The Power of Myth
by Joseph Campbell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Joseph CampbellCollaborator: Bill Moyers
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1991-06-01
ISBN: 0385418868
Number of pages: 293
Publisher: Anchor
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780385418867
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Book Reviews of The Power of Myth
Book Review: In My Top 10 Books
Summary: 5 Stars
This piece of literary treasure is a launching pad for all of Joseph Campbell's groundbreaking philosophical and anthropological work. First of all a myth is not a lie; rather it is a way for explaining life through symbols and stories. There are basic mythologies that are similar in every civilization - even ones - that have no history or chance of being connected. The Virgin Birth, Puberty, and Death. In some special civilizations there is a fourth - the Wise Man - loosely defined as someone of middle age, who can see their life as a book, with chapters sure to be added, but with an epilogue pretty much written in stone.
The book takes no position, or more preciously is agnostic, to organized religions. Campbell opines that we evolved into a superior species because we recognized that there was a God and the only way to explain this myth is that God is literally and philosophically in our genes. In this way he is probably more aligned to an Eastern way of thinking of religion than a Western One. As I am a Roman Catholic, he does not attack or defend the "Church". Counter-intuitively he explains why this religion lost its way after Vatican II. The Priest having his back to the clergy, the candles and incense, the communal kneeling in groups for communion, the use of Latin, the organs and bells, and formal clothing gave us a powerful transcendental experience that is only vaguely replicated in Christmas Midnight Mass.
If you have one book to give to your children this should be the one.
Summary of The Power of Myth
The author of the bestselling Hero With a Thousand Faces touches on subjects ranging from modern marriage to virgin births, from Jesus to John Lennon, in an intriguing and entertaining attempt to explain our world.Among his many gifts, Joseph Campbell's most impressive was the unique ability to take a contemporary situation, such as the murder and funeral of President John F. Kennedy, and help us understand its impact in the context of ancient mythology. Herein lies the power of The Power of Myth, showing how humans are apt to create and live out the themes of mythology. Based on a six-part PBS television series hosted by Bill Moyers, this classic is especially compelling because of its engaging question-and-answer format, creating an easy, conversational approach to complicated and esoteric topics. For example, when discussing the mythology of heroes, Campbell and Moyers smoothly segue from the Sumerian sky goddess Inanna to Star Wars' mercenary-turned-hero, Han Solo. Most impressive is Campbell's encyclopedic knowledge of myths, demonstrated in his ability to recall the details and archetypes of almost any story, from any point and history, and translate it into a lesson for spiritual living in the here and now. --Gail Hudson
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