Under the motto of a return to Freud, Lacan subjected psychoanalysis to a new discussion of its foundations, its practice, but also its difficulties and still unresolved problems. However, starting with Lacan seems boundless for many; his style is too personal, his arguments too convoluted, and his writings too tied to their origins in the seminars. Peter Widmer's book is an attempt at a systematic presentation. For two decades, it has been the standard introduction to the work of Jacques Lacan.