St Luke's September Book Club recommendation:
The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust – this is the subtitle of Viktor E. Frankl’s book called “Man’s search for meaning”. With only 154 pages one might think it is a quick read but the book will stay with you in your heart for a long time afterwards.
Viktor Frank was a Jewish psychiatrist from Austria that survived not only one, but four different concentration camps during World War II.
In the first half of the book, he recounts his experiences of the Holocaust. What is remarkable are his observations of his fellow prisoners and their state of mind in a seemingly hopeless situation and how he could predict which prisoners would die and which ones would survive based on their state of their mind and soul. The second half of the book explains his psychiatric theory called “Logotherapy” which is marked by finding a meaning for one’s life instead of focusing on one’s problems.
Although this is not a religious book, there are little glimpses of how God worked in the author’s life. From his decision to stay in Austria instead of escaping because of an incident concerning the 10 commandments to seemingly coincidental decisions which saved him from sure death, one can see God working in his life.
If you are feeling like life is without meaning right now, then this is the book for you. If you are happy and want to celebrate life in gratitude, then this is also the book for you.