As wonderful as Jungian psychology books are, one would be hard-pressed to find books devoted entirely to the topics of money, work, playing a sport, and medicine.
The four books below are deep and insightful treatments of those topics and, in their own way, in keeping with the spirit of the Jungian psychology wisdom tradition. Best of all, they are full of stories. They are also easy to read, which one can’t say about many Jungian psychology books!
The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
This is not a book about investments and budgets.
Instead it is about developing a relationship with money that “ceases to be an expression of fear and becomes an expression of exciting possibility. The context of sufficiency can transform our relationship with money, with our resources, and with life itself.”
Her phrase “what you appreciate appreciates” is one I ponder often.
She shares many stories of the rich people she has interacted with during her work at the Hunger Project and also the people on the opposite end of the spectrum who have few resources.
I frequently recommend this book to astrology clients who are going through a period of life where money and resources are highlighted or who have a strong 2nd/8th house signature in their chart.
“Let your soul inform your money and your money express your soul. Access your assets—not only money but also your own character and capabilities, your relationships and other nonmoney resources.”
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Galloway
This book is applicable to any sport (pickleball for me) and, really, to all of life.
Just like in Jungian psychology, image is the most important thing here, rather than listening to a stream of advice from a coach or fellow player:
“[I]mages are better than words, showing better than telling, too much instruction worse than none, and trying often produces negative results.”
His description of Self 1 and Self 2 reminds me of the ego complex and the Self:
“[T]he key to better tennis—or better anything—lies in improving the relationship between the conscious teller, Self 1, and the natural capabilities of Self 2.”
Again and again in the book he encourages us to trust our bodies, avoid negative self-talk, and not overthink. Your body already knows how to play—you just have to trust it. This is similar to a phrase Jung used -“l’abaissement du niveau mental” (lowering of the mental level) – to help reduce the intensity of the ego.
Deep Work by Cal Newport
This is not at all a typical productivity book.
Newport refers to Jung’s Bollingen retreat when he asks us to “join me in the effort to build our personal Bollingen Towers; to cultivate an ability to produce real value in an increasingly distracted world; and to recognize a truth embraced by the most productive and important personalities of generations past: A deep life is a good life.”
And yet:
“Jung did not deploy a monastic approach to deep work. … Jung needed his clinical practice to pay the bills and the Zurich coffeehouse scene to stimulate his thinking. …Jung’s approach…asks that you divide your time, dedicating some clearly defined stretches to deep pursuits and leaving the rest open to everything else.”
Performing professional or vocational activities in a state of distraction-free concentration seems laughably impossible all too often, but he provides many practical suggestions and stories. I especially like the chapter on embracing boredom.
“To simply wait and be bored has become a novel experience in modern life, but from the perspective of concentration training, it’s incredibly valuable.” I would add it is also incredibly valuable from the perspective of the soul.
Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.
I love the gentleness of this book; I could easily fill several Instagram carousels with quotes from this book.
The book is full of memorable stories about Remen and her patients— stories that do indeed heal. All throughout she emphasizes wholeness and placing trust in our inner resources.
“Parts of ourselves which we may have hidden all our lives out of shame are often the source of our healing. We have all been taught that certain of our ways don’t fit into the common viewpoint … It is only human to trade wholeness for approval. Yet parts we disown are not lost, they are just forgotten. We can remember our wholeness at any time. In hiding it, we have kept it safe.”
After working many years as a pediatrician, Remen became a cancer therapist and professor of integrative medicine at UC-San Francisco.
“I do not think that we will be able to attain health for all until we realize that we are all providers of each other’s health, and value what we have to offer each other as much as what experts have to offer us.”
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