"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
There are said to be at least six hundred New Religious Movements in Britain, and many more in other parts of the world. They range from benign, charitable organisations to corrupt, dangerous cults which may end in murder or mass suicide. Since cults have a special appeal to the young, anxious parents have prompted a good deal of research into who joins cults and why. Less has been written about the gurus who institute and lead such movements.
Gurus are extraordinary individuals who cast doubt upon current psychiatric distinctions between sanity and madness. A guru convinces others that he knows – a persuasive capacity which can bring illumination but which may also and in disaster.
Anthony Storr’s new book is a study of some of the best-known gurus, ranging from monsters such as Jim Jones or David Koresh, to saints such as Ignatius of Loyola. It includes both Freud and Jung because, as Storr demonstrates, what ostensibly began as a scientific investigation became, in each case, a secular path to salvation.
'Feet of Clay' is one of Anthony Storr’s most original and illuminating books. It demonstrates that most of us harbour irrational beliefs, and discusses how the human wish for certainty in an insecure world leads to confusing delusion with truth. No-one knows, in the sense that gurus claim that they know. Maturity requires us to be able to tolerate doubt. The book ends with reflections upon why human beings need gurus at all, and indicates how those in need of guidance can distinguish the false and dangerous from the genuine and good.
The editor, Anthony Storr, is a doctor, psychiatrist and analyst (trained in the school of C.G.) and author of ‘Jung’ (a Fontana Modern Master,1973) amongst many others.
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. Scarcely a year goes by without reports of strange and generally dangerous cults which enthral their followers and lead them to cut themselves off from the world. Invariably led by gurus or spiritual leaders, these cults often end in mass suicide or harm to innocent people. This book is an examination of those gurus and of their followers. It takes as examples some of those we consider modern gurus - James Jones, David Koresh, the Bhangwan Sunree Ranjeesh, Gurdjieff and others, some of them apparently mad and some more genuine, and establishes what each of them has in common. The book then examines what each of these people shares with other gurus whose teachings we accept or at least respect - Jung, Freud, Ignatius Loyola, and Jesus Christ. The comparison finds more startling continuities than we might realize. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR001452352
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Feet of Clay: Study of Gurus This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780002555630
Book Description Condition: Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All of the pages are intact and the cover is intact and the spine may show signs of wear. The book may have minor markings which are not specifically mentioned. Seller Inventory # wbs8694410251
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780002555630
Book Description Condition: Good. First Edition. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 15290170-6
Book Description Condition: Good. First Edition. Ships from the UK. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 41709730-20
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good+. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good+. First Edition. xvii, 254pp, illustrations, owner's bookplate. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Seller Inventory # 42809
Book Description 1st ed. Pages a little browned. Used - Very Good. VG hardback in VG dustjacket. Seller Inventory # BOOKS077303I
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. 1st Edition. 288pp hardback, black boards gilt in wrapper, good in a good wrapper. Seller Inventory # 046118
Book Description Hardback. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. 1996 HarprCollins first edition hardback; Very Good ex-library copy, plate rmoved from fep leaving part, usual stamps, light age tanning; with Very Good unclipped dj in removable protective sleeve; UK dealer, immediate dispatch. Seller Inventory # 65R1z