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Ann Casement's new book about Jung, his life and his theories, core concepts in analytical psychology, and important contributors to analytical psychology, comes as a major update with many revisions to an earlier work (Carl Gustav Jung) that she published in 2001. Casement brings to this endeavour her significant international work as well as her impressive background of 55 years in our field. She writes in the preface, ‘this volume is my own highly individual account of his [Jung's] approach’, while remarking that every person's uniqueness can appear somewhat like ‘a confession’ (p. xv). She explains that she combines her perspective to include the developmental theories that help so much with the rigours of clinical practice, by pairing it with archetypal dimensions that provide for soulful depths. I use that word ‘soulful’ to emphasize her recognition that soul does not equate with ‘mind’, but encompasses much more dynamism along with spirituality and a capacity for awe. Her goal in this new book is to introduce readers to Jung and to evaluate how his ideas, and how he expressed them, have stood a test of time (p. xvii).
Some initial biographical material about Jung helps readers to form a picture of how he worked and constructed his ideas. For instance, Casement notes that Jung explored the typology of someone who was introverted and intuitive; he was a visionary psychologist who relished the mysteries of psyche. After an overview of Jung's childhood and student years, Casement discusses how Jung came to know Freud, a connection which she regards as the ‘most significant professional relationship’ he had (p. 17). Her book then advances to present and discuss foundational topics in analytical psychology, with chapters devoted to each of them: archetypes and the collective unconscious, shadow and persona, anima and animus, the puer/puella archetypes contrasted with narcissism, the Self, the numinous, individuation, and alchemy. In explaining the creative aspects o