Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176665 in Books
• Published on: 2001-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The original self is the person "who came into this world full of possibility and destined for joyful unveiling and manifestation," according to bestselling author Thomas Moore. "This is the person who comes to life in us briefly as we get married, start a course in school, or try on a new job--before worry and cynicism have set in."

In essence, it is our soul that Moore speaks of, and it is his unwavering conviction that our greatest task is to stay true to our original selves. Using a highly approachable format of brief essays (2-4 pages), Moore offers his reflections on how to do just that. Each essay leads with a thought, such as "Life needs a point of entry, a crack in our defences," or "Beneath the favourite tale of the moment a deeper story always lies waiting to be told." From there Moore moves into the eloquent depths of his ruminations on the original self--words that are beautiful and provocative, yet never heady or bogged down with self-importance. In fact, his writing manages to be simultaneously poetic and pragmatic--the signature of a great thinker and humanitarian. Each essay is illustrated with a woodblock print, offering further meditation on a theme. Moore openly admits that he hopes this book will become a keeper--one that dwells on a household's shelf of lifetime books. No doubt it will, Mr Moore, somewhere between Emerson and Thoreau. --Gail Hudson

Customer Reviews

'Care of the Soul' repackaged
For someone who is unfamiliar with spiritual ideas this would be a real eye-opener, but it is not much different from 'care of The soul'. 'Original Self' would be more suitable as a gift. It consists of short essays which address vital topics yet do not require long periods of study. It is well presented, each essay is illustrated with both a woodcut and a quote. Yet it cannot be overlooked that this is quality writing. Moore demonstrates knowledge of themes such as jealousy, patriarchy, gender and memory as well as vision and intelligence in discussing them. The most profound message of the book for me was something that I didn't understand right away. The author tells how at a seminar a woman said "From now on I'm just going to live with what is" to which he replied without hesitation "The trouble is, what is, isn't." Realising what he meant was like solving a Zen koan.

If you haven't already read 'Care of the Soul' by the same author, you should read that instead.

Well worth buying
This book has a lot of wonderful ideas -- some of them contradictory -- presented in short, easy-to-read chapters. It is better than some of Thomas Moore's other books which are long-winded and, well, boring. Moore is a brave and humble man, often contradicting the set theories of psychology and liberal religious thinking. I thank him for this book and recommend it highly. Reading it can be liberating.
An Australian reader in Geneva, Switzerland.