Introduction

After the preface, the author describes the contents and psychoanalytic and theoretical purposes of her book. She argues that the book can both be considered in its singularity and seen as a continuation of the reflections on Freudian drive destiny that she presents in her well-received book On Sublimation: A Path to the Destiny of Desire, Theory, and Treatment. The author posits sublimation and death drive as two theoretically intertwined concepts, with the notion of death drive inhabiting the centre of a fascinating and controversial psychoanalytic dispute. In her well-known and unique manner, she offers examples from the world of art to suggest an update of the death drive theory and clinical practice itself. The conclusion offers a perspective on the relevance of the death drive in post-modern clinical practice and society. The author sees the latter as a way for humans to overcome their “disinvestment” in contemporary society.