One of the greatest intellectuals of the 20th century, a published novelist, poet, and the first female psychoanalyst, Lou Andreas-Salomé, recounts her life to a young German scholar. Salolmé's ideas on personal freedom and the lifestyle she chose against all conventions spurred genius and passion in others, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Paul Rée, Sigmund Freud and the poet Rainer Rilke.
