Customer Reviews

A Dictionary of Symbols (Dover Occult)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this book in hardcover a few years ago, and have found myself going back to it again and again. In writing novels, I know no better reference book than this for providing inspiration and insight. The symbols listed often have meanings far beyond what most would think. The sections on colors and numbers alone are worth the cover price.

My only complaint is that the book is big *enough*, but make no mistake: the material in the book is dense, informative, and insightful. If you are a writer, a thinker, a student of history, or have any interest in the cultural artifacts of human societies, you can't go wrong with this volume. I cannot recommend it enough.

I purchased this book for a class on symbology. While it does give specific definitions of certain symbols, it really does not give you any great detail of the history of the symbol. This was unfortunate for me in this case as I needed to look up history on different symbols.

If all you are looking for is definitions, then by all means, this book will do fine by you. If, however, you need a more in-depth understanding of each symbol, then you will find yourself looking into other texts.

The book as good content, but needs illustrations/photo's to make it come to life to the reader.

I am an art therapist and what I really like is that this book gives explanations of the various symbols and what they mean in different cultures. The author also gives alchemical explanations for symbols. I find that this really gives me a broad understanding of a symbol. It is sometimes extremely revealing.

This book is not only fascinating, but highly valuable! I am a director, acting coach and teacher. Research is required. When exploring dramatic texts, this book is one of the best references I have come across. Beyond its practical use, however, it is also a pleasure to pick up and scan for interesting information. It brings depth of understanding to the world we live in. It is a gem!

If you are looking for a book to help you with sandplay therapy symbolism for children this is not it. It is a nice book and well organized but it does not include anything practical for working with children.