We all know that alarming amounts of animosity exist, particularly in election years. We see the finger-pointing, we hear the name-calling, the doublethink and the newspeak, as tsunamis of mis-information swamp all serious political thought. We seem to have taken an awkward turn. Rather than using our intelligence to correct whatever we don't like about ourselves, we use our intelligence to blame whatever we don't like about ourselves on someone else. At personal levels (Me against You), state levels (Red State versus Blue State), and national levels (Our Perpetual War on Someone), "the human shadow" causes catastrophic problems.
Now that our destructive power exceeds our consciousness, understanding how the human shadow operates in each of our minds has become absolutely imperative. As Carl Jung wrote, "Failure to do so will lead to the extinction of the human race." Or as Albert Einstein put it, "We need an essentially new way of thinking if mankind is to survive."
Shadow in the USA is a lavishly illustrated, entertaining introduction to a deadly serious psychic process-denial, projection, blame-which psychologists call the human shadow. To help the medicine go down Plumb re-tells "Beauty and the Beast" with down-to-earth, self-deprecating humor, and puts vibrant artwork by the fantasy master Bob Hobbs on every page. This genre-busting foray into the place where 'the pot calls the kettle black' will provide its readers with a better understanding of their chaotic world, and tools for living more humanely in it.
"Thanks for writing this book. It is a gem and a treasure!" --ROBERT JOHNSON, PhD, Acclaimed Jungian analystist and best-selling author of numerous psychological classics including Owning Your Own Shadow
"Hats off to you for doing a wonderful job of making a distasteful subject so entertaining." --KATHERINE M. SANFORD, MA, Analytical Psychologist, lecturer, painter and author of The Serpent and the Cross
"While retelling "Beauty and the Beast," Plumb leads us into depths which invite introspection regarding the "beast" within each of us, and the "beast" within our culture. She obliges us to look through a sharpened lens, to see where deeper, darker energies spill into our lives." --JAMES HOLLIS, PhD, Analytical psychologist, Director of Jungian Studies for Saybrook University, and author of thirteen books including Why Good People Do Bad Things, Understanding Our Darker Selves, a penetrating look at the human shadow.
"This is a powerful little book. A humorously written, exquisitely illustrated tale of profound psychological importance. The true potential of the USA and the true potential of individual freedom can only continue to evolve if we dare to look into such mirrors." --ROBERT TOMPKINS, PhD, MFT, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Western Oregon University; licensed Marriage and Family Counselor.