No comments about Journey: From Political Activism to the Work.

No comments about Tributo A Freud/tribute To Freud.

No comments about The Power of the Between: An Anthropological Odyssey.

1 comments about Rudyard Kipling: Library Edition.

1. Kipling’s words give the key to understanding his real, but sadly limited, achievements. He was capable of an extraordinarily sensitive empathy with people, especially with those who did the work of the Empire, the doctors, engineers and administrators. But his political sympathies constrained his emotional sympathies. His love for the Empire was twisted in with a most unintelligent hero-worship of the scoundrels who ran it, and with hatred for those who opposed it.

   His works reflect this ambiguity. Many of his writings are excellent, for instance the Jungle Book, some of his stories and many of his poems. Lycett has presented an amazingly detailed portrait of Kipling’s adopted class and milieu. But he lacks a novelist’s imagination and ease with language; the biography often just lists Kipling’s possessions, travels, guests and friends. In reflection of Kipling, he smothers his finer understandings in a blanket of conventions. We still need Angus Wilson’s fine book, ‘The strange ride of Rudyard Kipling’, to see the full peculiarity of Kipling’s career.

No comments about C.G. Jung: His Friendships With Mary Mellon and J. Bl Priestley.

5 comments about Carl Gustav Jung; A Biography.

1. On the positive side, this book contains a lot of interesting information about Jung especially from a personal point of view. Contemporary accounts are presented and where there are conflicting stories the author at least mentioned all the possibilities. Almost the entire first half of the book deals with Jung's interaction with Freud. It is clear that the author prefers Freud. This is also the section of the book were the author allows himself to subjectively dismiss Jungian ideas. The rest of the book is more neutral in analysis though the picture painted is not an attractive one. But Jung may not have been the most likable person. To me the greatest flaw of the work was that I still did not have an appreciation of what made Jung as popular as he was and still is? The book is readable with some interesting information and views but it cannot be the only biography of Jung you read.



2. This book is an in-depth biography of Carl Gustav Jung, encompassing his private life as well as his scholarly work. It begins with the Jung's ancestors on both his father's and mother's sides, and continues through Jung's death in 1961. McLynn describes Jung's elementary school years, high school, university, and post-graduate training at the Burghoeltzli Mental Hospital. His relationships are treated in great detail, including those with his wife and mistresses, as well as with Freud and other colleagues. Each of his scholarly works is also treated to summary and analysis as it falls into the chronological record of Jung's life. Jung and his contacts left much material behind from which to draw details and anecdotes for this biography, everything from Jung's personal dreams to reactions of notables such as Freud to comments made at dinner parties.
   
   I had very little knowledge of Jung (or Freud) before reading this book, but I feel the book has given me a basic familiarity with the man, and with some of his work. McLynn does a decent job of explaining the complex ideas presented in Jung's scholarly works in a manner that is mostly accessible to those with no training in the field. Nevertheless, he does use some terminology (Jung's?) such as "number one" and "number two" when referring to parts of a single person's personality which remain completely unclear to me.
   
   This is certainly the least sympathetic biography of any person I have ever read. From McLynn's descriptions, Jung was a self-centered bully and polygamist, to just begin a list of his character flaws. From McLynn's account, I thought these aspects of his character were well-known, but when I tried discussing them with psychologist friends, they were disturbed by my repeating such terms, found frequently in the book. Is it because McLynn overplays negative aspects of Jung's personality, or because there are certain generations of American psychologists who continue to deny that Jung was not an unpleasant man? With nothing else to go on besides this book, I have no way to judge the veracity of the claims myself. But to the uninformed reader, the book seems extremely well-researched, and will give an in-depth introduction into the life of one of the most important academic figures of the Twentieth Century.



3. McLynn doesn't like Jung ideas. Not a problem, really, but then why write a book about him? So the book crawls slowly, unhappily amassing all negative gossip about Jung, leaving the reader ( as probably also it did to the writer), miserable, exhausted, untill, at last the book ends, and a sigh of relief is impossible to avoid. Was this really necessary? Was this a paid, imposed job? This is really a pathography, a subgenre of our sick postmodern times, and I hope that these kind of people never go so far as the write a new life of Christ.



4. Exhibits little, if any, understanding of the immensity of Jung's work. Try Wehr's biography instead.



5. Wanting an introductory overview to C. G. Jung and his work, and reading the editorial reviews that Mr. McLynn has presented an objective and clear account of them, I eagerly picked up this biography, but was disappointed to find it a tendentious polemic relentlessly and repetitively attacking Jung (and, by the way, I am not a "Jungian"), dwelling at unnecessary length on the Freud-Jung relationship and insufficiently on Jung's influence as an original thinker of the XXc, and most signally, failing to present any sort of precis of Jung's seminal ideas that would be helpful to the general reader. Don't bother with this one: wait for a better biography, something on the lines of Peter Gay's Freud: a Life for Our Time.

No comments about B.F. Skinner: Benign Anarchist.

5 comments about I Am Not What I Am: A Psychologist's Memoir Notes on Managing Personal Misfortune.

1. Imagine the thrill I felt when, by accident, I came across Tom Linde's book at amazon.com. I knew Tom when he was in high school and have always wanted to know what happened to him. The reader will find this a story of what a noble man has brought to life. He turned a damaged beginning into a well used life, a life that signifies something: a marvelous story of love, inspiration, courage, and intellect.



2. I've known Tom since 1973. The book adds a dimension to our relationship that was missing up to the present. His ability to successfully cope with the devastating "horror" of his circumstance is remarkable. His descriptive articulation of this "horror" is what is very new to me and substantially deepens my value of, respect for, and love of this remarkable man. Tom's debits as a human being are similar to many of us and are neither diminished or aggrandized by his unique circumstance. He is truly human, ornery, cunning, at times devious, and genuine.

   THANKS, TOM, FOR YOUR WONDERFUL STORY!




3. I would have to take issue with Dr. Linde's son who says his dad "is an average person, he just works harder at it". He is an extraordinary person who daily faces monumental challenges to live an ordinary life. He demonstrates an iron will and incredible determination in the face of overwhelming obstacles and maintains a beautiful sense of humor throughout.

   Dr. Linde possesses a brilliant mind, trapped in a seriously disabled body. He has indeed "worked vigorously to establish a discernible, productive social presence" his entire life, often against great odds. I feel such anger when I read about the lack of accessibility which is afforded him in his own community.

   This book answers lots of questions about coping with a serious handicap and is an inspirational journal of Dr. Linde`s life. Praises to his parents and his brother, Dick, who taught him from the beginning that no hurdle was too high and no obstacle to large for him to overcome.

   This book possesses humor, culture, education, inspiration - appealing to a broad variety of readers. I highly recommend it!




4. I'm lucky enough to know Dr. Linde personally, and he is an amazing person. It was interesting to get to read his book and see life through Tom's eyes; to try and understand what it feels like to suffer from such a horrible disease. Tom has overcome his setbacks and propelled farther than many thought he would ever be able to go. Now, through this book, he can teach all of us.
   Read this book. Not only is it a well-written book, but it's important for all "normal" people to try to understand what it may be like to be handicapped. Tom's book does that. It can open your heart and mind.



5. I highly recommend this book by Dr. Linde. It gives the reader a very clear understanding of what it is like to live with cerebral palsy. But more than that, this book is applicable to readers in all situations who have personal misfortune to deal with. The courage, humor, and personal strength shown by the author are an inspiration to all readers, regardless of whether they are dealing with personal infirmities. This book is a must read for special education majors, and could be helpful in occupational therapy training as well. Also a good personal interest book for the general population.

No comments about Around and About Marius Barbeau: Modelling Twentieth-century Culture.

No comments about Compassion And Courage in the Aftermath of Traumatic Loss: Stones in My Heart Forever.