Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a psychological memoir and philosophical work that explores how individuals can find purpose even in the most extreme suffering.

Drawing from Frankl’s experiences as a Holocaust survivor in Nazi concentration camps, the book combines personal narrative with his development of logotherapy, a form of psychotherapy centered on the idea that the primary human drive is the search for meaning. He describes how prisoners responded differently to extreme hardship, arguing that those who could anchor themselves to a sense of purpose—whether through love, work, or inner conviction—were more likely to endure. The book ultimately emphasizes that while humans cannot always control their circumstances, they can choose their response to them, making meaning the most powerful force for psychological survival and resilience.