Written beginning in 1938 and published in 1940, this is not intended as an "introductory" work for a general audience (such as were his Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis and New Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis (The Standard Edition) (Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud)), but assumes a general knowledge of Freudian theory.
Here are some representative quotations from the book:
"The teachings of psycho-analysis are based on an incalculable number of observations and experiences, and only someone who has repeated those observations upon himself is in a position to arrive at a judgement of his own upon it."
"There is no need to characterize what we call 'conscious'; it is the same as the consciousness of philosophers and of everyday opinion. Everything else psychical is in our view 'the unconscious.'"
"(In analysis, the patient) is to tell us not only what he can say intentionally and willingly, what will give him relief like a confession, but everything else as well that his self-observation yields him, everything that comes into his head, even if it is disagreeable for him to say it, even if it seems unimportant to him or actually nonsensical."
"Thus we shall not be greatly surprised if a woman analyst who has not been sufficiently convinced of the intensity of her own wish for a penis also fails to attach proper importance to that factor in her patients."
"Just as the Id is directed exclusively to obtaining pleasure, so the ego is governed by considerations of safety."