Psychiatrist known for his theory of individual psychology and for his pioneering work with children and families.

Alfred Adler was born in a middle-class suburb of Vienna, Austria, in 1870 and decided on medicine as his calling at an early age. After graduating from the University of Vienna medical school in 1895, he at first practiced ophthalmology but later switched to psychiatry. In 1902 Adler became part of Sigmund Freud's circle, joining the discussion group that later became the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society and rising in its ranks to eventually become its president and editor of its journal. However, after 1907 Adler's growing disagreement with Freud's theories, especially with their heavy emphasis on the role of sexuality in personality formation, alienated him from the ranks of Freudians.

In 1926 Adler began dividing his time between Vienna and the United States, where he was appointed visiting lecturer at Columbia in 1927. In...