The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling

“[An] acute and powerful vision . . . offers a renaissance of humane values.”—Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul and The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life
 
Plato called it “daimon,” the Romans “genius,” the Christians “guardian angel”; today we use such terms as “heart,” “spirit,” and “soul.” While philosophers and psychologists from Plato to Jung have studied and debated the fundamental essence of our individuality, our modern culture refuses to accept that a unique soul guides each of us from birth, shaping the course of our lives. In this extraordinary bestseller, James Hillman presents a brilliant vision of our selves, and an exciting approach to the mystery at the center of every life that asks, “What is it, in my heart, that I must do, be, and have? And why?”
 
Drawing on the biographies of figures such as Ella Fitzgerald and Mohandas K. Gandhi, Hillman argues that character is fate, that there is more to each individual than can be explained by genetics and environment. The result is a reasoned and powerful road map to understanding our true nature and discovering an eye-opening array of choices—from the way we raise our children to our career paths to our social and personal commitments to achieving excellence in our time. 
 
Praise for The Soul’s Code

“Champions a glorious sort of rugged individualism that, with the help of an inner daimon (or guardian angel), can triumph against all odds.”—TheWashington Post Book World 

“[A] brilliant, absorbing work . . . Hillman dares us to believe that we are each meant to be here, that we are needed by the world around us.”—Publishers Weekly

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• The Force of Character: And the Lasting Life
• A Blue Fire
• The Dream and the Underworld
• The Artist's Journey: The Wake of the Hero's Journey and the Lifelong Pursuit of Meaning
• The Thought of the Heart, and, The Soul of the World
• The Wisdom of Your Dreams: Using Dreams to Tap into Your Unconscious and Transform Your Life
• Invisible Acts of Power: Channeling Grace in Your Everyday Life
• We've Had a Hundred Years of Psychotherapy--And the World's Getting Worse
• Suicide and the Soul (Dunquin)