Digesting Jung: Food for the Journey

William Glassman is a professor of psychology at Ryerson Polytechnical
University in Toronto.

Daryl Sharp is well equipped to write about Jungian psychology. He is a
practising Jungian analyst and the editor/publisher of Toronto-based
Inner City Books in Toronto, which specializes in Jungian texts. In this
book, he discusses some of his favorite passages in Jung’s writings.

The format, a series of informal discussions, is in keeping with
Sharp’s contention that one needs to examine one’s own experience,
not talk of anima/animus or complexes, because “these are after all
only theoretical constructs.” The Jungian quotations that preface each
chapter provide a jumping-off point, rather than an explicit focus, for
the discussion that follows. Some basic concepts are not defined. For
example, the first chapter discusses the significance of complexes, yet
never clearly defines what a complex is. The absence of a glossary is
also likely to prove a limitation for readers new to Jung. Despite this
flaw, Digesting Jung will appeal to those readers who enjoy psychology
books that focus on developing personal insight.