The book is a unique aid for teaching and studying Freud's writings. It is as imaginative as it is helpful, especially regarding the contextualization of the works. An absolute must for anyone seriously engaged with psychoanalysis. "Reading Freud" is an easily accessible presentation of Freud's collected works, from "Studies on Hysteria" to "An Outline of Psychoanalysis." Even his most complex theories are presented clearly and understandably, without being inappropriately simplified. Each chapter deals with one of Freud's writings and includes valuable background information as well as relevant details from his biography and contemporary history, a chronology of his ideas, and descriptions of post-Freudian developments.