Guru Ratings
Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Bad.
Remember my ratings criteria. I’m not judging these gurus on “global” or moral values, but very specific criteria. Many of my favorite books would be rated “bad” by my criteria for self-help (probably, because they are not self-help books). My ratings don’t reflect how well an author met his own goals, but how well they met my criteria for useful, accurate self-help.
Women Who Run with the Wolves (1992)
Women Who Run with the Wolves is the woman’s answer to Iron John. It uses folklore, legends, fairy tales, and dream symbols to tell women to rediscover the “wild woman” within.
Some of her advice is foolish (for example, to make decisions with your gut).
She stretches 20 pages of advice into 600 pages of storytelling. This might be the perfect heart-opener for those who like to soak in simple ideas. But if you’re ready to make decisions to improve your life, this ain’t the book for you.
Her other books and CDs are even more focused on folklore and less on changing your life for the better. Read Estés for good stories, not for self-help.