselves. Nonetheless, it has and make a difference in the world. By working creatively much more to do with our own well-being than that of the Business Book Review™ Vol. 21, No. 40 • Copyright © 2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

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person we forgive, for it means letting go of our suffering (i.e., our resentment, hurt, and anger)—the veil of self-pity through which we see ourselves and others. This does not mean, as many think, that we must forget, diminish, or condone the misdeed. Rather, we must liberate ourselves from further captivity—from this thing that must be fed, kept alive, and justified in order to keep the other person from being “right” in their unjust treatment of us. * * * Bibliographic notes by chapter, a list of references, and a subject index are provided.

Remarks The book’s dust jacket tells us that world-renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning is considered one of the most influential books of modern times. His personal story of discovering a reason to live in the Nazi concentration camps—a hell of unimaginable horror—has inspired millions. Prisoners of Our Thoughts applies Frankl’s philosophy to the workplace, detailing seven principles for increasing one’s capacity to deal with work challenges, finding meaning in daily work life, and achieving your highest potential. We believe, however, that this emphasis on the workplace, and the challenges inherent to it, do not do Prisoners the justice it richly deserves. Frankl, as interpreted by Pattakos, offers a philosophy of life that transcends the workplace, and in doing so, naturally includes it. Logotherapy, Frankl’s unique approach to a system known as humanistic psychotherapy, literally means “therapy through meaning.” It is active and directive in that it aims to help people who are in a crisis of meaning in the totality of their lives. Its emphasis on the freedom of the will, and the consequent responsibility of that freedom, has its foundations in existentialism. And, it informs Stoicism because of its position that, no matter what state our environment is in, our attitude is the overarching transformative factor. As an extension of stoicism and existentialism, Frankl’s philosophy eschews the dehumanizing nature of reductionism in psychotherapy, which has attempted “to make man understandable in terms of … simple stimulus-

Alex Pattakos

response connections … that are, ultimately, rooted in a mechanical model of the ‘human machine’ ” (Ofman, Affirmation and Reality, 1976). Though existentialist psychotherapy is a nontheistic approach to life, Frankl’s applications tend to be “unscientific” notions of soul, conscious, and spiritualism, grounded in a fundamental religiosity. Like Ernest Keen (Three Faces of Being, 1970) it prompts you to ask “What does it mean that I am?” And, like Keen it demonstrates: “One’s living is one’s answer.” Pattakos’s intent, then, is that you distill the core principles from Frankl’s body of work by reading Prisoners and then “living” it—practicing the exercises, reviewing the concepts and examples, and adopting the core principles into your daily life. His hope is that you “brand” Frankl’s message on your soul so that his ideas become your mission instead of mere fodder for Post-It Notes, affixed to your computer monitor, and promptly forgotten. Thus, Prisoners stands as the beginning of a journey, which, though it may end in a boardroom, a backroom, or in the cab of an 18-wheeler, must start in the soul. This is in no way to suggest that Pattakos got it wrong by offering his interpretation of Frankl as a tool for the workplace, which can inform and inspire both the CEO and the average worker. Rather it is a suggestion to the CEO and the average worker that they not view the concepts and principles offered here as just another set of tactics for success on the job. That they, after circulating a couple of will-to-meaning memos to stir up the troops, not consign the work to their business-literature bookshelves to collect dust, along with the philosophy-du-jour tomes already framed in matching bookends. Instead, we believe that Prisoners is best used as an impetus for the clarification, strengthening, and liberation of the self, for reforming one’s consciousness, and elevating the soul, regardless of what is, or is not, happening in the workplace. With this as one’s a priori work in progress—one’s solid framework for action in life—meaning and motivation cannot help but to emerge naturally on the job and be intrinsically and firmly linked to it. For, as Pattakos quotes Thomas Moore (in Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life), “Business involves all aspects of managing our home, whether the family house or the planet, and therefore has to do with survival, fulfillment, community, and meaning.”

Business Book Review™ Vol. 21, No. 40 • Copyright © 2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

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Reading Suggestions Reading Time: 9-11 Hours, 207 Pages in Book

Both Covey (in the foreword) and Pattakos (in the preface) provide detailed instructions for reading Prisoners, so that you get the greatest long-term benefit. Covey recommends learning (notice the word “learning” versus merely “reading”) the material sequentially—studying one chapter at a time and applying it before going on to the next. The idea is for you to become a “change catalyst … a transition figure”—one who lives the principles and shares or teaches them one by one to those with whom you live and work. Or, you can read the entire book from start to finish as an overview and then go back and learn the material sequentially. Pattakos’s instructions have essentially the same goal—that you learn how to live and work with meaning. He states that a simple reading is insufficient, if, as we mention in the Remarks, you intend to distill and adopt the core principles of Frankl’s body of work We concur fully with these suggestions and add that you would do well to read the foreword and preface first, of course. Then skip to “Detecting Your Path” (beginning on page 7 of the first chapter) for a brief overview of the book’s contents. This will give you an idea of the scope of the material and allow you to decide how you might want to incorporate Covey and Frankl’s instructions into your learning plans. In addition, please note that each chapter ends with a series of exercises: A “Meaning Moment” will ask you, for example, to recall a particular situation.” A “Meaning Question” will ask you how you deal with or perceive a set of circumstances. And, “For Further Reflection” will present even more questions and ideas for you to consider, “work,” and live by. In addition, each chapter holds several exercises that you can use to clarify and incorporate the many concepts presented as you go along. Thus, there is a lot of work that you must do in order to fully assimilate the Frankl/Pattakos philosophy. If, for some reason, you’ve managed to stumble into the 21st century without knowing anything about Frankl, or if you know who he is in passing, but don’t know him or his works, you would do well to familiarize yourself. This familiarization should probably include a brief bio, a short, but comprehensive explanation of logotherapy, selections from the reference list Pattakos provides and, at least, a Cliff-Notes-like version of Man’s Search for Meaning.

Alex Pattakos

Frankl’s “strong” advice to Matthew Scully (former literary editor for National Review and speechwriter for Vice President Quayle), as well as to anyone else claiming real interest in his life and works, was to read all his books that have been translated into English. There are five, in addition to Man’s Search for Meaning: The Doctor and the Soul, Psychotherapy and Existentialism, The Will to Meaning, The Unheard Cry, and The Quest for Ultimate Meaning. We also highly recommend that you take note of other works mentioned throughout the book—for example, those by Deepak Chopra and Thomas Moore, Hugo’s Les Miserables (the unabridged version), and the movie “Life is Beautiful”—and make a determination to visit (or revisit) them soon, if you have not done so already. Having said that, we must note, however, that none of this extra reading need take place before your reading of Prisoners. In fact, you will find a brief bio and explanation of logotherapy, as well as many excerpts from Frankl’s works, and quotes from the works of others, throughout Prisoners. However, if, after having read Pattakos’s book, you are inspired to develop an even greater sense of meaning, purpose, and freedom in your life, we recommend continuing your journey as recommended above. CONTENTS Chapter 1: Life Doesn’t Just Happen to Us Chapter 2: Victor Frankl’s Lifework and Legacy Chapter 3: Labyrinths of Meaning Chapter 4: Exercise the Freedom to Choose Your Attitude Chapter 5: Realize Your Will to Meaning Chapter 6: Detect the Meaning of Life’s Moments Chapter 7: Don’t Work Against Yourself Chapter 8: Look at Yourself from a Distance Chapter 9: Shift Your Focus of Attention Chapter 10: Extend Beyond Yourself Chapter 11: Living and Working with Meaning

Business Book Review™ Vol. 21, No. 40 • Copyright © 2005 Business Book Review, LLC • All Rights Reserved

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