The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence

Although this volume was originally published in 1966, the insights and knowledge it contains are invaluable. Not only is Anna Freud's insights important, she writes in a style the is understandable. Although culture has changed in many ways since she wrote, the defense mechanisms which people used have not. Her volume provides the tools for understanding and working through those mechanisms. Since there are so many mechanisms at work with anxieties, if you are seeking ways of overcoming anxiety and understanding its workings, then this volume is a must have for your library. I often find myself reading and re-reading her volume. Each time I read through it, behaviors which have puzzled me become understandable.

Next year is the 60'th anniversary of this classic text of the daughter of Sigmund Freud. A great opportunity to pick up this booklet for a (re-)read. The writing is clear, lucid and quite dense. The reading is full of invitations for further thoughts and reflections about the various defense mechanisms with special emphasis on the ego. The style is friendly in the best sense. The only problem is its high information density. Other authors write books about the contents of a single chapter. This might lead to some exhaustion, if you are not deep in the Freudian terminology. But everything is explained and the work spent will be well rewarded.