Crones Don't Whine: Concentrated Wisdom for Juicy Women [Hardcover]

Jean Shinoda Bolen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003

In her latest book, Crones Don't Whine, Jean Shinoda Bolen's playful sense of humour and keen insight combine to offer women thirteen qualities to cultivate. Engage in these small practises and you're bound to be a happier person, who's doing her bit to make the world just a little better. Here are thirteen brief essays to turn to again and again, in bad times and good, alone and with others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bolen, a psychiatrist and professor at the University of California Medical School, believes that women need to stand up for their rights, wants and desires and can't afford to be complainers or whiners. Explains Bolen, the author of The Millionth Circle and Goddesses in Older Women, "To be involved and engaged in life is a juicy proposition. Every juicy crone taps into a wellspring or a deep aquifer of meaning in her psyche." They are, according to Bolen, smart, compassionate, courageous and humorous. In these brief essays, she offers commonsense wisdom, calling on women to empower themselves, but also to fight against any emotional demons or problems they have. For example, in discussing women who have been abused or otherwise have some secret from their past that they're ashamed of, she writes, "At some point in their lives, most remember fearing that this truth would become known. Crones, however, also recall when and with whom they broke this taboo of silence as the beginning of feeling whole. To speak the truth is to be able to say, this is who I am." Fans of Bolen's quirky, spiritual tone will find these words comforting. However, much of the text discusses why women need to be juicy crones without offering much practical advice to improve one's life.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D. is a psychiatrist, Jungian analyst in private practice, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California Medical Center, and an internationally known lecturer. She is the author of many books including Crones Don?t Whine and The Millionth Circle, which was published in 1999 and spawned a whole new way for women to become activists from their local circle.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 116 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press; First Edition edition (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573249122
• ISBN-13: 978-1573249126
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jean Shinoda Bolen, M. D, is a psychiatrist, Jungian analyst, author and activist. an internationally known speaker who draws from spiritual, feminist, Jungian, medical and personal wellsprings of experience. She is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, UCSF clinical professor, and a former board member of the Ms. Foundation for Women.
Jean's website is www.jeanbolen.com. Lecture and workshops under "Current schedule."
She is the author of The Tao of Psychology, Goddesses in Everywoman, Gods in Everyman, Ring of Power, Crossing to Avalon, Close to the Bone, The Millionth Circle, Goddesses in Older Women, Crones Don't Whine and Urgent Message from Mother. Her books have been translated into over thiry foreign editions. All are in Spanish. She is a leading advocate for a UN 5th world conference on women (www.5wcw.org)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

106 of 109 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right on the Money - A Wonderful Look at Crones, December 19, 2003

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crones Don't Whine: Concentrated Wisdom for Juicy Women (Hardcover)

A refreshing look at Crones is offered in this book. Ms. Bolen presents us with her "Thirteen Qualities of a Crone" and the view is practical and humorous as well as insightful.

For those who are not familiar with Dr. Bolen, she is a psychiatrist, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco and has a very impressive list of memberships and associations. While this may seem rather dry, her book is far from that.

She is sharp witted, not afraid to call things as she sees it, and provides a plethora of wisdoms which she has acquired in her many years of practice and experience.

Ms. Bolen has a grasp on what constitutes a Crone. Her definitions are `on the money'. She states up front that the qualities she discusses in her book are not achieved over night nor are you automatically given these qualities once you pass menopause. These are qualities that must be developed and nurtured. And they are useful qualities that can be achieved by anyone willing to take on the task.

This book is just full of little pearls of wisdom that can be chewed on, muddled over and taken to heart. The qualities expressed here reflect the modern day approach of women who want to grow older gracefully and want to express their freedom and celebrate their life.

But while these principals are wonderful and full of practical wisdom and the development of these qualities would be an addition to any woman's personal and spiritual growth, these should not be seen as all there is to being Crone nor should you take these principals as the only road to becoming older and wiser. The paths are endless and each path is a personal journey, as this book is for Ms. Bolen. There will be points you will be able to relate to, but not everyone will relate to everything.

The `Possibilities and Thoughts' section of the book presents a few more ideas and wisdoms. "Exceptional Men Can be Crones' (yes, we call them `Sages'), the idea that `Crones Together Can Change the World', and her musings on Angeles Arrien's `Four Guiding Principals' and the inclusion of spirituality into the equation make for interesting conversation with your fellow crones.

This is a lovely book on female empowerment for the older woman, and offers insight to growing wiser as we grow older. This book is a good choice if you are looking for guidance as you progress through the gauntlet of menopause and being feminine. boudica

94 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Nugget of Pure Gold from Jean Shinoda Bolen!, November 25, 2003

By 

"barbarahort" (Vancouver, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crones Don't Whine: Concentrated Wisdom for Juicy Women (Hardcover)

Jean Shinoda Bolen has struck gold once again! And once again, she is offering that gold to us. It is amazing how Bolen always manages to answer women's spiritual needs, almost before we know we have them. She has introduced us to the glowing communities in our souls ("Goddesses in Everywoman," "Goddeses in Older Women" and "Gods in Everyman"). She has led us on pilgrimages through the rich and sometimes perilous landscapes that often confront women ("Ring of Power," "Crossing to Avalon," and "Close to the Bone"). She has shown us the personal and global importance of our gathering in women's circles of meaning ("The Millionth Circle"). And now Bolen has gifted us with "Crones Don't Whine" -- thirteen annotated mantras for those of us women who wish to live our last, and potentially richest, years with wit, wisdom, and gusto. In a society where being an older woman has traditionally been dreaded or denied, "Crones" is an invaluable resource and, what's more, it is a joyful call to arms. I have never written an Amazon review before, but I was so disappointed in the Publisher's Weekly piece that I felt compelled to register my own rave review for "Crones" as quickly as possible. It would be such a shame if any women on the cusp of crone-dom were to miss out on Bolen's latest treasure. In fact, I plan to buy a copy of "Crones Don't Whine" for every woman I love. Bravo and thank you, Jean Shinoda Bolen!

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Juicy Couture Could Take On a Whole New Meaning, October 17, 2005

By 

Debra Morse (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crones Don't Whine: Concentrated Wisdom for Juicy Women (Hardcover)

Jean Shinoda Bolen's latest work playfully and sharply offers women thirteen qualities to cultivate during the third phase of their lives ( Maiden-Mother-Crone). She wisely seeks to re-install the title `crone' as an aspirational honorific connoting wisdom acquired through years of living; a woman to be revered and respected.

Banish all thoughts of crones as withered and barren: crones are `juicy' Bolen maintains, having zest, passions, and soul. Adopting Bolen's approach is bound to result in a happier person who graces the world by her presence and actions. Upon entering the crone years, women can now devote creativity, energy, and time to things that matter. Having developed instincts, having endured pain, having learned the importance of meditation, crones choose their path from the fork in the road with heart. After describing the qualities of a crone, Bolen offers suggestions for ways in which crones can work together to make the world a better place. This is woman power at its core. Girl power is a mere warm up.

This sweet and wise little primer would be a perfect gift for any woman, particularly those over the age of fifty ( the unofficial start of crone-dom). It would be a dynamite book club read, and no doubt lead to long juicy discussions over margaritas!