The first part of this now-classic work of psychoanalysis is a bold analytical autobiography that offers the reader surprising insights into the deep layers of a psychoanalyst. At the same time, this intimate self-analysis conveys an understanding of the complex workings of the analytical process, whose surprising diversity refutes the widespread prejudice of the schematism of psychoanalysis. The reader learns previously unknown biographical details about Freud, whose portrait re-emerges in the memory of his close collaborator Reik. In the second part, the author describes case studies from his 37-year practice, stories full of drama and the bizarre effects of the unconscious. Finally, Reik's confrontations with Wilhelm Reich are presented, illustrating that psychoanalytic science is infinitely more than it seems.