Jung's Map of the Soul: An Introduction

This is my second (or third?) time reading this (and most likely not my last) and I can now say that I’m excited to take on some of the primary texts of Jung. This is the most important information that I will come back to and ponder for my whole life. These concepts, paired with therapy and my own personal dream analysis are most helpful to me in life. The author writes clearly and simply, defining the concepts concisely. Each chapter includes a bit of background information before he dives into the main topic, including where Jung was in his career as well as a brief introduction to the primary texts that the author is citing. This is great for readers as it can inspire us to look into those primary texts ourselves to deepen our knowledge. All in all, this is a great beginning to a lifetime of studying and contemplating Jungian psychology.

This book by Murray Stein may not be the easiest introduction to Jungian Psychology, but I'd say it is the most comprehensive. I feel like I learned much more about this profound theory of the mind, despite having previously read many other books on the subject. Writing is an art form, and Murray Stein is definitely a master at it. Plus, it's obvious that he knows this subject very well. However, I would not recommend this as the very first book to read on Jungian Psychology. Instead, I would recommend Beginner's Guide to Jungian Psychology by Robin Robertson. It is well-written and easy to follow. After that, if you wish, you can go much deeper into Jungian Psychology with Murray Stein's book.

I covered much of this in university psychology class years ago, so decided to recently reread it again. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, since the chapters are reasonably concise. Jung's theories can be incredibly difficult and complex, yet they are presented in an understandable manner in this text. The theories that inspired my thinking and changed my understanding of the world back in university still stand up for me today. I am glad I went through this again. I highly recommend this as a wonderful starting point to the thoughts and beliefs of Jung.

This book is basically a godsend for anyone wishing to explore the murky field of Jung's theories and philosophies. I say that primarily because trying to read Jung himself, at least for me, is like trying to read tea leaves. Jung had a way of making sure everything he wrote was as vague and difficult to understand as possible. Luckily, authors like this one come along and make it possible to at least get a glimpse of what Jung was trying to say. There's no doubt that Jung was a very unique thinker, and his views are fascinating and complex. This author does a very good job of trying to present a coherent structure through which it is possible to view Jung's theories. I highly recommend it.

I would recommend this to anyone who is starting to read more on Jung and his various accounts of how the personality, consciousness and the self are composed and structured. Murray Stein presents a collection of complex ideas and arguments in an accessible and clear style.

Fantastic introduction to Jung's work! This was recommended to me as an introductory text to capture Jung's major concepts. It was very helpful!

My favorite parts of this book are about the shadow, and the persona. This helped me understand myself and close relationships so much better. Some of the concepts overlap (I think) with videos I’ve seen from Teal Swan, specifically the parts about a person’s shadow & fragmentation. One of my favorite lines on page 43 about when a person’s shadow complex is triggered: “For the psychologically-minded, there is the depressing knowledge that one has been here many times before, has reacted in just this way on many occasions, and yet is utterly helpless to refrain from doing the same thing again this time.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it was my introduction to Jung. The chapters are accessible and reasonably concise. Jung's theories can be incredibly dense, and yet they are presented in an understandable manner here. I don't necessarily agree with all of Jung's ideas, but his thought has deeply inspired my thinking and changed my understanding of the world. I highly recommend this as an introduction that provides a comprehensive overview of Jungian theory, and so is an excellent starting point to help you understand his often difficult works.

Bon livre

Frente a tantas mistificaciones que circulan de la psicología de Jung, el libro explica con claridad el carácter altamente intelectual y los parámetros científicos en el que este autor desarrolló todo su trabajo. Aclara y organiza los conceptos esenciales y ofrece una perspectiva profunda y, a la vez, accesible tanto de las ideas de Jung como del funcionamiento de la psique humana.

Amazing survey, summary and explanation of Jung’s complex map of the soul. Stein brings insight and wisdom to his interpretations of Jung’s writings.

This book, a sort of handbook to the psychology of the late C.G. Jung, was first published in 1998 but is perhaps even more relevant today than when it was written. Written by Murray Stein, a Jungian analyst of considerable prominence in his field, who began serious study of Jung just after Jung died, this book presents Jung as a visionary but also as a more systematic thinker than many people think when encountering the complexity of Jung's writings. This book thus complements in a special way the many fine introductions that already existed to Jung's work. Restating classical Jungian approaches in a modern context, it also complements some of the efforts of other writers to re-vision his ideas in the past two decades. Also some readers who have been captivated by the imagery of Jung's Red Book since its posthumous publication in 2012 may find this book a handy if demanding summary of the psychology Jung made of these images. Jung's Map of the Soul: An Introduction also inspired recent music of the Korean K-pop R&B band BTS, which in turn inspired a new book by Stein published in 2020 by Chiron Publications. It's called Map of the Soul: 7: Persona, Shadow and Ego in the world of BTS.

I heard about this book from a YouTuber and by the time the video was done, I had already ordered it online. Not disappointed. I very much like how it represents a comprehensive view of all of Jung's main works.