The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
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Book Reviews of The Power of Myth
Book Review: Powerful and precious
Summary: 5 Stars
Interestingly I read this book after reading Carl Rogers's On becoming a Person, and W.H.D. Rouse's Gods, Heroes and Men of Ancient Greece. I remember watching the PBS series with Bill Moyers a long time ago and how I was so moved by the intelligent and graceful way the interview was conducted by these enormously intellectual individuals. I feel very sad about our current trend of barking talk radio hosts that are popular, spreading non-sensical hateful agendas. This book is full of wisdom that I think addresses all the fundamental questions of our existence in the universe, and provides tools to use to experience life in a meaningful, harmonious way in our very disjointed society. Through the timeless stories of the world, life, death, suffering, love, bliss and nature all make a big circle, and we participate in it in eternity. Myths bring us from all the technical, petty and dogmatic distractions back to the fundamental experiences of living as part of the bigger and timeless universe. I enjoyed this book tremendously and I miss Mr. Joseph Campbell.Book Review: :.:The Power of Myth:.:
Summary: 5 Stars
Content: J. Campbell is a comparative scholar of mythologies, so expect many comparecents between world religions. Also note that the book is written in the form of a dialogue- interview.It is very easy and simple to follow the conversation- the language is not some convoluted elite jargon but simple human language. J. Campbell is obviously an atheist but not in a Nitzschean way. In fact he doesn't preach at all but lets you form your own conclusions about the subject. Some of his analysis of religions is very interesting and enlightening- I bet most christians never thought of the bible as a metaphor. Though, you could say that Campbell is too Platonic- there is a lot of idealism in his conception of the power of myth.
The Point of the Book: The point of this book is to illustrate how a myth is still very much relevant to today's world, in spite of common conception. He doesn't, however, suggest we go back to old beliefs, but rather that we form new ones, foot-in-foot with modern mentality and fast paced world.
Book Review: The Power to See the World with New Eyes
Summary: 5 Stars
In my college years a friend who was a philosophy major introduced me to this video series (the book is a transcript), and over a period of a couple weeks, we spent many coffee fueled nights watching all six videos, interrupted here and there by heated debates and passionate arguments. Afterwards, I felt transformed. This book only scratches the surface of mythology and Joseph Campbell's other works (of which I'm determined to read), but it was a catalyst for me. "The Power of Myth" will have you exploring subject matter in anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, philosophy, world literature, history, psychology, religion, and wherever else "your bliss" takes you. I found this book and video series inspirational in the same way that a standard college course ought to be (JC was a professor at Sarah Lawrence College), except that it's much cheaper! Ten years later, I find myself returning to it and discovering new revelations each time.
Read, watch, listen, explore, and enjoy!
Book Review: let's talk about myths...
Summary: 5 Stars
Written in the form of a transcripted dialogue between Bill Moyers (of PBS) and Joseph Campbell, this book is an anthropological work on the human impulse toward storytelling, the themes of quest and of character development.
And there's something for everyone: For the casual reader, this book is very accessible, full of interesting stories, and not too long. For the more devoted reader, of the kind who likes to dive into a book and surface hours later, this offers a great introduction to Campbell's larger, more complex body of work (ex. Hero with a Thousand Faces). And for those who prefer visual stories, there is also a video version of this dialogues - which is how I first encountered this, while taking a class on American(U.S.) Folklore.
This is one of the treasures of my bookshelf, and I recommend it to people who are interested in mythology, anthropology, psychology, literature, or writing.
Book Review: A Great Introductory Book to Joseph Campbell
Summary: 5 Stars
For those who have not had much reading into the deph of Campbell this is the book. Although not as detailed or in depth as A Hero with a Thousand Faces this book contains the major philosophical points that Campell is trying to get at. As one who holds a B.A.. in religious studies this booksserves as a great example for one's own journey into exploring the various trends found in the major religions of the world. However, I do not recommend taking Campbell at looking at religions as you can miss the depth and significance that each faith has to its followers. If you are coming from a more traditional Christian tradition you may not like or even dismiss what Campbell has to say and if this is your case I would recommend to read something more specific and maybe more meaningful to you as from either Paul Tillich in particular The Courage to Be or Karl Rahner.