Way of All Women (C. G. Jung Foundation Books) [Paperback]

M. Esther Harding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001 | Series: C. G. Jung Foundation Books

Acclaimed as one of the best works available on feminine psychology from the time it first appeared in 1933, The Way of All Women discusses topics such as work, marriage, motherhood, old age, and women's relationships with family, friends, and lovers. Dr. Harding, who was best known for her work with women and families, stresses the need for a woman to work toward her own wholeness and develop the many sides of her nature, and emphasizes the importance of unconscious processes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

M. Esther Harding, M.D., was a leading Jungian analyst for many years and a founder of the Analytical Psychology Club of New York. She is also the author of Women's Mysteries: Ancient and Modern; Psychic Energy: Its Sources and Its Transformation; and I & the "Not-I": A Study of the Development of Consciousness.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570626278
• ISBN-13: 978-1570626272
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #966,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow... very impressive and readable! Could have been written yesterday., December 1, 2007

By 

Patrick D. Goonan "see profile for URL" (Livermore, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Way of All Women (C. G. Jung Foundation Books) (Paperback)

When I received this book, I was amazed. As I said in my title above, it could have been written yesterday. This author writes clearly, concisely and brilliantly about the complexities of the the interior life of women including their relationship to their various life roles i.e. friend, lover, marriage partner, etc.

This book offers an in-depth and insightful model of feminine psychology. It is particulary good at explaining anima and animus dynamics and would be a great read for men trying to understand different types of women. It will also serve as an excellent model for a woman doing her own inner work.

I work in the psychology field and I'm very picky about books in this genre. I have absolutely no reservations about giving this book my highest recommendation.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Road To Understanding All Women, February 21, 2012

By 

David C. Freeman "Weekly-Reader" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Way of All Women (C. G. Jung Foundation Books) (Paperback)

I read this book in my mid twenties, when I was first truly beginning my search for a mate. (It took me until 39, but it worked). I truly wanted to understand women on a deeper level than I did at the time. I'd read alot of Herman Hesse, which got me in touch with my deeper self, but a a man searching for himself, not much there to learn about women. So at the time I read it, I was VERY open to what she had to say. And she broke things down into distinct groups. The types who I was never going to be good enough for, the ones waiting for a fairytale prince, The angry and lost, the kindly but weak, the strong but overbearing, etc. I was amazed at how well she categorized this fairer sex and it helped me focus in on the attributes I was looking for as well as focus in on a bit about myself.

While she didn't help me decide the nature vs. nurture argument, she did help me understand the many traits that usually run together as a core group of each type she mentioned. I not only read the book a second time, highlighting certain portions of text to share with my friends I felt wanted to understand women, but I wound up buying many used copies to give as gifts. (It was not in print at that time.)

But by understanding the type of women I was with, it allowed me to prosecute my relationships on a healthier, less dramatic level and to take time to discover things at my own rate, yet to have a better understanding of what I was taking in. This allowed me to forgive many poor behaviors and even to help a few women friends to understand themselves a little better.

I'm married ten years now and it's been the most content period of my life thus far. I truly believe this book has something to do with this level of success I've experienced. The book has not only served me, but it has helped me to better serve the women in my life.The book sits on my shelf, where I take it out from time to time to re read a section or two to understand one of the women in my life, not just on a romantic level, but on all levels!, just a little bit better. And as I get older, and in some ways I grow away from my very emotional younger man I once was, it reminds ME to allow a little bit more emotion into my life and my marriage than I'd otherwise be likely to do. This is a marvelous read for men and women both. And it is as prescient today, if not perhaps more so, than it was when it was written all those decades ago. Five stars. No question.