Living an Examined Life

"Living the Examined Life is a gift of rare gold: the accumulated logos of a life lived deeply and fully, generously shared and beautifully crafted. James Hollis bridges profound psychological insight and practical application. Joyously, this book dares us to go beyond the ordinary, acknowledgement of the terrors of the adventure before us, yet promising--like a loyal, loving, trusty Sherpa--to accompany us as we navigate the difficult terrain of authentic personal growth. This is the book to have as a fellow traveler--Socratic interrogator, wise friend, loving teacher, mindful mentor." --Martin Lloyd-Elliott, psychologist, psychotherapist, author

"This book represents the distillation of a lifetime's accumulated wisdom. The reader is sure to find helpful guidance for life's perplexities and warm companionship on the way." --Lionel Corbett, professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute

"Nobody writes about the challenges of creating a meaningful life with as much wisdom and warmth as James Hollis. This book is an extraordinary gift to all of us grappling with the 'second half of life'--free of all platitudes and false comforts, but full of sustenance, humor, and tools for navigating the journey." --Oliver Burkeman, columnist for the Guardian and author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking

"This is a book full of gems. Some are wise, some are deep, some are precious. Still others are even funny and others self-evident. Yet every one of them is necessary and belongs to the whole. As if James Hollis had scanned the inner landscape of us all, himself included, to produce a necklace of human truths from every part of the psyche, including the wondrous, the normal, and the dire. Reading him is to be reminded that it is possible to be fully human because, and not in spite of, our full part of light and shadow." --Jan Bauer, Jungian analyst and author of Impossible Love: Or Why the Heart Must Go Wrong

"James Hollis is the most lucid thinker I know about the complexities and complexes that interfere with living a full life. His broad background in literature, philosophy, and Jungian psychology is everywhere present in this important book, which--as it strips away illusions--posits the soul-work that's necessary for the difficult task of making our lives meaningful. He's one of our great teachers and healers." --Stephen Dunn, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet