Freud Along the Ganges

Few Westerners are aware that psychoanalysis has had a long tradition in India, and that Freudian and Indian thought have much in common. Thus Akhtar (psychiatry, Jefferson Medical College; Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia) introduces 14 essays by primarily Indian scholars in the East and West. For example, Freud drew on Sanskrit ideas for his Nirvana principle or death instinct. Contributors analyze key Indian figures (e.g. Gandhi) and aspects of Indian culture including conceptions of God, sexuality, and Bollywood movies. Annotation 2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)