Rating: 
Summary: Moore reaches a little too deep to get to the soul
Review: This book was good in it's premise--that too often we go through life without giving much thought to the nurturing of the soul within. Good point that Moore makes here and he was definitely leading the way for America to turn to a more spiritual approach to everyday life and the way we look at things. For a period of time, an author just had to toss the word, "Soul" in the title to sell some extra copies. Chicken Soup and everything else for the Soul, etc. So there is a recognized need there. Does Moore address this need? Yes and no. Moore doesn't seem to fall overboard into blatant spiritual new age guruism, but he's definitely leaning on the rail. As a psychotherapist, the descriptions of case studies and Moore's redress to his patients to get at what is inside their soul causing the pain holds validity. Where the validity is lost though, is when Moore tries to stretch this focus on the soul out to assigning souls to every object. The internal organs have souls, coffee tables, and the good majority of people (excepting politicians, Los Angeles, and techno dance remakers of originally good songs). Hang on to the life raft, Moore, you're almost falling starboard into the drink. Great focus--to get back to the soul, though I think there are probably better books out there to read and enlighten the subject.
Rating: 
Summary: A few gems in the trash
Review: This is my second book by Moore that I've read. I have found him to be an alternative thinker. He writes some great things criticizing the course of modern society however some of his positions on morals are just unthinkable for a former monk. I agree with the reviewer who questions Moore's advice to the women whose husband was cheating on her. I've found some good insights while digging through this earthy volume.
Rating: 
Summary: A Starting Place for Spiritual Journeying
Review: Thomas Moore, a Jungian psychologist and former monk, elaborates a theory of spiritual hygine, a way to provide for the nurturance of the soul. Frequently drawing on the now-unfamiliar metaphors of the Renaissance alchemists and on the writings of Carl Jung and other turn-of-the-century writers, Moore illustrates how the soul is interconnected with all aspects of our life and health. He lends key insight into the symbolism of the soul, the ways in which the soul manifests its many aspects.Moore considers mostly a particular facet of personal spirituality - the need of each person to spend time nurturing his or her spirituality in everyday life (outside of the church or synagogue). This, he explains, one accomplishes through self-reflection and self-awareness. Over time, one comes to understand the language with which one's soul communicates back to the conscious self. Though he himself spent twelve years living as a Roman Catholic monastic, Moore does not pitch the book's message to a particular religious tradition (in fact, others have done a better job of just that). A modest familiarity with Greek and Roman mythology is all one might require to gain the most from this book and Moore's main thesis. The book is best digested slowly. The strongly reflective nature of the work the book describes indicates that readers will gain the most from the book when they couple their reading with frequent pauses to assimilate the way in which the text gives meaning to them. Very likely, the book would be most appropriate as a part of a larger program of spiritual development, as the material in Moore's book will doubless resonate with that of other texts. The reader is advised to be patient and consider carefully how Moore's message interrelates with others' messages.
Rating: 
Summary: Exploring Spiritual Potentialities Within
Review: We already know that it is possible to "feed" the brain as well as the body. Moore explains why and how it is also possible to "feed" the soul. For me, that is the core concept in his book. He sees this book as a "fiction" of self-help because "no one can tell you how to live your life. No one knows the secrets of the heart sufficiently to tell others all about them authoritatively." Hence Moore's focus on the care of the soul which, if sufficient to the soul's needs, enables us to achieve spiritual health at a time when "the mind is separated from body and spirituality is at odds with materialism." In Part IV, he shifts his and his reader's attention to "Care of the World's Soul," an obligation which the world's great religions require of those who profess to be devout Muslims, Jews, or Buddhists as well as Christians. This book will not be of substantial value to everyone because many people are unwilling and/or unable to absorb and then digest what may seem to them to be a simplistic invitation: To feed the soul with at least as much care as they now feed their minds and/or their bodies. Nonetheless, I hope at least a few of them allow Moore the full opportunity to share what he offers by reading his book with an open mind.
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