Shadow Dance
Author: David Richo
List Price: $16.95
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ISBN: 1570624445
Publisher: Shambhala (11 May, 1999)
Sales Rank: 47,412
Average Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Teachings on how to make peace with ourselves, and the world
David Richo formerly practiced as a Catholic priest, and in this book he displays the true, original meaning of the word "catholic." His learning is truly ecumenical--he draws on his readings of the poets, Greek and other mythologies, Hinduism, Zen, and his experience of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the path into the dark parts of our human nature. Unlike many Catholic clergy whom I've met over the years, he is definitely not afraid of his shadow! Or yours or mine....he sees the shadow as containing great power and beauty, if we can only stop avoiding the teachings contained within it.The book contains essays which lead you down the path of doing "shadow work," with each essay followed by a section of journal exercises and topics to think about. These "to do" sections help the reader to work with the ideas in the book, rather than just read about them. Not all the exercises will appeal to everyone, but there is such a wide range offered in each section that there is surely something for every reader.
My only problem with the book was that at times it was repetitive and wordy. However, Richo offers so much that is wise and profound that I readily forgave him and kept reading.
One of the things I found most helpful in this book was his excellent chapter on the positive shadow, an idea with which I was unfamiliar. The positive shadow needs attention just as much as the negative, and providing that attention is pleasant work--thus it balances out the sometimes toilsome aspect of dealing with one's darker side.
This is not a book to read and set aside. It's meant to be worked. The more people do this work, the more compassion and harmony there will be in our world.
Rating: 5 out of 5
A Journey Within!
This book was very easy to understand and very clear. . Very helpful in helping understand what we are scared to admit or what we have denied, or just what we don't like about ourselves. It is a voyage into the lowest point of our souls and a manual for that voyage to our own wholeness or personhood. Anyone who is interested in getting at the core of their own darkness can't miss if they read Shadow Dance It is extremely uplifting with several positive ideas and agenda to assist in the renovation of our apparently negative traits and routine into something useful, by showing us the root of goodness within any dark trail within any of us. Having read the book , I am now eager to begin the practices suggested by the author .
Rating: 4 out of 5
Rough start, then it gets going....
This book is typical of David Richo's work: pretty good. His writing is very very scholarly and intellectual. I often wish he'd step out of his head more often and more frequently share how what he's saying directly can effect me as a person. (For application of work presented here the reader might also want to read Susan Campbell's "Getting Real", as that would give you the skills to own your anger in the moment, for example). As a therapist, I often find that some clients know a lot about whats going wrong, but they need skill building to go along with the insight. He starts applying the shadow material, and the book really gets going, only at about page 150. I felt there was too much background material on how the shadow works, which leaves me afraid to offer this book to a client; Its boring in the beginning. All in all, its a really great expository work on Jungian theory and the Shadow, and he does a great job applying Shadow concepts to real life. I love how he frames projections, and I think this is one of the better works on understanding how projection works in our lives. From a theoretical perspective I learned a lot about the shadow and applications to other cultures and sometimes my own life. After reading this book I felt intellectually overwhelmed, tired, and smarter. Fundamentally a great scholarly work, even though not really a true self-help book. Similar Products
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