Critical Notice

Alister, Ian Hauke, Christopher (eds.) Contemporary Jungian Analysis. Post-Jungian Perspectives from the Society of Analytical Psychology. London:  Routledge, 1998. Pp.  xiv + 314. Pbk. £ 17.99.

The bland covers of this book hide a remarkable work-a polymorphously diverse sample of approaches developed by members of the Society of Analytical Psychology (SAP). In contrast to the undifferentiated oceanic image of the cover, the chapters provide a glimpse of a highly differentiated activity in ‘Contemporary Jungian Analysis’. It is usually accepted that edited anthologies of contributions by several authors (as opposed to books written by one author) lack sharpness. However, this book over-compensates with its uniqueness which is based on at least three distinct features: (a) the particular way it was constructed, (b) the wide range of approaches it includes, and (c) the fact that it is a product of one society of Jungian analysts, the SAP.

Anthologies of collected essays usually follow one central theme which is either initiated and controlled by one or several editors, or is the subject of a conference. This book has no central theme, in this sense, apart from reflecting the activities of one group of analysts. I am not aware of any other book in our field which was born out of a comparable process. The book is the brainchild of Andrew Samuels who was instrumental in setting up a publications committee within the SAP to promote writing among its members. Once the Committee accepted his idea to create this kind of collaborative book, they asked for contributors from the entire SAP membership. Then, the Committee set up special ‘writing workshops’ where contributors discussed all chapters of the book, not only their own, as they were being written. This innovative and creative method of collaboration over a writing project makes the book a truly ‘co-operative’ product, in the old fashioned sense of the word. Another interactional aspect of the book is reflected in the deci