- Paperback: 147 pages
- Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks; 5th Impression edition (1 Mar 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0192876864
- ISBN-13: 978-0192876867
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 1.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 834,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
Jung: A Very Short Introduction
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
|
There is a newer edition of this item:
|
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Part of the "Past Masters" series, this book provides a concise introduction to the basic concepts of analytical psychology revealing how they arose directly from the life and personality of their originator, Carl Gustav Jung. Anthony Stevens is the author of "Archetypes: A Natural History of the Self", "The Roots of War", "On Jung" and "The Two Million-Year-Old Self".
About the Author
Anthony Stevens is a distinguished Jungian analyst, psychiatrist, and writer on Jungian themes. He is a graduate of Oxford University and in addition to his DM has two degrees in psychology. His other books include Archetype: A Natural History of the Self (1982), The Roots of War (1989), On Jung (1990), The Two-Million-Year-Old Self (1993), and Private Myths: Dreams and Dreaming (1995).
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
Jung was a man of paradox. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Jung was a man of paradox. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
... so says the author, Anthony Stevens, about our man Jung; psychiatrist, psychotherapist, cultural critic and part-time guru.
Now this Very Short Introduction is divided into eight sizeable chapters, which include a beefy biography, a run-down of Jung's most prominent theories, their relation to therapeutic involvement, and then some tailings on how Jung's legacy stands today. The biographical detail in the first chapter is pretty full, which given the complexity of Jung's upbringing and adult life is pretty handy, though presumably the following quote, "In my life No.2 has been of prime importance, and I've always tried to make room for anything that wanted to come from within", has been included for its comedy value alone.
In comparison to the VSI to Freud, Jung has less of a tangible narrative, and although his own work is known for its obscurity, perhaps breaking down the chapters further to make them lighter and easier to reflect upon would have helped. But, chewing through the chapters on Archetypes, the Stages of Life, and Psychological Types does give you a basic sense of the major texts, which Stevens sums up as Jung's "attempt to compensate for his sense of personal oddity and isolation."
I'm a big fan of Jung, certainly of his requirement for Individuation through meditative reflection and self-exploration, and the best thing to be said for this volume is how well it contrasts him as an individual against the prevalent cultural and academic trends of his time; as part Western academic, part Eastern mystic. It's a reasonable summary, but I'd say if you want a real sense of the man and his perspective before delving into the deeper stuff, give `The Undiscovered Self' a read first.
Now this Very Short Introduction is divided into eight sizeable chapters, which include a beefy biography, a run-down of Jung's most prominent theories, their relation to therapeutic involvement, and then some tailings on how Jung's legacy stands today. The biographical detail in the first chapter is pretty full, which given the complexity of Jung's upbringing and adult life is pretty handy, though presumably the following quote, "In my life No.2 has been of prime importance, and I've always tried to make room for anything that wanted to come from within", has been included for its comedy value alone.
In comparison to the VSI to Freud, Jung has less of a tangible narrative, and although his own work is known for its obscurity, perhaps breaking down the chapters further to make them lighter and easier to reflect upon would have helped. But, chewing through the chapters on Archetypes, the Stages of Life, and Psychological Types does give you a basic sense of the major texts, which Stevens sums up as Jung's "attempt to compensate for his sense of personal oddity and isolation."
I'm a big fan of Jung, certainly of his requirement for Individuation through meditative reflection and self-exploration, and the best thing to be said for this volume is how well it contrasts him as an individual against the prevalent cultural and academic trends of his time; as part Western academic, part Eastern mystic. It's a reasonable summary, but I'd say if you want a real sense of the man and his perspective before delving into the deeper stuff, give `The Undiscovered Self' a read first.
53 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Anthony Stevens' Very Short Introduction is a must for everybody who is interested in the life and work of Carl G. Jung and psychoanalysis and psychodynamic theory in general. With this little book, Stevens deals with the most simple aspects of Jungs insights (such as the collective unconscious, archetypes, complexes...) as well as explaining the more difficult sides, such as alchemy, eastern philosophy, and the much overlooked relationship between Jungs psychology and the ideas of some new disciplines like Evolutionary Psychology and Lorenz' Ethology. A big thumbs up for Stevens: Jung was indeed a brilliant thinker, but far from an excellent writer...
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This superb little book is the perfect introduction/overview to the life and work of Jung. It is eminently accessible and doesn't presuppose any prior knowledge on the reader's part, yet it avoids both oversimplification and confusion. It begins by tracing the development of Jung's ideas in the context of his life and then moves on to examine the major themes such as archetypes and personality types, and Jung's approach to dreams and to therapy. In each instance, the author skilfully places Jung's work within the thinking of his time, including (but by no means limiting himself to) abundant comparisons and contrasts with the work of Freud, and then goes on to examine the validity and relevance of Jung's work today. Stevens doesn't ignore Jung's interest in for example alchemy or mysticism but rather relates these interests to Jung's overall perspective, thus revealing their ultimately practical applications while giving the reader a vivid picture of Jung's world-view. The author finishes by outlining the arguments of Jung's critics and responding to them. The definitive introduction, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
simply superb and out of series
The small books of the series "Very short introduction" are in general good, but forceful irregular, as irregular are his very varied themes: some are more easy to compress than... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Carlos Vazquez Quintana
An excellent introduction
This is an excellent introduction to the often-impenetrable world of Jungian Analytical Psychology. Basic concepts and context are very clearly explained, but with more detail than... Read more
Published 2 months ago by D. Kohler
Simply a great intro to a great man
I have studied various works by Jung and, as most of us have, had heard many concepts and quotes attributed to him. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Pad de Braye
Both illuminating and intriguing
An excellent introduction to Jung's life and work. Makes a great companion volume to Jung's autobiographical Memories, Dreams, Reflections (Flamingo) as it covers most of its... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Nom de Plume
Concise and readable
I bought this book as I had to give a short talk on Jung to a community group. Having waded through a lot of dense stuff on the internet I decided to buy this excellent summary of... Read more
Published 13 months ago by pego'myheart
All you need to know
I am studying hypnotherapy and found this book concise, interesting and informative. It is easy to read and covers all of Jung's main concepts and psychotherapeutic approaches, as... Read more
Published 13 months ago by SB
Excellent read !!
Jung: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) I cannot give these handbooks enough credit. I ordered this and 'Freud' too. Read more
Published 14 months ago by lynne
Excellent short introduction
This book did just what it said and provided a simple and accessible start to what is clearly a complex theory about the human psyche. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Scribe
essential for the layman
As a layman; understanding Jung is proving to be a very elusive ambition. The academic has the advantage of a lecturer to explain difficult bits; the layman has to figure it out... Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2010 by Mr. J. Hudson
Book review
Book received very promptly in excellent condition. Very satisfied with transaction and would recommend seller :)
Published on 12 Jan 2010 by Declan Smith
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > Social & Urban History
- Books > Biography > Medical, Legal & Social Sciences > Philosophy
- Books > Biography > Medical, Legal & Social Sciences > Psychology
- Books > Business, Finance & Law > Law
- Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Medical & Healthcare Practitioners > Other Branches of Medicine > Psychiatry
- Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Psychology & Psychiatry > Applied Psychology > Psychotherapy
- Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Psychology & Psychiatry > History & Philosophy > Philosophy
- Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Psychology & Psychiatry > Schools of Thought > Jung, Carl
- Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Psychology & Psychiatry > Schools of Thought > Psychoanalysis > Theory
- Books > Science & Nature > Medicine > Medical Sciences A-Z > Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
- Books > Science & Nature > Medicine > Medical Sciences A-Z > Psychotherapy & Clinical Psychology
- Books > Scientific, Technical & Medical
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Cultural Studies > History of Ideas
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
