Jung: A Very Short Introduction

A professional with no training in psychology, yet long fascinated by Jung. fluent in German, having read Jung's Memories Dreams & Reflections several times, possessing his collected works and having read a substantial portion of them, I picked up this little book wondering what it could tell me and was amazed at the author's superb job of comprehensively summarizing, sympathetically yet critically, and very clearly and readably Jung's life and his work in what is but an evening's read. I learned things I didn't know and gained something from the bird's-eye view. This book is a tour de force. Hats off!

I'll pile on with what everyone else has said. I read this one and the VSI to Freud and they're both excellent......and a nice pair to read in sequence. Everything you probably want to know about Jung is here and it's all explained very clearly. A truly fascinating character and a great book.

The task of creating a concise, well-rounded, and very readable introduction to life and teachings of Carl Jung seemed impossible to me until I read this book. This book is a true work of love written by someone intimately familiar with the subject. This is not surprising, considering that Anthony Stevens is a practicing psychiatrist and Jungian analyst who wrote several good books on the subject as he has been developing ideas of Carl Jung in the last thirty-plus years. If you need an excellent short introduction to Jungian thought, look no further.

For a layman like myself nevertheless interested by what I'd heard about the ideas of Jung this was just the ticket. Written with warmth and personality, this is an excellent overview of Jung's major ideas which gives you an insight into the character and content of his theories as well as the man himself. Stevens is obviously a Jungian himself but this is an acceptable slant for a book on Jung. It really brings Jung to life compassionately and provides food for thought on a wide range of topics beyond the obvious. Concise, lucid and entertaining.

This is probably the best introduction to Jung on the market. It is simple, concise, and VERY reader-friendly. It is very current as well including a short introduction to all the major aspects of his work and life. I can't recommend this one highly enough!