This is a biography of Carl Jung (1875-1961), but so much more than that. It traces his life and professional development, drawing on letters and extensive quotes from the Collected Works. It is profusely illustrated, not only with photographs of Jung and the relevant people and places in his life, but also with his drawings. After Jung's break with Freud in the early 1910's, Jung went through a about a decade of professional isolation and rich personal growth. During that time, he kept a journal called the "Red Book", which he decorated with drawing and paintings based on his dreams and active imagination. Many striking images from the Red Book are reproduced in this volume: a drawing of Philemon, Jung's inner spiritual guide; the viscerally disquieting "Meeting with the Shadow"; and a singularly captivating image, "The Light at the Heart of Darkness". Photos of Jung in his travels and at his house in Bollingen round out this engaging visual tour of Jung's contribution. This is a wonderful introduction to Jung's life and work, especially for someone of an artistic inclination.

A very fine collection...with plenty of glimpses at Jung's trans-analytic speculations and personal reactions. Soulful and, in places, very funny too.

This book is primarily for seekers of personal spiritual growth, a veritable treasure-trove of insights into the workings of the psyche, with an especially helpful subsection titled The Secret of Simplicity, for those of us who do not know how to "keep it simple."

Read along exploring the mind and spirit of this century's (and possibly the next) deepest thinker as he takes you on a reflective journey through his inner and outer lives. A wonderful book to bring us back to our grounding in the spirit. Jung not only speaks of but lives out the archetypal truths of mankind. His description and recounting of his discovery of the Biblical "stone the builders left untaken" which he had his builders use as the cornerstone of his castle is an inspiring revelation of a turning point in his life and beliefs from this most eastern of western philosophers. One comes away from the book with a fulfilling sense of wholeness that remains a part of the heart. It is a book to buy, read, and reread at different times throughout life

This is to me the most important book I have ever read in my entire life so far. It has been my companion book for over 25 years now. The first time I read this book was a Brazilian 1975 Edition. A memorable translation. I did the mistake of lending it to someone else and I have never had it back. Then, three years ago, I found that Brazilian Edition and I bought it. I read it over and over, particularly when I needed someone to teach me something really important to my life. Then, I decided to taste the English (American) Translation. I bought this one. I wasn't disappointed. The translation seems to be very carefully done. But although it is a good edition it misses few paragraphs and letters if compared to the Brazilian edition I have. Was this English translation "censored" in any sense ? I doubt that. I simply think the translator just "missed" some pages of the original (in German) edition. I hope one day I will be able and have the opportunity to read the original in German to find out what Jung really meant by writing this monumental book.

Oh, by the way, I have never read any of Jung's "scientific" books. This is by far everything I had to have to face Life and people and myself confidently. Jung is by far the wisest soul of the 20th Century.

By all means, buy this book and read it! You will understand what Life is all about. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, everyone talks about Jung (especially since the New Age laid claim to him) but no one ever reads him. If you want to know what the fuss is about without slogging through the 20-volume collected works, read this lovely, short, simple and important book. Jung talks about his astonishing life and experiences (including dreams, visions, hauntings and other aspects usually talked about obscurely and mystically if at all) as simply and honestly as if he were sitting in your living room smoking his pipe.