Reviews (2)

You Cannot Practice Hypnotherapy Without this Seminal Work!
I am not going to write a great deal about this book. It speaks for itself and stands on its own. The Answer Within is also the answer that every practicing hypnotherapist must have. Must.
With out the in depth knowledge of the precise techniques, so carefully detailed and skillfully analyzed by the Lankton's, especially the insightful and highly practical prose of Carol Lankton, it would take a life time to develop half of the knowledge contained in this delightfully written text.

The great care and skill shown by Carol and Stephen Lankton make this text come alive and thereby allows the wealth of knowledge it contains flow easily to the reader.

Although this book is specifically targeted to skilled professionals, the concepts, useful & practical concepts, can be grasped and used by the layperson.

I also believe that there is little or no chance of harm or any difficulty arising by a non professional studying this work. In fact, if you spend the time to grasp and understand the basic framework and specialty specific vocabulary, it is one hell of a read.

I recommend it to any person that is studying or practicing hypnotherapy - it is a MUST HAVE! To the interested layman - you can gain a keen insight into a world of treatment and knowledge of your inner self that you probably did not existed in this shape or form. Amazing!

Buy the book. Grow. Learn. Find YOUR Answer. This is the seminal tome.

An in-depth study of Ericksonian technique
"The Answer Within" is the single most exhaustive clinical text on the hypnotic techniques of the late Milton H. Erickson, M.D. and will prove to be a valuable resource in your study and practice of Ericksonian Hypnotherapy. I rated it three-stars only because it is extremely dry and tedious in places, and it presupposes an elementary understanding of psychotherapeutic technique. Not very user-friendly or pretty to look at, but simply superb in the coverage of the full spectrum of hypnotic skills and techniques that will mean the difference between you're simply becoming a COMPETENT Ericksonian Therapist and a YOU'RE BECOMING A MASTER.

Of particular note are the sections on multi-embedded metaphor, their delivery, utilization, and improvisation. This section alone is worth the cost of the book! Clear-cut explantions of traditional hypnotic phenomena and their elicitation, e.g. catalepsy, amnesia, hypermnesia, Deep Trance Identification, anesthesia, analgesia, age regression, time distortion, and positive & negative hallucination, accompany direct, naturally occuring techniques as employed by Erickson, which you will find yourself easily employing within moments of finishing each section. The most traditionally misunderstood and misapplied hypnotic phenomenon, amnesia, is covered in excellent thoroughness, and will convince you that amnesia is not only a the simplest of phenomena to elicit, but why it is arguably THE MOST IMPORTANT resource a therapist has access to with every single client. Filled with actual case histories and therapeutic transcripts, "The Answer Within" provides real-world, down-and-dirty techniques to access the most powerful and effective resource available to the client in therapy -- the unconscious mind.

One area that I have scarcely seen addressed by other simliar tomes is covered in great depth in "The Answer Within", that of the Diagnostic Framework and its use in designing the most effective treatment plan for the client. Where I might have previously intuited my way through the construction of the actual intervention, now I have a very clear, step-by-step blueprint of the selection of induction technique, vital skills and resources to achieve the desired outcome with every single client.

At last the magic of Dr. Erickson is revealed and placed into our hands with astonishing practicality. What seemed to be mindless rambling and storytelling by a seemingly absentminded old sawbones is revealed in "The Answer Within" as a highly structured, clinically effective, theoretically sound, and readily applicable set of skills and learnings that EVERY PRACTICING HYPNOTHERAPIST SHOULD NOT BE WITHOUT! You can understand why this is so important, can't you? Get "The Answer Within" and see for yourself how much more effective your hypnotic communication will become!

Which reminds me of my friend, John. He was reading a review of a book someone found particularly REMARKABLE, when his mind wandered to thoughts of his future in hypnotherapy. Almost without thinking, he simply knew that he had *found the one book he couldn't live without*. He wondered if this book wouldn't REALLY help him achieve the mastery he so desired, and could see himself easily implementing the very elegant, very powerful skills he had read about. He didn't know if he would improve his practice of hypnotherapy only *a LOT*, or *more than he ever imagnined*, but he knew *this was the most important thing he could do for himself and his clients.* And then he just forgot all about it and had a lovely roast beef dinner. And you know, the very next day, he *ordered this book NOW* and spent every day thereafter revelling in the *treasure trove of knowledge* he had been given. He didn't even mind the sensations in his left hand, the smell of the room around him, or even the long-winded droning of that reviewer. He just knew he had done *the right thing*. And he just had to let that amused little smile building at the corner of his mouth *come right on out*. :-)

Excellent, get it today, but ONLY if you're serious about becoming a Master Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. ... Read more

Book Description

Essays which state the fundamentals of Jung's psychological system: "On the Psychology of the Unconscious" and "The Relations Between the Ego and the Unconscious," with their original versions in an appendix. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Symbols, Dreams, Mandalas, The Unconscious
It's a book of essays on a theme, like most of his other books. Here's an attempt to describe the whole theory in a few paragraphs. Jung suggests the existence of a 3-layered psyche consisting of (1) the conscious (active part of the mind), (2) the personal unconscious (thinking over which we have little or no control), and (3) the collective unconscious (unevolved, animal-instinctive mental activity). The collective unconscious is "collective" in the sense that humans resemble each other the most at the lowest, biological levels. "The body's carbon is simply carbon" (pg. 173). We inherit the collective unconscious from the common pool of human characteristics, like morphological aspects of the body such as arms, legs, etc.

The "archetypes" originate in the collective unconscious and are the psychological equivalents of Platonic Forms. (I realized about halfway through the book that archetype-figures also appear in the personal unconscious, where they're called "complexes"). The most important archetypes appear to be the Shadow (the inferior aspects of the self which we hide from others), the Anima/Animus (our object(s) of desire), and the Wise Old Man (e.g., teacher, medicine man). He also discusses a Mother archetype and a Child archetype and indicates the existence of numerous others. Identifying strongly with an archetype leads to psychosis.

The heart of the book is in the first essay, but the rest is useful in fleshing out descriptions and giving examples. The collective Anima archetype, for instance, can be found among movie stars and in the general pop culture. Devils and tricksters often represent the Shadow archetype. Tolkien's Gandalf is a good instance of the Wise Old Man. It's not so easy to identify a particular individual's Anima complex or Shadow complex.

A few things bothered me about the book. For one, Jung indicates that the "Primitive mentality differs from the civilized chiefly in that the conscious mind is far less developed in scope ... The Primitive cannot assert that he thinks; it is rather that something thinks in him" (pg. 153). This is a dubious kind of distinction between civilized and uncivilized states of mind that seems to have gone out of fashion over the decades. Also, I couldn't tell from this book what methodology Jung used to determine the significance of dream symbols. Does every dream about climbing a tree represent the psyche climbing the "World Tree" toward higher states of consciousness? Do snakes always represent the unconscious? Is every old woman in a dream an example of the Mother archetype? Etc.

One of the more interesting and also frustrating essays describes a case study of a woman who paints mandalas over a period of 16-plus years. Why mandalas? Jung says the mandala represents the Self, and painting them is useful for determining the contents of the psyche. He discusses the first dozen or so in detail (reprinted in color), but then glosses over the rest, which came into his hands after the patient had died from cancer!

An Essential Work by Jung.
This work, along with _Modern Man in Search of a Soul_, is one of the best places to start if you are new to reading Jung. It is also the companion piece and predecessor to _Aion_, which is another spectacular and groundbreaking work. If you want to read _Aion_, it would make sense for you to read this one first, since it is part 1 of volume nine, while _Aion_ is part two. Overall, I would say that both parts 1 and 2 of volume nine are absolutely essential reading for any Jungian, and if you're going to buy one, go ahead and buy both.

As for the actual content of _The Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious_, I would describe it as an overview and recapitulation of many of Jung's key concepts. As the title implies, the main concepts are archetypal images (as revealed in to people in dreams) and the collective unconscious. These are trademark Jungian concepts, and Jung devoted a large portion of his writings to explaining what he meant by Archetypes and the collective unconscious. If I could explain it to you right here I would, but Jung spends a the first two hundred pages of this book simply explaining and defining "archetype" and "collective unconscious". These are key concepts in understanding the human mind, and may help unlock the mysteries of conscious existence; it is by no means superfluous to devote such rigorous study to these ideas. _The Archetypes and the Collcetive Unconscious_ is NOT a narrowly focused, specialized, or jargonistic work. It deals with ideas that are central to understanding the human psyche or soul, and applies universally to all of mankind.

There is also a pictorial section of the book in which Jung actually shows examples, in the form of paintings, of archetypal images that were seen by his patients in their dreams and subsequently drawn by the patients themselves. Some of these paintings are very artistic, and there are uncanny similarities among many of them. This pictorial section occurs about 200 pages in. After the pictures, Jung goes into a detailed explanation of each one, which I found to be somewhat tiresome, especially considering many of the paintings were extremely similar. Overall, the final, brief, section of the book in which the paintings are described is quite boring, and I would recommend that the reader simply look at the paintings and forego the final explanations, which are extremely redundant. In other words, read the first two hundred pages, look at the pictures, stop, and then move on to _Aion_. The weakness of this final section is not enough to justify removing a star from my ratings, however, simply because of the utter profundity and potency of the first 200 pages, which represents the majority of the book anyway. Keep in mind that the vast majority of Jung's writings consist of essays not more that 100 pages long each. You will find that most of his complete works contain numerous profound and insightful essays, occasionally laced with the odd, specialized, highly esoteric essays. When you come across one of these rare but unreadable essays the best idea is to just skip it rather than get bogged down. This is not to take anything away from Jung and his great, prophetic works; I am just trying to give you the heads up on how to avoid some of the rough patches.

From Rebirth to Fear of the Dark... CG JUNG explains all !!!
This intriguing study of the archetypes of our collective human unconscious is FASCINATING. Here we confront the fountainheads of the hypostasis of dreams and the active genesis of fecund mythology. The collective unconscious differs from the personal in that it is not constituted of repressed or forgotten complexes but of inherited archetypes that were never a part of your conscious life. Anyone who plans to study mythology should be required to read this book... ignorance of it would prevent your comprehension of the primitive man and tribes' living mythology and religion. (Also would be an essential tool in exploring dreamwork or human nature) The archetypes are felt in our most personal life and encountered in dreams. Unconsciously, unprojected, it turns out that our own minds have a "sea of possibilities", and that they assume definite forms only in projection. The archetypes are vessels that we can never empty or fill, having only potential existence, taking shape they become no longer what they were. They need be interpreted anew throughout the ages. They are the imperishable elements of the unconscious, but they change their shape continually, being the "treasure in the realm of the shadowy thoughts" which Kant spoke of, and among the highest values of the human pysche. They are the simple solution of how archaic myths, far from being merely historical remnants or allegories of physical processes, still grasp us with profound effect in all levels of society and eras. Awareness is needed of these jewels to understand the unconscious' interconnectedness with our conscious life and the fact that the human pysche is not born tabula rasa. This is a classic work, that some may not adhere to, but far from being a philosophy, and me far from being a pyschologist, I would not take the bold step here to criticize Jung's work. Jungian or not, I give it my stamp and seal of approval guaranteeing your utmost interest.

Typically Archetypical, CW9, Part 1
My previous review of CW9, part 1 was really for part 2 and was posted in error. Here is the review for CW9, part 1:

Jung used the word archetype to represent a concept about unseen, powerful influences that result in predictable psychological states. An archetype is a psychic format in which instinctual and conditioned behavior plays out in human activity. They are best seen in action, and their actions are recorded in so-called fairytales and in religious symbols and stories.

Jung spends most of this volume discussing archetypes by using examples found in fairytales and religious imagery. The remainder of the book discusses the process of individuation, Jung's term for a process of psychological "wholeness (which) consists in the union of the conscious and unconscious personality." (p.175)

If you are a reader of Jung you will need to grasp his concept of the archetype in order to fully understand his theories. If you have not yet been able to experience yourself in the grip of an archetype, this may help you, should you become aware during an archetypical experience, which sometimes happens intermittently during an experience with the Archetypes Venus and Cupid. Knowing how archetypes work can help you stay above the waves they cause.

Recommended to those who want a deeper understanding of their experience, and need some tools with which to explore the unknown. It is intellectual and dense reading and not recommended to a casual reader of Jung.

Jung At Heart, CW9, Part 1
"In psychology one possesses nothing unless one has experienced it in reality." (Jung p. 33) In this volume Jung provides us with his experiences with the human psyche and conclusions about these experiences.

Jung suggests that humans have a psychological makeup that generally exceeds their ability to comprehend it. In this volume he defines and describes these "hidden" aspects of the human psyche, such as: the Ego, the Self, the Shadow, the Anima and others. Jung makes suggestions as to how modern Western humans can discover these unconscious aspects of themselves and how they can be integrated into human consciousness.

This volume hints at a process Jung called individuation, in which the personally unconscious aspects of a human being are united with their normal consciousness, and then this expanded consciousness becomes subservient to a new meta-consciousness, which he called The Self, and which transcends human comprehension, except as an experience. (It is beyond names and forms.) Jung spends a good deal of time describing The Self using Western religious metaphors to make his examples.

Most of Jung's theories have slipped into our collective Western unconsciousness, so that they are now part of our unconscious assumptions, (e.g. projection, shadow, denial, the unconsciousness of our faults) and if you would like to become conscious of these assumptions, a reading of this book might facilitate that experience.

If you are familiar with Jung's work, this will increase your understanding of his concept of the human psyche, its parts and the goal of unification of those parts. ... Read more

Book Description

A revised translation of one of the most important of Jung's longer works. The volume also contains an appendix of four shorter papers on psychological typology, published between 1913 and 1935. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A megadose of profound psychology
_The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche_ is one of the better volumes out of the Princeton/Bollingen series of Jung's collected works, and is absolutely essential for any serious Jungian. I will go over the essays in sequence:

First comes an essay entitled "On Psychic Energy". This is the most difficult essay in this volume. Generally, Jung discusses his concept of the "canalization of libildo". This is interesting in that Jung tries to redefine "libido" by moving away from its traditional, purely sexual connotation. For Jung, libido is simply a generic form of psychic energy which can be redirected or "canalized" into both sexual AND non-sexual activities, such as religious rituals, dances, chants, and incantations. It is only when our intrinsic need for ritual is supressed that we find our libido forced to direct its energies into sexual perversion. Although the concept is interesting, the writing style of this essay is rather vague and opaque, and if you find yourself bogged down, I strongly suggest you skip this first essay. Don't worry - it's all downhill after this essay. The rest of the book is much more lucid and readable.

Next comes an essay called "The Transcendent Function", which basically deals with the healing breakthrough which is the goal of the patient in psychotherapy. Next is an essay dealing with the "Complex Theory". This essay deals with word-association tests in which the experimenter observes the subjects reations and hesitations when given a word that evokes embarrassing or painful memories. Both of these essays are very useful and informative.

Next we have about three more short but very profound and informative essays. Then comes the centerpiece of the book, a potent and spectaculuar classic of 20th century psychology entitled "On the Nature of the Psyche". This, along with "Answer to Job" is one of Jung's very best essays. It deals with an astounding range of topics, including the limitations and paradoxes associated with epistemology, and the dualistic and paradoxical interrelationship between subjective, inner psyche and the objective/outer world. This essay has much to say about the limitations of our subjectivity, and the degree to which we depend on other people and the outside world to attain consciousness. Jung does an excellent job in demarcating the thin line which divides the outer world and the sum of our subjective perceptions. Overall, this essay is a mind warping trip into a sea of paradoxical mysteries of the psyche.

After a short essay dealing with spirits, we come to a series of three great essays: "Spirit and Life", "Basic Postulates of Analytical Psychology", and "Analytical Psychology and Weltanschauung". These fantastic essays deal expertly with the delicate issue of fate and determinism vs. freewill, and the idea of achieving an objective attitude or "Weltanscauung". Jung warns against attempting to unite everyone under one objetive attitude or "ism". This can only lead to repression, nationalistic, racist, and PATRIOTIC BIAS, and ultimately, war. According to Jung, when one nation unites under an "ism" or Weltanschauung which is erronously believed to be objective and appropriate for everyone, we will end up with a repression of indivdual, diverse opinions at best, and at worst, will have a worldwide tragedy resulting from our quest to force this attitude on other people. (and yes, according to Jung's book, DEMOCRACY also counts as one of those "ism's" that we should not try to force on to other people). Of course this tragedy will be carried out under the banner of patriotism.

Next we have three more short essays which are very good, especially "The Soul and Death". After that, we have the famous essay, "Syncronicity", which is available by itself in paperback if you only want that. This is a fascinating essay dealing with paranormal psychic phenomena such as psychokinesis, ESP, and telepathy. If you want to see more details on this essay, see my corresponding review for the stand-alone paperback version.

Overall, _The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche_ is a monumental, epic work. A true magnum opus of psychology, I recommend this volume to anyone who is willing to take on a challenge for the pursuit of self-knowledge.

can't believe it's not available
This book is hardcore Jung explaining with his famous spectrum analogy the "third thing" of the psyche, that imaginal space wedged between matter and spirit. Very technical.

This is an absolutely essential reference on the Psyche
This is the most practical description of the structure and dynamics of the psyche available. It is a working reference that enables real self-understanding, the understanding of others, and the understanding of the dynamics between the two. With all of the mis-spent resources in the last ninety years on the study of behavior, and the growth of the behaviorists, this reference really enables a person to learn the details of the pre-cursors to behavior. In today's so-called knowledge-based work environment, a solid understanding of the psyche is essential, since 90% of the work is not what one would consider observable behavior. It's nice to know that such a valuable book is still available and still useful. It should be paired with Jung's Psychological Types, and the Two volume set of William James, practical psychology books. Wes Stillwagon ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Ed W. Can Do
If anybody can take the pains to read and reread a book inch by inch, over and over again, ad infinitum, until you reach the other side, then by all means read this book! Being able to learn, retain and actually actualize the ideas he espouses, as you go along, into one ever expanding platform is all essential to even remotely comprehending so much as the first chapter, let alone the first page of this entire book! Mr. Whitmont is extreemly intellectual and wrote this book for people like him that thirst for inner knowledge. The text is written AS IF you already happen to know a number of words used only by depth psychologists. So be prepared to learn literally a text book of data per every page. This work is hailed as the next generation of Jungian thought written by Jung's prodigy student and spiritual heir apparent. And cannot be expected to be instantly readable by everyone, especially those already angry with Jung in general.Yet with each new concept integrated into your understanding of Jungianism, there will be a definite reward in terms of personal growth. I promise you a rose garden!

The Essential Popular Introduction to Jung
The Symbolic Quest remains the best popular introduction to the theory and practice of analytical psychology.

Contents: Introduction -- The Symbolic Approach -- The Approach to the Unconscious -- The Objective Psyche -- The Complex -- Archetypes and Myths -- Archetypes and the Individual Myth -- Archetypes and Personal Psychology -- Psychological Types -- The Persona -- The Shadow -- Male and Female -- The Anima -- The Animus -- The Self -- The Complex of Identity: The Ego -- The Ego-Self Estrangement -- Ego Development and the Phases of Life -- Therapy -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

Bum Rap
Whitmont presents the basic concepts of Jungian psychology in prose which is, indeed, intricate (one of the less pejorative meanings of "convoluted"); but there is no better overview and summary of Carl Jung's astonishingly broad and comprehensive theories. This is not and is not meant to be a "popular" book but does seek - and reaches - a general reader who is willing to learn. The Redwood City reader takes the allegedly incomprehensible sentence out of the context in which it is embedded. On the page previous to it, active thinking is contrasted with passive thinking and thinking is contrasted with feeling. With that in mind - a "translation":

"Active thinking brings a representation (i.e. a likeness or image rising from perception) to a process of ordering and sequencing which establishes a cause-effect relationship between a given event and that which appears to [but does not necessarily] follow it."

Whitmont's next sentence points out that this interpretation [i.e. the assignment of a cause-effect relationship] is "imposed" upon the facts and because of this may or may not be a true and valid interpretation of them. "Pretentious" can mean "making demands on one's skill" - though I doubt that is what Redwood City reader means to say. In the sense of "unjustified claims of value" - which is probably what was meant, he is in error; but in the former sense, it is true, the book makes demands and offers great rewards.

A verbose, convoluted, pretentious intro to Jungian psych
While Dr. Whitmont has some very good ideas to communicate in _The Symbolic Quest_, his presentation is so convoluted and pretentious that his reader must hack through jungles of pompous wordiness and sift through convoluted sentences in order to uncover the concepts Whitmont is addressing. For example, can anyone tell me what is being communicated in this sentence from page 141?

"Active thinking submits representations to a deliberate act of rational judgment and to a deliberate order or sequence wherby that which seems of necessity to follow a given event is regarded as being caused by that event."

Whitmont should be more concerned with communicating ideas effectively and effeciently than he appears to be with constructing mutant sentences which require translation from english into english. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (18)

The greatest book by my favorite author
Robert Johnson is a life changer. I have read everything he has done several times. HE and SHE should be a required read for everyone. I recommend you read the book on your own sex first so that you become familiar with Johnson's style before prying into the opposite sex's mind. :) If you find some of the other self help books too trite and not very thought provoking, Robert Johnson is for you!

Whom Do We Serve?
He, by Robert A. Johnson
A fascinating discussion of the male maturation process, using the story of Parsifal and Jungian concepts. The author relates the myth of the famous Arthurian knight to a masculine lifeline. Why use a medieval story to illustrate the psyche of modern man? As the author explains, "Often, when a new era begins in history, a myth for that era springs up...One can say that the winds of the twelfth century have become the whirlwinds of the twentieth century."

Short and concise like its title, He is nevertheless a profound study, and serves as a guide to the every man's own life. Major questions are asked, addressed in Jungian thought and in the myth, and then handed to the reader, who can apply it to his own experience.

The real start of Parsifal's and every man's journey comes when Parsifal enters the Grail Castle. He is offered the Grail (the cup out of which Jesus Christ drank at the Last Supper) but fails to ask the question that would have brought happiness to the kingdom. That question is "Whom does the Grail serve?" We spend the rest of book discovering why the naïve teenager said nothing, and how he could redeem himself, as well as the readers.

The Grail moment, as explained by Mr. Johnson, is that time in the life of all young men when they stumble onto the Divine, "a magic hour sometime in their youth when the whole world glowed and showed a beauty not easily described." Parsifal's inability to ask the question, according to the author, is because "no youth can cope with this opening of the Heavens for him and most set it aside but do not forget it." Men, once touched by this overwhelming joy, spend the rest of their lives seeking it. Their journey, if thoughtful, will bring them to the castle again, usually in middle age, when they are more able to ask the question.

Although this book is not really a fable, still, I will not "give away" the ending because I think the author wants the reader to explore along with the hero, Parsifal, at least on first reading. However, here are some points of interest in the journey that shed light into the process of "becoming a man."
- When Parsifal leaves home, his mother gives him a homespun undershirt. He wears this under his armor, and it is partly this that keeps him from asking the fateful question. Mr. Johnson explains that Parsifal had not reconciled his mother complex, that he was still boyishly clinging to the idea of mother as protector.
- When he returns home to visit his mother after the grail castle, he finds her dead from a broken heart, because he had left home. This is important, says the author, because we must become independent even if it brings pain.
- When Parsifal kills the evil Red Dragon, this is coming to terms with our manly power, our primal rage. We must learn that we have power, as people and men, but also must learn to use it wisely and temper it.
- Mr. Johnson points out that chastity in knightly mythology has to do with seduction of the feminine side of man. This feminine side is called anima, according to the author, and it is essentially our joi de vivre, our activating vital mood energy. To be seduced by this anima (resulting in depression) or to seduce it (resulting in giddiness) are both unmanly violations of chastity. It is boyish to allow oneself to be ruled by moods; moods must be mastered in order to reach manhood. Feeling, with a capital "F," on the other hand, is to be retained always, because Feeling is related to values and compassion.
- And more.

When Parsifal revisits the Grail Castle he is wise enough to remember the question "Whom does the Grail serve?" Mr. Johnson shows that every man can also revisit the Grail Castle, once again face the Divine, and this time perhaps attach more meaning to the experience.

On applying the ideas and stories to one's own life, it is possible to see many Grail moments, but this does not diminish the message. Also, women can learn from this, although they have their own book by Mr. Johnson, aptly titled, "She."

In He, Robert A. Johnson gives invaluable insight into what makes a man, not in a macho sense, but in the truest sense of the word: gentleman, knight. Independence, self-control, and selflessness are some of the manly traits discussed here. And a definition is offered for true, profound happiness. Not bad for 80 very readable pages.

He. . . Should Have Written More About Psychology
I rated He with 3 stars because it was undoubtably an interesting and very thought provoking book, but it failed on some key aspects. One, being that it rooted psychological analyzation to an opinionated base and was not believable due to the recurring statistic used being "every man". Also, it did not include enough examples referring to what exactly the author was trying to say, therefore some of his ideas resulted in, at some points, simply ambiguous statements. Johnson also seemed to dance in circles with the French version of La Morte D'Arthur, and heavily drift from his main ideas, leaving the reader with an understanding of the story, and only a basic understanding of what the book was supposed to be about...understanding masculine psychology.
I must say though, the points he hit, he really nailed, all except for the representation of the Grail. I do not agree that happiness can only be reached through a contribution to religion or society as a whole. His idea of happiness through being contempt with one's self is accurate, but his relating psychology to religion is very unnecessary, and very inaccurate to those who do not hold religion close to them. Lastly, I think that if a person is writing anything at all, to really write it, and not summerize their thoughts through symbolism in a myth, or by quoting another author to the point of distastefulness. I expected to read more about psychology and less about the unattractive story he related the entire work to.
-Watts

He: A Life Map - Not Just For Men
I first read this book nearly 25 years ago. It became (and I did not expect this) a touchstone.

Johnson presented a wide view in this book and in his talks. I once heard someone ask him if a certain religion could have any value for the soul. His answer as I recall it, was, "Every religion has prescriptions for the soul, if we can hear them." I take that to mean that any discussion of the "merits" of a particular religion is time spent in argument when that same time could be spent listening for those prescriptions.

I am personally grateful for this book and this man.

Very Informative
One of the best books in this field. Very easy and understandable. Quit delightful. The writer has a gift of explaining abstract concepts in lay language. The issues men face in our society are not limited to men. The inter-connectedness of every element in human life (Chaos Theory) has been presented in mythological terms. Very Good! ... Read more

Book Description

Neumann examines how the Feminine has been experienced and expressed in many cultures from prehistory to our own time. Appearing as goddess and demon, gate and pillar, garden and tree, hovering sky and containing vessel, the Feminine is seen as an essential factor in the dialectical relation of individual consciousness, symbolized by the child, to the ungraspable matrix, symbolized by the Great Mother. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Dominion Over All
Erich Neumann's profusely illustrated The Great Mother: An Analysis Of An Archetype (1955) is a densely composed psychological study in the tradition of those written by Neumann's eminent teacher and mentor, C. G. Jung. But whereas Jung's many books were underscored by a sense of profound, almost inexpressible knowledge and inner confidence in his material and ability, Neumann's less convincing The Great Mother often seems specious, arbitrary, and murky in its details and conclusions.

The volume's excellent first chapter, "The Structure of the Archetype," offers what is probably the best single definition and description of the archetype available anywhere. Though he recovers his bearings again later, Neumann quickly loses his way in his second chapter, "The Archetypal Feminine And The Great Mother," which delineates the levels of the unconscious into the unconvincing and clumsy subdivisions "The Archetypal Feminine" (which is further subdivided into "The Uroboric Great Mother" and "The Maternal Uroboros"), "The Terrible Mother," "The Great Mother," "The Good Mother," "The Anima," and the "projected" conscious categories of "the Gorgon," "Isis," and "Sophia."

Since Neumann rightly or wrongly believes at every facet of reality - from the unconscious and conscious processes of mankind to the entire natural world ("the universe, the primeval darkness, and the generative night sky") - can be and has been defined at base in terms of the larger feminine archetype, his portrayal of nature and human destiny is one in which both the individual man and the collective are but playthings to a force that is ruthlessly impersonal, blindly instinctive, and simultaneously transcendent and immediately present in the every day world.

Neumann's "feminine" archetype exists and has existed everywhere and is found in literally everything: in "ponds, streams, and swamps," in "mountains, hills, cliffs," in "fertile muck," in "cave, pillar, and rock," in "thrones, stones, stone implements, and fire," in "plants, roots, and tubers," in "the serpent and the scorpion, the fishes of the river and the sea, the wild beasts of wood and mountain, the goose, duck, and heron, the nocturnal owl and the dove, the cow and the bull, goat, pig, and sheep, the bee," in "the fruit and the nut," "the grain," "the house, door, threshold, and tomb," "the couch, the table, the hearth, and the bed," "the oven and the mill," "the cauldron and the pot," "the magical song and poetry," "suffering and death, sacrifice and annihilation, renewal, rebirth, and immortality," "the fertility of men and animals," and "earth and heaven."

Neumann believes and attempts to prove that the earliest societies were matriarchies that were later usurped and overthrown by men, but curiously fails to explore why such a process might have been necessary or even required for the establishment of civilization and culture as well as for the evolution and development of consciousness. The role of the corresponding male archetype and its dynamic role in mankind's evolution and destiny is one of the questions that the unnuanced text of The Great Mother pointedly begs but flatly ignores at every turn.

In Neumann's perspective, it was women who first developed the "preparation and storage of food" and the "fermentation and manufacture of intoxicants...as the gatherer and later preparer of herbs, plants, and fruits, she was the inventor and guardian of the first healing potions, medicines, and poisons." As Neumann's ancient women were both hunters and gatherers, "only the killing of large animals" fell "to the males," who were entirely subordinate and dependent on women to sustain them. Then as now, "the male remains inferior to, and at the mercy of, the Feminine that confronts him as a power of destiny." Males, Neumann says, are mere "bondsmen" of powers that ultimately belong and revert to their true source in women as the rightful vessel of the Feminine, who "confers no birth and no life without pain." Apparently unable to determine anything whatsoever on his own, even ancient male warriors were only acting in the service of women and the "Great Mother." Trapped in an inferior role to the "Archetypal Feminine," from birth to death Neumann's males are puppets and second - class citizens in the heretical Feminine order. As finite human beings rather than archetypal forces, women themselves fair only slightly better.

How much of Neumann's thesis is accurate and factual? How much is hazy speculative mysticism? Are "women," whose bodies "correspond to the Great Goddess" really the only individuals who can effect genuine spiritual change and transformation, or is Neumann confusing poetic metaphor and fact, or the nature of the unconscious with mankind's anthropomorphic identification of it? Neumann goes out on a limb and embarrasses himself more than once, as when he compares the "secrets" of "primordial mysteries" that were "traditionalized into cults" "by women" with "tendencies in modern life" wherein food recipes "become a secret family tradition." That example grandly ignores the newly suburbanized father of Fifties American culture, proudly outfitted in chef's hat and apron, gleefully flipping hamburgers on the backyard barbecue grill.

Flouting Freud's well - supported belief that the incest taboo was the very basis of consciousness and civilization, Neumann holds instead that "all taboos originated in the menstruation taboo that women imposed on themselves and on men." Are men in all cases really perceived by women as "alien" interlopers who comes "from without and by violence take the daughter from the mother," or is he literalizing and overapplying the Demeter - Persephone myth and motif? Shrewd and cautious readers of The Great Mother will discover that many of Neumann's assertions fail to bear up under closer examination and scrutiny.

Feminist scholar and cultural critic Camille Paglia, a Neumann advocate, has written three books, Sexual Personae (1990), Sex, Art, & American Culture (1992) and Tramps & Vamps (1995), which offer a deeper, better elucidated, and more balanced historical interpretation of the same material Neumann offers here, stressing as she does the vital importance of the male dynamic in the rise of Western civilization while underscoring that "cultic femaleness is no guarantee of cultural strength or viability."

a must for mythology lovers
The Great Mother is an absolute must-have for anyone intersted in mythology, Jungian psychology or even literary analysis.

Part I is quite heavy in termonology and complex archtypal ideas; part II is more accessable and can be read and enjoyed without part I. As a feminist, I found it fascinating to learn about the different aspects of the goddess. I especially enjoyed the chapter called "Lady of the Beasts" which discusses the different animals associated with the Great Mother and their symbolic significance. Even if you don't subcribe to Jungian psychology, this book is a fascinating look into the human mind.

Finally, there's 185 pages of photographs and drawings at the end of the book -- fascinating to thumb through! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A life saver!!
This book brought me back from the depths of despair! I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone experiencing extreme guilt, grief, loss, betrayal, doubt, loneliness, depression, despair, obsession, addiction, anger, fear, angst or anxiety. The book goes through every one of these topics in great detail. It explains their causes, symptoms, and ways of overcoming them. It explains the opportunity for growth that is inherent in our struggles, providing inspiration and hope when it is most needed. I will warn that the author uses some vocabulary that non-psychologists won't know. Just keep your dictionary handy. It's well worth the effort.

The Deeply Authentic Life
For those of us who struggle with uncommonly difficult fates -- and the attendant uncommonly difficult mother, father and other complexes -- James Hollis is among the few unsentimental Jungian analysts who writes with an integral awareness of object relations theory and the DSM and the paradoxes of individuation and an authentically lived life of integrity. "Consciousness broadens and enriches us, though it may be dearly paid for." Good case and dream studies and a discerning teacher. An unfortunately melodramatic title, but recommended.

Great Book
This book is absoultly great. The only drawback of the book, if there is one, is that after reading each page, I would sit and think for about 10 minutes. If you are open to the material, it will absoultly rock your world. Go for it. Take the journey. I'm reading his other books too and the guy is just amazing.

A warm and wise little book on the dark corners of the soul.
This is the latest of a wonderful series of small, warm, wise books by Jungian analyst James Hollis. This one visits the dark places of our soul that are far too often avoided from fear or mere inattention. There is a poetry that runs through Hollis' work that is rare in Jungian literature. Perhaps it's there because he loves poetry himself so much and quotes it extensively and aptly, but his own prose reads like poetry, yet without sacrificing lucidity. I can't imagine anyone not learning something from this and other books by James Hollis. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A new terminology for things already known
Despite being a very small book, with good introduction and preface, this is not an easy book to read and in my opinion the more the reader is well acquainted with the evolution of Freud's terminology the better. In this regard The Interpretation of Dreams is a prior reading which will give substance for the later reading of The Ego and the Id.

Some concepts already presented in earlier books are developed more soundly in this opus, despite some confusion between the terminology, a situation acknowledge by the editor and even by the author.

The Ego and the Id was written in 1924 and, contrary to some earlier books by Freud which could be read by the lay person (" The Interpretation of Dreams" , "The Psychopathology of Every Day Life" , "Jokes and Their Relations with the Unconscious" , " Totem and Taboo" and many others), this one was not written for the non-scientific person, due to a lot of psychanalitical lingo he uses in the text and the difficulty faced in the conceptualization.

Despite all this, I think it is an useful reading to everyone interested in the history and theory of psychanalisys. The figth between the Id (which equals the Unconscious plus some conscious departments), the Ego (mainly inputed by senses perception) and the Ideal Ego (or Super-ego), who represents a kind of moral agency who reviews and criticizes all the actions by the Ego, is of special beauty and are quintessential Freudian. A pretty much intereting reading for anyone interested in the history of psychanalisys and in concepts already of working value.

An intro into ones self
Id- Unconscious part of the mind which consists of natural instincts, urges, and drives that are repressed. It includes "internal events" which stem from the influence of heredity. Although the id is the cause of all activity, the thoughts are often unconscious and repressed. The id represents biological forces. It is also a constant in the personality as it is always present. The id is governed by the "pleasure principle", or the notion of hedonism (the seeking of pleasure).
Ego- A defense mechanism that is partly conscious and contains the capacities to calculate, reason, and plan. As the Id relates to internal events, the Ego is occupied with the external world. Its task is to regulate and control the instincts provided by the id. However, in times of sleep, the ego detaches itself from the outside world and changes, its organization. The prime function of the ego is determined by the individuals experiences. The ego is the surface of the personality, the part you show the world. The ego is governed by the "reality principle ," or a pragmatic approach to the world. For example, a child may want to snitch a cookie from the kitchen, but will not if a parent is present. Id desires are still present, but the ego realizes the consequences of brazen cookie theft.
Super-ego- the connection between the id and ego. The super ego is the minds link to reality and society. It contains the influence of what is learned from other people. The super-ego, unlike the id, is not intuitive from birth, but acquired from childhood. Once established, one begins to feel guilt. The superego consists of two parts, the conscience and the ego-ideal. The conscience is the familiar metaphor of angel and devil on each shoulder. The conscience decides what course of action one should take. The ego-ideal is an idealized view of one's self. Comparisons are made between the ego-ideal and one's actual behavior. Both parts of the super-ego develop with experience with others, or via social interactions. According to Freud, a strong super-ego serves to inhibit the biological instincts of the id, while a weak super-ego gives in to the id's urgings. Further, the levels of guilt in the two cases above will be high and low, respectively.

The ID strives for the needs, wants desires; as the ID strives for pleasure it encounters experiences of frustration. The desires and needs of the ID do not get responded to as soon as the individual would like; in essence the reality of life; this results in the development of personality that governs orientation to reality. During early development of a person there are other influences as moral and ethical expectations of family and society. As the ID strives for gratification it encounters these moral and ethical expectations that tend to frustrate the ID; as a result of this the SUPER-EGO develops which represents the individuals moral orientation. Also known as the conscience. Family and society play an important role in defining for a person what these moral and ethical expectations include. Unresolved conflicts between ID-EGO-SUPER EGO can lead to fixation or blockage in development and can result in excessive dependence in manipulation. The resolution of each crisis depends on the interaction of the individual's characteristics and the support provided by the social environment.

Quote from Dr Freud:
"...the ego seeks to bring the influence of the external world to bear upon the id and its tendencies, and endeavours to substitute the reality principle for the pleasure principle which reigns unrestrictedly in the id. For the ego, perception plays the part which in the id falls to instinct. The ego represents what may be called reason and common sense, in contrast to the id, which contains the passions. "

Language Barrier
Sigmund Freud is not known for his easy-to-read writing style. Those that translated Freud's works have recently been under fire for being misleading or inaccurate. When I set out to read this book, I felt it neccessary to make as many notes neccesary and to dig beneath and between to bring out what Freud really meant by "ego" and "id." To my conclusion, the reason Freud is argued against so much is because of the confusion that surrounds his theories.

The words "ego" and "id" are Greek, and we have carried them into the English language and then nominalized. By doing this our consciousness solidifies them as things within our brains. The word "ego" means "I" or "self". The word "id" means "non-I" or "non-self", or "it." We dont say "the I" when we refer to ourselves. But so often we say "the ego" as if to refer to a specific part or thing of our minds.

The other confusion that adds to nominalization is then believing the rest of the book is about things in space. Yet, Freud specifically says, "The state of things which we have been describing can be respresented diagramatically, though it must be remarked that the form chosen has no pretensions to any special applicability, but is mere intended to serve for purposes of exposition (p. 18)." What Freud is saying is that in order to communicate clearly what is happening in ones psyche, or mind, there needs to be a working model of the psyche.That is to say, a model meaning a diagram with its parts that do not act as the psyche itself (or of reality), but shows what the psyche consists of. He does this by discerning that which is "descriptive," and that which is "dynamic." The descriptive only describes through language or imaginative use, while dynamic is more at the process that actually occurs.

Now the model Freud eventually used as a diagram is not a very good model. In fact it is a bit unwieldy and clumsy and in the end served little purpose (later in he updated the model in 'New Introductory Lectures on Psycho-Analysis', 1933). Because Freud is the first to devise the model, it is primitive and modifications would be neccessary. Actually Freud seemed to have modeled what looks to be an ill-defined organ giving way to the idea that it functions like a heart would. While reading the book, I chose not to use the model he drew, but rather found it useful to create my own based on his descriptions of where things are in relation to each other. This does not mean I believe the model is a literal drawing of my mind or anyone elses, but rather a means in which we understand how one part of the psyche works with another. Similarly is Neil Bohr's model of the atom. He did not draw what he actually saw, he created a model only for communication purposes. When a group understands the parts, and the relationship of those parts, then you create a vernacular, or as Freud called it, a "shibboleth of psycho-analysis." Then we can clearly understand what we are talking about when referring to these parts.

The book is only psychological in language, where Freud describes his theories of ego and id. He raises other aspects of the psyche that one may need to already understand, such as cathexis, the Oedipal complex, displacement, reaction formation and so forth. He sets out essentially how ego is created in relation to id, and by creating our ego we also create repression. It is sometimes misconstrued that ego is associated with egotistical, or egotism, or even conceit, however, Freud is aware that our ego is as much benevalent as malevalent.

"The Ego and the Id" was written in 1923, so the language is sometimes archaic, even in the translated form. Its more popular to be adverse with Freud, usually due to the claims Freud made regarding childhood sexuality, and that all of his theories are based upon sexual experiences in our youth. I believe if one set that opinion aside and read as if you never heard of Freud, you might think differently. I found it useful while reading not only to understand the times Freud wrote in, but to also update the language in more modern terms. If ego does not suit you, choose another word, as long as the relationships and understanding of their functions remain constant. But what you call them may reveal that Freud really hit the mark in describing the functions and processes of our minds. When you observe as he did, you will discover how memories are repressed, what your consciousness holds, what you observe in your consciousness and what you are holding out on in your unconscious. How our ego's and super-ego's (ego-ideal) serve and protect, yet hinder potential. For me, updating the language allowed me to understand Freuds work much better than if I kept his work in the past and attempted to apply it to today. I dont feel that works for any author. It would be like knowing how to fix an Apple IIe and expecting to be able to fix a Macintosh G3 computer.

Freud's "Ego and the Id" is a great book to begin to understand his theories. Its a small book (62 pages) and will create the foundation of understanding for any of his other works. Having a good working knowledge of this book will also aid you in reading other authors who discuss ego functions as well as your ability to discern how the word is used in relation to Freud's understanding.

The begining for something new
I am only a college student and read this book for my own enlightenment. I loved reading Freud's theories about the ego and the id. This book consists of a brief introduction of Frued and his life, then goes on to present his work. The terms are also explained very well throughout the book. I definitly recomend this to anyone who is trying to enlighten themselves, or anyone who is interested in Frued's work or psychology at all. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Erikson is the man when it comes to understanding identity.
Admittedly, Erik Erikson is not an easy read (in fact his biographer Lawrence Friedman speculates what Erikson could have become had he been a more disciplined researcher, and writer.) Nevertheless this book provides keen insight into the phenomenon of the adolescent identity crisis.

"Crisis" in Eriksonian parlance is not used to connote an "impending catastrophe," but rather a "necessary turning point, a crucial moment, when development must move one way or another, marshaling resources of growth,recover, and further differentiation." Erikson deals effectively with a process that is at the core of the individual and in the core of the individual's communal culture.

After reading Lawrence Friedman's biography on Erikson entitled "Identity's Architect," I have come to appreciate the richness of Erikson's observations, such as "I shall present human growth from the point of view of the conflicts, inner and outer, which the vital personality weathers, re-emerging from each crisis with an increased sense of inner unity...," knowing that Erikson himself came to such conclusions only after examining his own storied past.

The illegitimate son of a Danish mother, and a father of unknown nationality, "Identity's Architect" weathered many a conflict, both inner and outer, as he journeyed toward a sense of his own identity.

Identity: Youth and Crisis is not an easy read, but it is rich with insight into the most mysterious and turbulent of all stages in the life cycle: adolescence. Ideal for those students of child psychology, child development, and those who work with youth. ... Read more

Book Description

Methods for Behavioral Research introduces psychology students to research methods. The author’s principal goal is to present methods in a way that will lend coherence to the material. He does this by providing a meaningful framework based on Campbell and Stanley’s "threats to validity" and by organizing the book around the chronology of the research process, treating it as a sequence of steps:

• Formulating a hypothesis

• Specifying the variables

• Creating a research design

• Collecting the data

• Analyzing the data

• Drawing conclusions and reporting the results

In addition, in his approach and via boxed features, the author encourages and models a process of critical thinking for students. The abundant study aids will help students summarize each chapter visually, and provide review questions, and exercises. A dedicated website containing supporting materials is available for professors and students.

Book Description

This book is a reader-friendly description of a viewpoint on human behavior which sees all behavior as aimed at attaining goals. A wide variety of topics are treated: ranging from goals, to emotion, to persistence and giving up, to living and dying. Both adaptive behavior and problems are examined. The book blends ideas that have long been part of self-regulation models with ideas that are recently emergent in psychology: dynamic systems and catastrophe theory. It also blends theoretical statement with wide-ranging discussion of issues. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Basic Writings of Freud by Brill
This is an excellent work for Freud enthusiasts. The work discusses the theoretical underpinnings for behavioral characteristics popularized by Freud. For instance, the proclivity to forget is related to a personal motivation to
suppress unpleasant memories. Dreams tend to depict unfulfilled wishes. Pain and disgust are more frequent aspects of dreams than pure pleasure. The author explains how childhood experiences both good and bad may resurface in our dreams. Our memory can be challenged to recall things long dormant. Night hallucinations can be due to perceived rejected sexual impulses.
Freud explains how seemingly contradictory thoughts can coexist side by side. The concept of psychological tension may be related to a displeasure or aversion. Freud discussed sexuality.
For instance, he noted that bisexual tendencies could be interpreted within the context of a female brain in a male body.
The book brings out many aspects of human behavior that we rarely dwell on consciously. It is perfect for a class project in
science, psychology or medicine. Freud's theories tend to be very
complex. This work reduces some of the deepest complexities to
simple English.Finally, the book helps us to understand the dynamics of why we behave as we do. This book explains important strategies to the classic flight/fight phenomena and accomodative
strategies aimed at reducing behavioral tensions/conflicts.

Review of Freud by an electrical engineer
As so many scientifically minded people our behaviourist friend below is quick to condemn literature one could view as decidedly outside the realm science after submitting it to a scientific reading. The great questions of sanity and the pathological must be considered to fall largely outside the domain of science. How one answers these questions have important ethical implications which are often obscured by the blinkers of science. You wish to treat mental illness? I will ask you, then, to what end? And let me suggest that if you attempt to answer that question with an appeal to science you do nothing but shirk from the ethical dimension of the question. Dismissing the question by declaring the answer self evident and therefore not in need of elaboration amounts to the same.

Serious, extensive, criticism can be levied at the scientific treatment of mental illness. For considerations of brevity I raise only the most obvious one: To draw scientific conclusions one needs measurable quantities, and their determination must be anything but scientific since it unfailingly requires a choice, which I maintain, is an ethical one. Cracks can be seen to emerge, if not in the edifice of science itself, atleast then at the junction of science and our human experience, where the question of mental health must unquestionable be located. The answers one gets, and thus the conclusions one draws, depend on the questions asked, and the manner of asking. One is always in the business of putting words to science, engaging thus, as one must, the dimension of the symbolic, which defines us as humans, beings of language. There is value in reading non-scientific literature, not measured with the yardstick of science, but properly misunderstood on its own terms. After Freud, read some Lacan, see the graphs and schemas, and note specifically the conclusion that psychoanalysis is not a science.

"Reader" from Boston
The reader from Boston, while on the money on Freud and Marx, doesn't have a clue as to Darwin. Considering the impact of Darwin on modern biology and related sciences, especially after the evolutionary synthesis, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

Review of Freud by a cognitive behavioralist
Freud was doubtlessly a seminal thinker who shaped the way 20th century man saw himself and his relationship with the world. Together with Marx and Darwin, Freud created the modern worldview that only recently has begun to crack. These books, then, are a great introduction to Freud's thought. Freud's thought, however, is what concerns us.

It's safe to say, in 2002, that Freud was wrong about virtually everything. Not only were his theories and methods ineffective in treating mental illness, they actually made many illnesses worse. Due to the prevalence of Psychoanalytic assumptions in popular culture, people with biologically-based mental diseases such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tourette's, Schizophrenia, and Bipolarity are treated as weaklings who can't control their emotions rather than as sick people deserving compassion and medical care. All progress in Psychiatry since Freud's day has pointed to the biological basis of mental illness - which is far more sensible than thinking that your entire outlook on life is determined by potty training accidents. Not only has Psychoanalysis failed people with severe mental disorders, it has put some people in great danger. Psychoanalysts "prep" people with severe Body Dismorphic Disorder to undergo sex change operations rather than curing their BDD. Psychoanalysts teach sick people to blame their parents and strain family relationships rather than addressing the neurological roots of their conditions. It is high time for all therapists using Freudian methods and theories to be deprived insurance compensation and expert standing in legal courts.

Freud, Marx, and Darwin deserve to be studied together because all shared a common approach: they promoted unverifiable theories that could be used to predict any possible behavior or outcome, and therefore were really only cleverly posed tautologies without real insight or substance. Consider: a patient goes into a Psychotherapist's office complaining of hypochondria. The therapist asks, "How's your relationship with your family?" The hypochondriac says, "My father was a bit of a jerk." Viola - the patient's disease obsession is explained as repressed childhood angst. But MOST people's fathers are jerks, at least part of the time. There is absolutely no proof, merely the arrangement of events in chronological order. The same is true of Darwinism, which talks of "evolution" without really giving us any insight into what rules really govern the creation of life (why was the alligator fit to survive? Because he was the most fit, of course!), and Marxism, which explains any state of affairs as the result of "class struggle" regardless of whatever the situation is. For most of the 20th century, the West's intellectual culture was bogged down in clever word play. It's no wonder the arts, philosophy, ethics, and literature have ceased to offer insight into the human condition. I blame Freud and co.!

This is a great deal.
My favorite part of the book is the fourth major topic, "Wit and its Relation to the Unconscious." The jokes might seem a bit stale. My printing of this book is copyright 1938, and comparison of its index with the online version of pages shown indicates that the newer version is not quite the same number of pages, but the book itself is the same as the original. For people who have trouble remembering psychological concepts or intellectual approaches to anything, but who never forget a joke, Freud's ability to keep referring to the same joke in different contexts offers an ideal opportunity to see how an expert in a field can intertwine basic concepts with known ideas to create the sensation of intellectual progress. Speaking of experts, the index has 16 entries for Heine, the first of which is merely a footnote on how dreams might work like Heine, who was famous for making the bad poetry of the King of Bavaria (Herr Ludwig?) ridiculous, in THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS. The poem is only in German in the edition I have, so the comment, "He does it by using even worse rhymes," might only be funny for people who know what German sounds like. The final mention of Heine, which might be to a joke that Freud had not told before, is to a verse in which he complained, "until at last the buttons tore from the pants of my patience," in Freud's discussion of the various forms of the comic. You might not appreciate how big this book is until you have read it. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

It's nurture not nature.
If your questioning the sanity of this culture this book is a must read. I've seen this book recommended on Derrick Jensen's book list. Who probably is the best cultural critic I have read.

In my mind this book has put to rest the myth that the destruction and violence done by civilized man is instinctual. It takes a culture like ours to condition us into hating ourselves and the rest of life around us.

Fromm explores non-violent cultures to show us that humans havn't always been so hell bent on destruction and death. That there actually was life affirmative cultures. Fromm's final final chapter has really stuck with me. One of his suggestions for our survival is that the biophiliacs(life loving)people have to have their voices heard and object to the sadistic tendancies of this culture. A must read for anybody who is trying to imagine a better way.

It's a destructive culture, not a destructive species
I encountered this book in 1988 or so, and it changed my life. It is I think Fromm's best and most important book. This is the book that first let me know that the violence of the dominant culture is not biological in its origin.

The book is centered around the question, obviously, of why humans commit atrocities. Fromm begins this book by exploring many of the theories, such as the notion that we are biologically overdetermined to be so violent. But he conclusively shows that cannot be the case. He then gives examples of nonviolent cultures, and explores why these cultures are the way they are. He then concludes with a powerful and detailed exploration of Hitler, showing how Hitler manifests the essence of this awful civilization that is killing the planet. A powerful book that helped form the foundations of my thinking.

Fascinating
This is a fascinating book. This book and THE TIPPING POINT seem to present firm evidence that humans have become "civilized" away from the environment we are emotionally wired for. We are emotionally wired to deal with small groups (THE TIPPING POINT stresses 150 as the maximum number a group should be), and to have no one have a lot more materially than the rest of us. Envy, violence, etc., did not/do not exist in small hunter/gatherer groups. We are economically and population-wise at the point of no return. It's a shame. But there was a time when humans were not violent, etc., in human history. Before "civilization." Machiavelli in THE PRINCE says that, "War is the normal state, peace the abnormal state." It's the normal state in an abnormal world. It's a shame we can't return to the world we were wired for. The only thing I'm truely grateful for in modern-society is anesthesia. I'd hate to live without that. But every thing else I could do without, if it also meant doing without genocide and murder and rape etc. A brilliant--I would say necessary--book.

a worthy analysis
Although Fromm seems ignorant of much of the work done by the Jungians and post-Freudians, he brings out a supremely important thesis and develops it well with his extensive research sources: human beings become destructive, not as a basic death drive (Freud) or innate urge toward evil, but because their tendencies toward wholeness and fulfilling important needs become frustrated. This bears reflection, for people can't be evil, as is traditionally taught in the Christianized West, in the same way that dirt is brown... although believing so has salved quite a few consciences and put a good deal of self-inquiry into one's own less spectacular destructiveness asleep.

A MUST READ FOR PSYCH TYPES
The photo of Hitler unable to pull his eyes away from adecaying corpse is alone worth the price of admission. As this was aBook of the Month Club "featured selection" about 25 years ago, Pr. Fromm explores the dark side of humanity, from ego-centrism, to our twisted love of death. Hurtful at times, addressing basal issues most of us would rather deny, this is a truly life-changing volume. Fromm discusses our vanity and obsessions so objectively, we can actually wade through it without getting mad. A Freudian Delight! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This book by a master of the art of psychotherapy
Sheldon Kopp practiced as a true master of the art and technique of psychotherapy. One's own personality is part of the tool bag available to a psychotherapist. Uncertain beginners may be inspired by this book, or they may be a tad intimidated. If you are not ready for this one, try Kopp's earlier "Guru" or "Buddha" books. Come back to this one after you have gained more real experience as a psychotherapist -- that would be a reasonable way to begin to become aware of the work of this impressive figure.

Rigid and outdated psychotherapy method.
This book offers a description of how the author conducts psychotherapy. I hope there aren't many people following his guidelines; they are rigid and off-putting. The therapy situation should be a collaborative effort, not one in which the therapist is all-powerful, all-knowing and over-controlling. If I met my therapist on an elevator and he aknowledged my presence by closing his eyes and concentrating on his breathing, I would not make it all the way to his office. Much better books on psychotherapy are The Heart of Psychotherapy by George Weinberg and On Being a Therapist by Jeffrey Kottler. Read these instead. I'm sending back Back to One.

A must read for all students/practitioners of psychotherapy
I read this book as an assignment during my internship at a mental health counseling center. It examines the relationship between the therapist and client in a way that was not done in any of my coursework. It was very readable, and I would recommend it to any psychotherapy student interested in the dynamics of the relationship between therapists and clients. ... Read more