Book Review by Jack Falt
For many of us, reading about Jung is easier than actually reading his own works. This book takes a number of Jung’s significant comments that are easier to digest and combines them with the thoughts and letters of others as well as the author’s own commentary.
Most biographies of Jung have very few pictures, and if they do, they usually are grouped in one section. Having the pictures along with the text helps in the understanding of the text. There are a number of pictures of Jung and his family, many that I had not seen before. Also, many of the painting are done by Jung himself, and these illustrate Jung’s thoughts and emotions that he was having at the time. The author has also skilfully found works by other artists that illustrate what Jung was going through at the time or that illustrate his theories.
Although the format may be somewhat easier for some to read, it delves into Jung’s life extensively. When you finish reading, you feel that you know Jung as a real person. Yet, at the same time you experience someone who has untold depth that is beyond the confines of a book.
Jung’s theories arose from the experiences he was having in his own life. He was able to let himself totally live through what was happening to him and at the same time analyse it and include it into an overall concept of the mind. Jung was very honest with himself, and in his writing he does not try to present a sanitized version of himself. Rather, he used his own limitations to understand the dynamics within the individual as well as within relationships. Judged by today’s professional standards much of Jung’s behaviour would be held in question. But he lived his life to the fullest and our own lives have been enriched by the understanding that Jung gave to us.
As a child Jung grew up in a home that was rather unusual. His father was a protestant minister that felt himself a failure and a mother with psychic abilities. Neither of them really understood their son. Jung himself was a “different” child and he spent the rest of his life trying to figure out who he was and what his purpose in life was. Overall, Jung had a successful life but it had many ups and downs. As a psychiatrist, he had a true compassion for his patients, and he had extraordinary intuitive skills that he used to help many of them. Even though developing a theory of the mind was an ongoing quest for Jung, he was known for his ability to focus totally on his patients as he was working with them.
During his lifetime, Jung had many admirers, but he also had many detractors. It is only recently that the contribution Jung made to psychology is being understood. People using Jung/Myers theory as the basis of their work will find that a study of Jung’s life, if not his works, will greatly enrich their understanding of the theoretical basis of the MBTI® instrument or similar instruments.