
King, warrior, magician, lover
by Moore, Robert L., Robert Moore, Doug Gillette · first published 1989
8mentions
7recommended by
8HN commenters
2009–2026first – last mentioned
88% recommend13% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Jungian take on mature masculinity through four archetypes, praised as insightful and useful for men seeking a grounded, non-childish sense of self; often recommended alongside Iron John and Deida's Superior Man.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Good reading to become a mature (ie not just childish) anti-authoritarian: "Prometheus Rising" by Robert Anton Wilson and "No more Mr Nice Guy" by Robert Glover. I would also throw in "King, Warrior, Magician, Lover" by Robert Moore, and maybe an occasional dose of LessWrong.com (helps to know of cognitive bias pitfalls if one wants to dance to one's own tune). Rand, Aurelius, Thoreau, Emerson and Nietzsche might…
on “Why Anti-Authoritarians are Diagnosed as Mentally Ill” ↗…Not Giving a Fuck Mark Manson - Models For those looking into reading into masculinity (to understand yourself or other masculine people: David Deida - The Way of the Superior Man Moore & Gillette - King, Warrior, Magician, Lover Zan Perrion- The Alabaster Girl Disclaimer: Some of these books I recommend are not going to be based on much research and science, or delve into more abstract forms of thought and draw inspiration from…
on “Ask HN: What was a book that changed your life?” ↗King Warrior Magician Lover, by Robert Moore and Douglas Gilette. It is a deeply insightful book about the path to a mature masculine psyche written by a highly respected Jungian psychologist (Moore) and a mythologist and counselor…
on “Ask HN: Interesting (Non software) books?” ↗…Men are complete suckers for certain ideals of manhood, certain archetypes that are well presented. If this is something that interests you, I can strongly recommend the books Iron John by Robert Bly, King Warrior Magician Lover by Robert Moore, and the excellent Way of The Superior Man by David Deida. I find this quote by Alan Watts particularly poignant, and perhaps an antidote to the original post: "We thought of life by…
on “Dokkodo by Miyamoto Musashi ” ↗The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho. King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Moore and Gillette The lean startup Paul Graham how to start a startup Mark Hyman Ultimate Mind Solution Tribal Leadership Wheel of Time Think and Grow Rich Superior Man David Deida The Fountain…
on “Ask HN: What are some Good Books you have read in past one year or so..” ↗…shoutout for Burbea's Soulmaking Dharma too: https://hermesamara.org/teachings/soulmaking-dharma) and sees the symptoms and the hurt as expressions of the soul, as parts to be discovered and expressed. - King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: about the male archetypes that make up the generative male https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91781.King_Warrior_Magic... - Jacob Needleman's "Money and the Meaning of Life" - I also wrote about my…
on “What are the best coping mechanisms for AI Fatalism?” ↗…great (whatever you think of the author), even the much maligned Seven Habits is a really great book. There's even some pretty decent male-oriented stuff out there, like Iron John, Fire in the Belly, and "King, Warrior, Magician, Lover". Pyscho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz even inspired a Dali painting.
on “Talking to 35 Strangers at the Gym” ↗King Warrior Magician Lover by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette http://www.amazon.com/King-Warrior-Magician-Lover-Rediscover...
on “Ask HN: What was the latest book you read? ” ↗