Customer Reviews

Care of the Soul

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

As a person who has read scores of books about spirituality and metaphysics, this is the most influential and refreshing I've read in 20 years. "Care of the Soul" is a beautifully written book about simple living and high thinking. The quality thoughts expressed in this book are worthy of being re-read throughout one's life. Thomas Moore has made a stark departure from the metaphysical and New Age movement with a book that is, quite simply, a guide for soulful living. Moore doesn't talk about karma, reincarnation, salvation, gurus or higher plains of consciousness. He doesn't become entangle with his own ego nor does he reiterate the conventional wisdom so many books of this genre parrot. On the contrary, this book challenges convention at every turn. "Care of the Soul" is about the here and now, the importance of mythology, ritual, imagination and beauty. It's about finding ritual and sacredness in our everyday routines. It deals with subjects ranging from family relationships, jealousy and earning a living to depression, aging and dying. Yet, Moore doesn't offer trite or handy answers or techniques for solving problems or smoothing the human experience. The human experience, with all its agonies, is not something to be circumvented, in Moore's view. And it's not something subject to overnight transformation. Rather, the human experience is a process to be embraced and made whole. I thoroughly disagree with an earlier review that called this a "simple" book best read by people 18 to 28 years old. Very few people of that age bracket would have the frame of reference or wisdom necessary to fully mine and understand the concepts and imagery Moore deals with. Buy this book and read it. You will cherish it and pass it along to the people you care about.

I agree wholeheartedly with Thomas Moore's assertion that "loss of soul" is a major problem facing us today. People who are cut off from soulful family and friendship may find themselves in a cultural void, a barren world where problems are solved with pills and the media replaces real community. We have lost ourselves in the chaotic din and senseless rush. We are more sophisticated than ever, yet we remain unsatisfied. Do we know what will really satisfy us? Can we be still and take an honest look at ourselves? Are we making the best use of the one short life that has been given us?
If you recognise these questions, then 'Care of the Soul' might help you begin to answer them. Moore has a sense of the sanctity of human life, he urges us to see each life as precious and has respect for what each individual presents, however unpleasant it may seem. Every story and pathology is meaningful and can reveal truths about not just the individual but also about their family and society. When I first read the book I was most impressed by the chapter on narcissism, which remains the most authoratative account of self-love I have read. We are used to hearing that we must love ourselves before we can truly love another, but do we really know how? Moore correctly interprets the story of Narcissus not simply as an example of the symptom of narcissism, which is how it is often misinterpreted, but as the myth of true self-love, and he tells it with the insight you might expect from a therapist. This alone was a revelation and changed my life. I wonder if when Narcissus recognises himself he is experiencing the well~known 'Thou Art That' of Indian philosophy.Other key themes such as jealousy, power and depression are explored also.
A previous reviewer wrote that Moore thinks we should not change. I think this is a misrepresentation. Change is an inevitable part of life and cannot be avoided. But the feeling that we need to be someone different is a rejection of ourselves. I think we have to accept our past before we can be free of it, then change occurs naturally, out of stillness and reflection. Other reviewers have discussed what age range this is suitable for, Moore himself says that it is never too early or too late to begin caring for the soul. I read it in my early twenties and wish I had read it sooner, I know people who are much older and would still benefit from it`s message.
This book is the best introduction to spiritual life I have read and I feel grateful for it almost every day.
Thankyou Mr. Moore!

In a time when the communications in writing and on the radio and television waves all appear to be proclaiming Armageddon, when crime is mounting not only in the terrorist activities throughout the globe but also on our hometown sidewalks, streets, neighborhoods and schools, and when lasting relationships and friendships seem to be taking on the semblance of extinction - in these perilous and sad times Thomas Moore's CARE OF THE SOUL glows with particular meaning. In this wondrously simple book Moore reacquaints us with the self and the sacredness of our individual being (or soul). He encourages us to be introspective, find the core of our being, honor the beauty of our uniqueness, love our human frailty, and in doing so we can grow to be a whole person, capable of loving our self and extending that love to all of mankind. Does that sound banal in the year 2002? Well, perhaps that is our universal failing. Would that we could broadcast this book's message in place of all the media blitz of war and death and terror and gloom! And perhaps if we individually read and absorb Moore's thoughtful teachings then the sharing of this new self respect could alter the course of current events. A beautifully written, incredibly valuable book, and a worthy gift to ones you love!

Care of the Soul contains exactly what is missing in psychology/counseling/psychotherapy; soul.

Most of the counseling books I have had to read have been about as rich and as captivating as a Chilton's car repair manual. Sometimes I feel that as counselors, we are out own worst enemy.

Like a previous reviewer noted, this book is all about mystery, paradox, wonder, and living authentically and mindfully. This is the type of book that you have to let speak to you, as opposed to reading it and trying to figure out what the author is talking about, which is how most people, undoubtedly, have read this book. To do so destroys the magic of the soul.

Early on in the book Moore establishes that in order to cultivate depth, sacredness, truth,simplicity, profundity, and reality in our inner lives, we must become curators of our own soul; he traces the etymology of the word "care," in a way that sets the tone for the rest of the book. Get this right away, and the book will be a life transforming experience. Read it intellectually like most people read psychology/counseling/and psychotherapy books, and Care of the Soul will just seem like a lot of "new age" ..., which it is definately not.

I have to admit, I was hoping to find a simple and concise definition of the soul in the first few pages. Sigh, it's not there.

What I did find is a vague and complex description which lasts the entire book. I'm come to appreciate this approach though. I believe it is consistent with the nature of the soul. At least, what I've come to understand the soul to be. A machine might produce a simple guide to the soul but a machine has no soul. It is very human, and soulful, for the author to struggle and explore. This book is both a guide to the soul and an example of the author's well developed soul.

I've read very few books in my life. So when I started this book I was cautious. I don't want to be misled or waste my time. This book required a lot of concentration but it was worth it. I used this book to help me deal with a new job in a large corporation.

Even before I had this book I complained that my new work environment was a soul robbing hell hole. I used the term "soul robbing" but I really didn't understand what that meant. This book helped me see how robot-like attention to procedures, treating people like cogs in a machine and being devoted to one "right" way all violate the nature of the soul. I have the same job now but I compensate. I may not change the company but I can at least hold on to my soul.

This book also confirmed some of my own thoughts about what's important. I used to tell yoga teachers that I come to class mostly just to learn how to be a kid again. I was partly serious and partly joking. Now, after reading this book, I'm more convinced than ever that being a kid is the right direction. A lot of what the author values in soul work (wonder, curiosity, patience, honesty, simplicity, vulnerability, appreciation, action, vision and love) seem natural for the type of kid I want to be. I'm relieved that I don't have to create a soul from scratch. Hopefully it's just a matter of reclaiming the soul I started out with.

This book is full of interpretations. Of dreams, myths and poetry. So I think the author would be sorely disappointed in me if I didn't look deeper for what's behind this book. Here goes... This book is about the soul but it was written for love. I believe Thomas Moore wrote this book as an expression of his love for a woman. Her name is Joan Hanley. And I would give anything to know how this book affected their relationship. I know, many who have read this book will think I'm crazy but, I swear, I found this in the pages.

Read this book and you'll be able to tell all your spiritual friends that you've got soul. Study this book, pour over it and read it like you're going to teach it and you'll understand we all have soul. But don't stop there. Read it and be open to the possibilities why one man would pour so much energy into such a tenuous subject. Read it and wonder.

Thomas Moore, a Jungian psychologist and former monk, elaborates a theory of spiritual hygine, a way to provide for the nurturance of the soul. Frequently drawing on the now-unfamiliar metaphors of the Renaissance alchemists and on the writings of Carl Jung and other turn-of-the-century writers, Moore illustrates how the soul is interconnected with all aspects of our life and health. He lends key insight into the symbolism of the soul, the ways in which the soul manifests its many aspects.

Moore considers mostly a particular facet of personal spirituality - the need of each person to spend time nurturing his or her spirituality in everyday life (outside of the church or synagogue). This, he explains, one accomplishes through self-reflection and self-awareness. Over time, one comes to understand the language with which one's soul communicates back to the conscious self.

Though he himself spent twelve years living as a Roman Catholic monastic, Moore does not pitch the book's message to a particular religious tradition (in fact, others have done a better job of just that). A modest familiarity with Greek and Roman mythology is all one might require to gain the most from this book and Moore's main thesis.

The book is best digested slowly. The strongly reflective nature of the work the book describes indicates that readers will gain the most from the book when they couple their reading with frequent pauses to assimilate the way in which the text gives meaning to them. Very likely, the book would be most appropriate as a part of a larger program of spiritual development, as the material in Moore's book will doubless resonate with that of other texts. The reader is advised to be patient and consider carefully how Moore's message interrelates with others' messages.

I am not a well read reader or some high i.q. person. I have had to work at raising my literary level and it does not always come easy. I, like so many others I am willing to bet, were first drawn to Moore by his subtitle: Soul Mates. The Cover and the title look good on my book shelf and the concept applies but,I was not even closely impressed with Moore's Literary capabilities and the depth of his own soul, as in, Care of the soul.
This book validated everything I already knew but until reading this volume was unable to vocalize. Moore reminds us and enlightens us to what so many of us ......I say us,Americans have already known for so long.
We have been and are being sold out. Maybe we sold ourselves out. Industrialization. Disposable housing, disposable furniture, disposable cars. We are loosing our craftsmanship in this nation our soul. I would suggest for anyone interested in this work to visit a couple of flea markets or an antique malls just as a warm up to understand how enlightened and very well versed Moore is in this area.
I have absorbed this book 3 times to date and every time in his gifted way he feeds my soul conjuring up remebrances of my Great Grandparents and how even cooking was spiritual and a creation of a meal. No Microwaves, No Frozen dinners. I highly recommend this body of work. Especially for anybody interested in how to live more soulfully and stop buying into to the fabricated thunderdome we are living in. I currently have a volume of The Dark Night of The Soul what I believe to be his latest work. I have not completed that piece to date.
If I had to recomend a top 5 list.....Care of the soul would be a life changer or if not a changer at least an eye opener to what I want to change.(yes it would be in my top five)
Laugh if you want guys:Moore really does it for me.:)
Wake Up America.....Moore has his place in the overhaul
Senate our country so desperately needs to put our Nation back to where it belongs. I give him my vote for competence and skill in communicating that need to others.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in making their live more meaningful and purposeful. My fiance and I have been reading this book together and discussing it for several months. I have found it to be one of the most profound books I ever read; one worth reading slowly and savoring. Moore's ideas about creating sacred places and meaningful rituals in the midst of our increasingly secular and materialistic culture have been life-changing. His message that the path to developing depth (soulfulness) is not to reject one's preceived faults and weaknessess but rather to embrace them as unique and critical aspects of one's self has been a wonderful alternative to the "fake it 'till you make it" spirituality of my upbringing.

I have to smile at some of the negative reviews of Thomas Moore's book, especially the ones by Ph.D.'s who don't think there are enough footnotes . It's hard for me to understand those who found no more than psycho-babble here, or need the "proof" of academic references to entertain Moore's insights. As a person who did "lose her soul," for a dark while, what I found here echoed both the loss and the regaining with an impact like little else I've ever read. No, I don't agree with everything Moore says, and some of it I even fight against, but I've found that I've kept the book available for musing over since its publication, and each time I pick it up, I find new insights and ways to view his words in relation to my life. I don't know what more one could ask of a book or any work of art.

We already know that it is possible to "feed" the brain as well as the body. Moore explains why and how it is also possible to "feed" the soul. For me, that is the core concept in his book. He sees this book as a "fiction" of self-help because "no one can tell you how to live your life. No one knows the secrets of the heart sufficiently to tell others all about them authoritatively." Hence Moore's focus on the care of the soul which, if sufficient to the soul's needs, enables us to achieve spiritual health at a time when "the mind is separated from body and spirituality is at odds with materialism." In Part IV, he shifts his and his reader's attention to "Care of the World's Soul," an obligation which the world's great religions require of those who profess to be devout Muslims, Jews, or Buddhists as well as Christians. This book will not be of substantial value to everyone because many people are unwilling and/or unable to absorb and then digest what may seem to them to be a simplistic invitation: To feed the soul with at least as much care as they now feed their minds and/or their bodies. Nonetheless, I hope at least a few of them allow Moore the full opportunity to share what he offers by reading his book with an open mind.