A bit of an artifact from the men's movement of the early 1990's, it nonetheless makes some very good points, and is, overall, a decent introduction to Jungian thinking on the male psyche. Pretty well written, despite the occasional drift into details of psychoanalysis. ( )

A popular Jungian introduction to the psychological foundations of a mature, authentic, and revitalized masculinity.

This book has opened my eyes to a few new ideas. Ironically they are old ideas that i had never heard before. More reading is required. I think that may become my mantra. ( )

Not the typical kind of book I read, being something of a self-help book, but nonetheless filled with very useful psychological, philosophical, and anthropological observations about the divine or mature masculine. These archetypes (first postulated by Jung, if my understanding is correct) are based on classical cultural roles and evolutionary psychology, and describe the ideal aspects of man; applicable in the spectrum of life from tribal hunter-gatherers to highly technological. It also describes some of the aspects our more modern society lacks; rites of passage and initiation, and on why this 'age of the individual' has hurt the function of men in daily life; pushing them into habits of infantilized behavior and / or toxic masculinity. It offers some small suggestions for self-driven practices to effect change in an individual's life, but my primary takeaway was this; the therapist or psychiatrist has in many ways replaced the priest or shaman in our society; healing the hearts and minds of the man-children consumerist society has made of us, and our 'kings' can no longer be looked to as examples of correct action, being so corrupt, and manifesting only the shadow aspects of the archetype. What then do we do in this strange age to live up to ideals we no longer have the guidance to become? ( )

Heavily gender essentialist and heterocentric, as well as being critical of feminism in ways that are not quite fair. Understandably male-centered book -- it's a book for men about masculinity -- but the assumption of binary gender and masculinity as something which is a singular thing instead of being a point on a spectrum is foundational to the book.

That said, there is some value in here in terms of contextualizing interpersonal and personal difficulties in a symbolic way, and in using that symbolic thinking in ways very congruent with modern spiritual and magical practice.

Take with a truck of salt, a vat of tequila, and a lime grove. ( )