A Short History of Myth (Myths, The) (184195716X) - jewishfeeds.com Books and Reviews
A Short History of Myth (Myths, The) (184195716X)
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A Short History of Myth (Myths, The) (184195716X) - Customer Reviews, Information, Ratings, and Prices
A Short History of Myth (Myths, The) (184195716X)
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Editorial Review:
This brilliant, readable synthesis of the history of mythology and the function it serves to humanity is the launch title of the groundbreaking publishing event, The Myths . "Human beings have always been mythmakers." So begins Karen Armstrong's concise yet compelling investigation into myth: what it is, how it has evolved, and why we still so desperately need it. She takes us from the Paleolithic period and the myths of the hunters right up to the "Great Western Transformation" of the last five hundred years and the discrediting of myth by science. The history of myth is the history of humanity, our stories and beliefs, our curiosity and attempts to understand the world, which link us to our ancestors and each other. Myths help us make sense of the universe. Heralding a major series of retellings of international myths by authors from around the world, Armstrong's characteristically insightful and eloquent book serves as a brilliant and thought-provoking introduction to myth in the broadest sense -- and explains why if we dismiss it, we do so at our peril.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Interesting history:
Karen Armstrong, a world-recognized expert on religion, summarizes the history of the development of myths from pre-historic to modern times in plain easily understandable English. She defines "myth" as attempts to explain through narratives what people see, hear, fear, or yearn for. Myths change over time when circumstances change. Myths helped Paleolithic people (c. 20000 to 8000 BCE), for example, to face up to their mortality. It taught the people of the Neolithic period (c. 8000 to 4000 BCE) that life... more info
Short, yes, but so rich:
Karen Armstrong is a scholar of enormous ability and range. Most of her work has centered in one way or another on the Abrahamic religions and their founders. Here she offers a short, but beautifully organized overview of the human need for myth-making and its manifestations from earliest times to the present. Her conclusions about our present age will have you thinking hard. Read IT!:
An excellent, realtively brief account about the human history of "Myth(God)" and it's essential importance to human existence. Best if you want to understand mythology in a short book:
Don't get confused by the price of the book, is a small book easy to read in one whole day or two or three if you give some couple of hours from your time. I got this book first because I didn't want to read ancient history without first getting a grasp on mythology and the book means business, it goes to the grain. Similar Products:
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