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Please use the "Contact Us" link at left to email us your submissions, and/or suggestions for titles to augment our library. Bair, Deirdre. Jung: A Biography This book is probably the most factual of all Jung biographies published to date. A reader of Jung's works cannot meet him easily through his publications because the weight of his original ideas overshadows his personality. Here, the roles are reversed; the professional side recedes into the background while his personality comes to life.
To say that the course of his life was exciting would be an understatement. It looked more like the path of a hurricane. His works and family life form the quiet centre; everything else swirls about it in relentless turbulence. One only wonders how a human being could withstand it all without a serious health breakdown.
The book is substantial. It offers unedited archival evidence in the form of quotations in addition to Bair's accompanying text. And there is a lot of it: over eight hundred pages. The reading moves slowly at first due to unfamiliarity with names and places. When this is overcome the reading and comprehension improve to a point where the book grips the reader's full attention. Some chapters are even worth rereading for better retention of details. The book offers a fascinating glimpse at Jung's long and productive life and the full meaning of the term "Individuation process." It is recommended reading for anyone interested in Jung's life.
Bolen, Jean Shinoda. Crossing to Avalon This wonderful personal account of Bolen's individuation journey makes for a delightful read. The main theme is her discovery of the Self which had been dormant in her upbringing, education, professional career and family life. The emergence of the Self seems to be tied synchronistically to major events in her life when the only route left open for her is the one ushering a new, radically different consciousness into her life.
Her training as a Jungian analyst is evident in her ability to describe and connect events in the outer world with images in her psyche. She guides the reader on a journey of self-discovery along connections previously unnoticed. Written in a compact but easy to read style, the book is delightful reading for anyone looking for personal growth in a positive, meaningful way.
Bolen, Jean Shinoda. Gods in Everyman In this remarkable book, Bolen focuses in on the archetypes, the gods of our inner space. Preserved for us for over three thousand years through Greek mythology, these ancient gods provide us, even today, with a bridge to the inner world. Bolen's excellent interpretation and her clear writing style help the reader cross over to the mindset of the ancient Greeks and to re-interpret the meaning of these strange stories in modern psychological terms (which would not be an easy task otherwise). The connection this book offers between ancient wisdom and modern self-knowledge makes it worth reading and rereading. It is an excellent guide for anyone interested in self-knowledge and inner growth.
Buckland, Clare M. Always Becoming: An Autobiography A story of hope and encouragement regarding the older years. Committed to personal growth, Buckland’s autobiography traces her growing ability to listen to Self and honour its guidance despite society’s messages and her increasing age.
Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth (6 VHS tapes) Bill Moyer interviews Joseph Campbell, resulting in stimulating discussions about mythology and our need for it. Inspiring, revealing and fascinating use of images and stories.
Chinen, A.B. Waking the World: Classic Tales of Women and the Heroic Feminine A collection of stories about women from around the world, told and interpreted by a man. Presents a vigorous femininity that is up to a lively dance with the Masculine.
De Castillejo, Irene C. Knowing Woman: A Feminine Psychology Concerned with the experience of women in a culture dominated by masculine values, this book discusses women’s roles in relation to work, friends, children and lovers. Looks at the issues of aging, self-determination, abortion, and the animus as friend or foe. Written by an analyst who studied with Emma Jung and Toni Wolff.
Estes, Clarissa Pinkola. Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype A gathering of tales about women with a commentary that reveals the female psyche in feminine language. A book for either gender, since the wild woman resides in everyone. It’s a circumambulating read.
Gardner, Robert L. The Rainbow Serpent A look at one primitive culture’s relationship to their creation myth. Though not directly addressed, the book helped me understand differentiation from archetypes, what it means and why it’s necessary.
Harding, M. Esther. A Discussion of the Symbolic Meaning of the Cross This booklet is one person’s summary of Harding’s talk and lacks the depth and richness of her insights. A quick read that contains some valuable points. (It created an appreciation for our modern technological abilities to capture and record with relative ease.)
Harding, M. Esther. The “I” and the “not-I”: A Study in the Development of Consciousness A plea for the development of consciousness as an ethical task. Makes a well-thought-out argument about the existence of metaphysical reality. Diagrams illustrate the structure of the psyche. Though written in the somewhat wordy style of the sixties, clearing thinking is evident.
Harding, M. Esther. The Way of All Women An argument for relatedness that looks behind many psychological truths and reveals why humanity needs to relate to each other and the world through feelings. Examples show how to do this. A book of depth.
Harding, M. Esther. Woman’s Mysteries, Ancient and Modern A rich interpretation of the feminine principle through the symbolism of the moon in myth and dreams. Makes a case for the present-day necessity of individual psychological initiation into emotional life.
Hollis, James. The Eden Project A practical, revealing look at intimate relationships in layman’s terms. Calls for individual growth rather than seeking rescue from others.
Hollis, James. Creating a Life: Finding Your Individual Path A hopeful book for midlife. Invites us to review our life and enlarge our soul through uncovering and relating to our own myths.
Hollis, James. The Middle Passage: From Misery to Meaning in Midlife Treats complex concepts in an easily understood manner that helps us apply them to our lives, reveals where we’re at and why, offers guidance for conscious transformation and hope for more meaningful living as we enter the second half of life. An excellent read.
Hollis, James. Tracking the Gods: The Place of Myth in Modern Life Hollis opens up the daunting and inspiring topic of archetypes in a clear and readable style. This book evokes reverence, a yearning for relationship with the energies of the gods, and the courage to keep on keeping on in spite of the conflicted nature of being human.
Johnson, Robert A. Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth A useful, hands-on book for relating to your dreams. Divided into two sections, you can refer back for practical guidelines in working with your own dreams, or in extending your dreamwork through active imagination.
Johnson, Robert A. She: Understanding Feminine Psychology A concise examination of the Psyche and Eros myth as it applies to a woman’s necessary tasks in becoming psychologically complete both in her femininity and in relating to the masculine components of her psyche.
Jung, C.G. Modern Man in Search of a Soul Humility, creative thinking and clarity mark Jung’s examination of dream analysis, religion, the collective unconscious and the dilemma of today’s human being. He devotes a chapter to how his thought differs from Freud and Adler.
Jung, C.G. The Wisdom of the Dream (3 VHS tapes) A wonderful overview of Jung’s life and thought; sensitively done with footage of Bolingen and other places in Jung’s life.
Jung, Emma. Animus and Anima: Two Essays Articulate, astute and intelligent formulation of these two archetypes. The reader catches a glimpse of Carl Jung’s wife as a person while being guided through the maze of an often-bewildering topic.
Murdock, Maureen. The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness Offers a map for contemporary women who wish to experience a sense of completeness, of partnership and equality with the masculine principle and inner connection with the feminine. It shows how a woman’s conscious development can transform both her individual self and contribute to cultural change.
Paris, Ginette. Pagan Meditations: Aphrodite, Hestia, Artemis Beautifully written book presents a case for adding the civilizing effects of the goddesses to our cultural embracement of the civilizing effects of the gods. Dives deep into the archetypal power of three goddesses, revealing both the error of excluding them from our consciousness and the value of embracing their influences.
Perera, Sylvia Brinton. Descent to the Goddess Presents the need for women to descend into the depths of themselves in order to attain an inner female authority that can survive in our masculine-oriented world. Based on the story of Inanna’s journey to see Ereshkigal.
Sharp, Daryl. Jungian Psychology Unplugged A useful and clear overview of the basic concepts of Jungian thought, and their application.
Ulanov, Ann Belford. The Feminine in Jungian Psychology and Christian Theology Beautiful piece of scholarship bridging two schools of thought. Through exploring the Jungian view of the feminine principle, Ulanov proposes a place for and function of the feminine in Christian theology.
Woodman, Marion. Addiction to Perfection Reveals the damage that a focus on perfection can render to men and women in today’s Western world. A clear statement about what the feminine principle is about, why it’s necessary to a healthy life and how it can be reached in our own psyches. A spiralling presentation, I found that I understood things more and more clearly as the book unfolded.
Woodman, Marion. Bone: Dying to Life A personal narrative of Woodman’s experience with cancer, this book lets us into her personal life, revealing how she works with her own dreams, lives with her fears and relates to divine wisdom. A warm and engaging read.
Woodman, Marion. Conscious Femininity A book of earlier interviews with Woodman, this collection shows her evolution of thought and covers a wide range of topics. A good introduction to Woodman as well as a valuable read for those already familiar with her. Woodman’s passion for life, for people and for transformation shines through.
Woodman, Marion. Leaving My Father’s House: A Journey to Conscious Femininity Written in partnership with three of her analysands, this book is different from most of Woodman’s books: less linear, less scholarly, more feminine. The personal journeys of the analysands are used to illuminate one fairy tale that weaves throughout the book.
Woodman, Marion. The Owl Was the Baker’s Daughter: Obesity, Anorexia, and the Repressed Feminine This is Marion Woodman’s thesis from her training as an analyst, and was published in the first year of Inner City Books’ existence. Written in an academic style, it offers numerous insights into the deep issues underlying eating disorders. A fascinating study of the repressed feminine in the lives of modern women.
Woodman, Marion. The Pregnant Virgin: A Process of Psychological Transformation Written with a thinking heart, this book restores the concept of virgin to its original meaning. Groundbreaking work on the nature of the feminine in both men and women.
Woodman, Marion. The Ravaged Bridegroom Explores the psychological impact of patriarchy on relationships, including a woman’s relationship with the inner masculine.
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