Goddesses in Everywoman : Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives

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Summary: SAVE YOUR MONEY
Review: Bolen takes Jungian psychology one step further by positing that there is not just, but many, female archetypes, and that a well-balanced women should incorporate aspects from each into her personality. Bolen uses the Greek goddesses Artemis, Athena, Hestia, Persephone, Demeter, Hera and Aphrodite to illustrate aspects of feminity--including both strengths and weaknesses that come with certain characteristics. In the end, Bolen reminds women that choosing which archetype to draw from in any particular circumstance or learning to develop new aspects is critical. Absolutely fascinating!

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Summary: Powerful insights for women & men
Review: Dr. Bolen is one of my favorite modern authors. She is a Jungian who teaches in SF. This is a book written by an intelligent and empowered woman, in an attempt to give other women insight on their own strengths & inner gifts. She weaves the stories of 7 goddess of classical Greece (Athena, Artemis, Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Persephone, and Aphrodite) with observations of emotional & behavioral patterns culled from her years of clinical work. The result are truly compelling portraits --- almost every women will find at least one "aha!" of recognition in this book, and all of us can find some kind of "aha!" for the women dear to us in our lives. By casting these behavioral patterns as *goddesses*, Dr. Bolen is ennobling the internal & external struggles of women and underscoring their inherent strength & wisdom. It is a book of tremendous optimism, courage, and hope. This is a book I have often given as a gift to women, especially young women.

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Summary: When Psychology Tests Don't Fit....
Review: Everyone who has taken a psychology exam finds it difficult to answer questions in the moment. Stepping outside the constraints of current personality type definitions, this book excells in presenting women with the archetypes that are familiar to each and every one of us. A stellar book and a must have for those interested in personal knowledge, psychology and relationships!!!

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Summary: May not be what you expect!
Review: From some reviews I have read here, it appears that some folks are looking for a self-help type of book. It is not that. It is an intelligently written and researched scholarly work on female archetypes (think Jungian psychology).

It is not, however, dense reading. On the contrary, the author has cleverly used the goddess characters in Greek mythology to make the archetypes more accessible and entertaining to study. I challenge anyone to read this book without trying to find themselves or their friends. Very interesting and fun to read.

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Summary: One of my Top Five All-Time Favorites
Review: I keep at least two copies of this book on hand at all times. One for myself (for safe-keeping) and the second one to loan out to friends who simply must read the book. (I've replaced the second copy several times after loaning it to friends who simply must "KEEP" the book.)

Goddesses in Everywoman is one of the clearest presentations of Jungian theory I've ever seen put into actions. I've loaned this book to people with PhDs, people with GEDs, and people with every educational level between. Male or female, each person has found something of themselves in this book--each person who reads it finds a bit of their mom, or sister, or girlfriend, too.

If I could give just one book to every woman in my life, it would be Goddesses in Everywoman, by Dr. Bolen.

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Summary: Wonderful Book for Women
Review: This book is very uplifting and an enlightening read no matter what type of woman you are. One of the best qualities is the author's ability to present the strengths of each archetype and not build a hierarchy of goddesses. This approach allows the reader to understand different women, as well as conflicting emotions within herself, and see the positive qualities. I found myself completely taken by her discussion of the Hestia archetype. In fact, I did some further research on this archetype and now have a collection of notes to pull from. If a book inspires further investigation, it is definitely worth the read.

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Summary: Clear and Insightfull....
Review: To begin, I must praise Ms. Bolen, for writing in such a way as to have laypersons (such as myself) never feel as we are being talked down to. Many psychology books use technical terms for everything, as if tring to prove they have their degrees, bringing to mind the student who uses a thesaurus to write the term paper to impress the professor. However, this book explains any necessary technical terms quickly and concisely, and then continues on to the rest of the topic.

I found this book quite insightful, both with myself and my relationships with other women. I now understand why my closest friend is always trying to get me involved with political protests and 'acting for the Cause.' I also understand why my relationship with my boyfriend is so effected by my relationship/friendship with my mother. Our's being a definitive Persephone/Demeter relationship.

The uses of the seven Goddess archetypes (Artemis/Athena/Hestia, Hera/Demeter/Persephone, and Aphrodite) as a mode to understanding why a woman acts in a particular way. This book will definately help women to define themselves, and why they seem attracted to a specific type of lover/mate.

I definately recommend this book to all, women and men.

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Summary: Discover You're a Goddess!
Review: What an amazing book! Jean Shimoda Bolen is remarkable for putting together a set of archetypes for women to study and gain self-comprehension. The use of Greek goddesses- Artemis, Athena, Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Persephone, and Aphrodite- help women readily identify who they naturally are and whom they were conditioned to be. In addition, the archetypes enable women to look into activating whom they would like to be. I too noticed the presence of different goddesses in my life, in particular Artemis, Aphrodite, and Persephone. I was completely taken by these 3 archetypes, and plan to research them further. Truly an insightful read!