"Schimek's thoughtful explorations of the most fundamental and still controversial ideas in psychoanalysis have always commanded my deepest respect and interest. His contributions retain special importance in these days of radical change that is often based more on rhetorical force than the profound and subtle scholarship to be found in these pages. The appearance of this book is most welcome." - Roy Schafer, Ph.D., author, Tragic Knots in Psychoanalysis"If you were as awed as I by Schimek's celebrated article which illuminated the underlying dynamic of Freud's thought by tracking his little-known struggle with the trauma theory, you will want this book for that classic paper alone. But you will be happy to discover that Schimek's famous tour-de-force was but part of a profound, lifelong engagement with a central ambiguity of Freud's theory involving the unconscious, an ambiguity never finally resolved but everywhere alive in the nuts and bolts of treatment where it emerges in such questions as: What is the real nature of psychic reality? What does unconscious fantasy actually mean? What are we doing when we interpret? In what state does the repressed exist? What should we regard as transference? What is the relationship between the way we understand dreams and the way they are made? How does analysis work? Along the way, Schimek shows us what Freud was after (and incidentally provides the clearest exegesis of the Dreambook that you can find anywhere). Schimek brings us brilliant scholarship, balanced, non-dogmatic judgment, plain reasonableness, an intimate but critical empathy with Freud's thinking, a non-adversarial assessment of rival doctrines, clinical savvy, and an ability to lead one comfortably through complex issues. Theorists of Schimek's caliber are now rare, but watching him think through one after another of our taken-for-granted concepts to reach a judicious contemporary understanding reminds us that we dare not retire from the theory business if we want to practice sensibly." - Lawrence Friedman, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Weill-Cornell Medical School"This is a beautiful, subtle book, full of the wisdom of a brilliant teacher, a rare scholar, and a humane and generous clinician. Schimek's reach and breadth are truly extraordinary; in this series of conversations about the diverse and complex world of psychoanalysis, he enriches and deepens our understanding through spirited reflection, gentle challenge, and a deep sense of history. This is a book to learn from and treasure." - Arietta Slade, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical and Developmental Psychology, CUNY"At a time when some of our training institutes are debating the place of Freud in their curriculum, this collection leads us to appreciate the importance of grasping the complexity of Freud's fundamental constructs and tracing the evolution of these ideas through their transformations in modern theory....As the essays span a period of thirty-six years, Browning's skillful synthesis contributes to the book's overall coherence, as well as insight into the evolution of Schimek's core theoretical concerns." - Richard Honig MD, Cincinnati Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis
