Most biographies simply tell you something about one person's life. The ones I have chosen below all contain something extra - they convey a message or describe a life process that can inspire the rest of us to lead a richer life.
Shunryu Suzuki arrived in San Francisco from Japan in 1959 as a young zen priest, and his quiet but engaging manner soon attracted a following, including the author, David Chadwick. This detailed, moving and often funny account tells of his life and teachings and describes the struggles his students faced as modern western practitioners of an ancient eastern path.
Marion Woodman is a contemporary Jungian analyst who has broken new ground with her profound insights, particularly into the transformation of feminine consciousness and the destructive impact of patriarchal ideology for both women and men, and for the planet. In this deeply personal book the author chronicles her own transformational journey of self-healing, initiated by her diagnosis with uterine cancer at age 65. Both challenging and rewarding.
This autobiography by Jungian analyst Robert Johnson, co-authored with his colleague Jerry Ruhl, gives a warm and inspiring account of what happens when an individual follows his dreams (and what happens when he doesn't). Worth reading just for the description of his first, life-changing meeting with Carl Jung, but there are many other riches as well.
Joseph Campbell was a lifelong student of the myths, legends, rites and rituals of the world. He died in 1987, but his influence on fields as diverse as movie-making, art, literature and psychology has continued to grow. An ardent individualist, his advice was always to 'follow your bliss', - that is, stay true to your own path, no matter what, and let it take you where it will. Whenever I need reminding of the bigger picture, I return to Campbell's writings and always emerge feeling refreshed and inspired.
It was my privilege to undergo a therapist's training programme with Brandon several years ago, so I know from personal experience that her teaching is authentic, simple and yet very powerful. This book outlines Brandon's own self-healing journey from a large tumour, as a result of which she discovered a profound means of emotional and cellular healing that anyone can use.
In 1957 at the age of eighty-one, Jung began unfolding his life story in a series of conversations with his colleague Aniela Jaffe. Supplemented with his own writings which continued until his death in 1961, this book is one of the most accessible of all Jung's works. By any standards, Carl Jung led a long and remarkable life, and the depth and breadth of his insights and achievements are quite staggering. This is one to savour and to ponder.
If you've ever had the secret desire to go off and live in a cave for a while (who hasn't?), I recommend reading this book before you set off. The author tells the story of Englishwoman Diane Perry's determined efforts to overcome prejudice within Buddhism and reclaim the right of women to seek enlightenment in this male-dominated tradition. After twelve years spent in the Himalayas, alone in a tiny cave at 13,000 feet, she emerged as Tenzin Palmo, a spiritual force to be reckoned with.