The Eden Project: In Search of the Magical Other

Thank you, James Hollis, for a book filled with deep insight, humor and compassion. This book is the antidote for the Dr. Phils of the world. It does not offer a single glib panacea for the troubles we all face with our relationships- especially the relationship we have with our own psyches. The Eden Project deals primarily with romantic relationships; how they begin, the power they hold over us, the work that must be done to create and maintain a balance between self and other. It is deep without being pedantic or opaque. Hollis' writing is concise and very readable. His model is the work of Carl Jung; the outlook and style is contemporary and practical. Where Jung can be difficult to decipher Hollis' meaning is always clear. The best compliment I can offer is that, after reading and studying The Eden Project, I went out and purchased multiple copies for friends and family. That is not something I've ever done before.

How many of us have been convinced that if we could only find The Right One, The Magical Other, our lives would be complete, and we'd have guaranteed happiness for the rest of our lives? Stated so baldly, that sounds sadly impossible ... but we've all bought into it, especially in the first half of life. And we've all suffered the pain of finding out it doesn't quite work that way. As in all his fine books, James Hollis examines the roots of our needs & desires, and opens our eyes to the buried reasons we so desperately want to believe in The Magical Other. He isn't dismissing or disparaging love, but he is asking us to look more closely at what it really is, and what it really isn't. This is absolutely necessary once we pass through the first glorious rush of lust & infatuation, and everyday life sets in. True love, a lasting & mutually nourishing relationship, requires far more than the beautiful but ephemeral illusions mass-marketed by our culture & fed to us from an early age. It requires both work & a willingness to look at ourselves honestly, something that's much harder than we might think. But the effort is certainly worth it! Most highly recommended!

I have read this book a number of times and glean new wisdom every time. It explained every mystery of human relationship that has baffled me for 50 years. The insight I gained helps me understand other people as well as myself in both personal and professional relationships. Hollis can synthesize Jung better than any author or teacher working today, and uses literature and poetry which greatly enriches his writing. All of James Hollis books are exemplarary and I recommend them all. I have been fortunate enough to hear Hollis speak and he is even better in real life. Extremely wise and empathetic. I have also given this book as a gift to many of my friends and colleagues. I find the previous review very interesting and reveals more to me about the author of the review than this book!!

I can't say enough good things about this book. At 29 years old and fairly new to the dating scene, I didn't realize how much the history of my life was projected onto the person I'm dating. This book helped me to step back and see how I approach relationships. I now at least know what I need to work on and what I should expect from myself and others. It helped me to understand myself. The book is written in a gender-neutral manner. It's common sense (now that I've read the book) applies to both sexes, regardless of sexual orientation. I've even recommended it to married friends that are perfectly happy. Thank you!

This book helps to understand what goes on in the human condition and that magical state called "in love" when we experience the beloved. It is a wonderful exposition of the jungian phychological view of our deepest emotions; how they occur, what is their nature, how they lead us into pain, and the path of self discovery. The myth that a "magical other" will give us comfort from this world, love us eternally, satisfy our deepest yearnings is dissected and forcefully exposed. In it's place Hollis gives us the freedom of self sustenance, the discovery of solitude and hope for conscious mature relationships that are based on companionship, trust, vulnerability, understanding and our sexuality.