Creating a Life: Finding Your Individual Path [Paperback]

James Hollis (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Inner City Books (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0919123937
• ISBN-13: 978-0919123939
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Hollis has a private analytic practice and is the executive director of the Jung Educational Center.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jungian concepts as they pertain to mid-life, September 14, 2004

By 

Robert Anderson (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating a Life: Finding Your Individual Path (Paperback)

In this book, Hollis focuses on Jung's concept of Individuation as it relates to the rigorous mid-life transformation of those conscious enough at that juncture in life to actually be interested in plotting a course to spiritual and psychological wholeness.

It should be noted up front that this is not a light, easy-to-read self help book. Although this book is only 160 pages, it is written in a somewhat clinical "voice" and at a fairly high reading level, and consequently reads a lot slower than one would think. I found myself reading only a few pages at a time and frequently re-reading passages to understand his full meaning. If you don't have some prior understanding of Jungian psychology I don't think you will enjoy the book or fully understand what he's saying.

It's also not a "how-to" book per se. The various short chapters discuss concepts and issues related to ones journey to psychological wholeness, such as the need to recognize and work through issues and programming either inherited or projected onto us by our parents. Broad suggestions are given for working with the issues but he doesn't attempt to hold the readers hand through the process and doesn't provide step-by-step instructions.

It's interesting reading, but don't expect the "Idiot's Guide to Individuation".

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard questions & no easy answers, January 6, 2005

By 

William Timothy Lukeman - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating a Life: Finding Your Individual Path (Paperback)

As with his previous books, Hollis offers more than just his considerable knowledge: he draws upon his life experience as a human being, with all of its joys and sorrows, as well as the artistic riches of our finest poets & novelists. This is no simple self-help book, with vague, homogenized talking points & feel-good aphorisms. Hollis makes it clear that some of our most pressing & urgent questions may never be fully answered; but he also makes it clear that even an incomplete journey to wholeness is vital & worth the effort. Yes, his book demands slow, careful reflective reading ... but he's here to offer us some insights about the path ahead, not to hold our hands every step of the way. For of course the path is going to be different for each one of us. If we indeed want to create a life worth living, we have to meet our guides halfway -- something we sometimes forget in a shallow, fast-paced culture which seldom challenges us & spoon-feeds us comforting junk food instead of genuine nourishment.

Highly recommended!

64 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New by James Hollis!, January 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Creating a Life: Finding Your Individual Path (Paperback)

Creating a Life is a powerful commentary on the importance of the examined life, illustrating how we may come to an understanding of our life choices and relationships by exploring our core complexes and personal history.
With insight and compassion grounded in the humanist side of analytical psychology, Hollis elucidates the circuitous way of individuation. The text is deeply enrighed by the inclusion of poetry and excerpts from the works of modern writers (John Fowles, Rilke, D.H. Lawrence, Pascal, Kierkegaard, etc.).