This book is a stirring invitation to any reader who is interested in having a general sense of how the mind works and of the dominant role of mental conflict in everyday life. It is a topical reminder of the importance of Sigmund Freud the psychoanalyst, but also Freud the psychiatrist, neurologist, author and courageous natural scientist. However, this work is not a mere repetition or enumeration of Freud's theories or descriptions of clinical cases. The book's primary purpose is to provide the reader with an introduction to important contemporary psychoanalytic ideas that modify and build on Freud's classical theories.