Mortal Secrets - Freud, Vienna and the Discovery of the Modern Mind
By Frank Tallis

A lively and accessible portrait of a major figure - Sigmund Freud - and the unprecedented era of creativityand that shaped his ideasSome cities are like stars. When the conditions are right, they ignite, and they burn with such fierce intensity that they outshine all their rivals. From 1890 and through the early years of the 20th century, Vienna became a dazzling beacon. The city was powered by an unprecedented number of extraordinary people - artists Klimt and Schiele, thinkers such as Theodor Herzl, and fashion icons like the glamorous Empress Sisi. Conversations in coffee houses and salons spurred advances in almost every area of human endeavour: science, politics, philosophy, and the arts. The influence of early 20th century Vienna is still detectable all around us - but the place where it is at its strongest is in our heads. The way we think about ourselves has been largely determined by Vienna's most celebrated resident: Sigmund Freud.and Mortal Secretsand is the story of Freud's life, Vienna's golden age, and an essential reappraisal of Freud's legacy.'Tallis' clear-eyed judicious analysis is the best I've read - about the city and the man'and William Boyd'Brilliantly rich and vivid'and The Times, Books of the Year'Fascinating... the best book I have read on Freud and Vienne'and TLS, Books of the Year'Excellent and entertaining'and Amanda Craig