Wilhelm Reich: A Personal Biography

By Ilse Ollendorff Reich

"Wilhelm Reich: A Personal Biography" was actually written by Ilse Ollendorff Reich, the wife of Wilhelm Reich. The book was published posthumously in 1969, a year after Wilhelm Reich's death.

The biography provides a personal and intimate perspective on Reich's life, as it was written by someone who knew him intimately. Ilse Ollendorff Reich was herself a psychoanalyst and a close collaborator of her husband, and her biography provides insights into Reich's theories and ideas as well as his personal life.

The book covers Reich's childhood, his education and training in medicine and psychology, his work with Sigmund Freud and his eventual break with the psychoanalytic community, his research on orgone energy and his later years in the United States, where he faced opposition from government authorities and eventually died in prison.

Ilse Ollendorff Reich's biography is notable for its compassionate and empathetic portrayal of her husband, as well as its frank and honest evaluation of his ideas and theories. She also provides valuable insights into the social and political context in which Reich developed his theories, and the challenges that he faced in trying to pursue his research.

NY. Avon Books. 1989. 219p.