Folklore & Mythology Books - Page 6

MythBusters: The Explosive Truth Behind 30 of the Most Perplexing Urban Legends of All Time

Keith Zimmerman, Kent Zimmerman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Leave no urban myth untested.

Could you kill someone by dropping a penny from a skyscraper? Can an unsuspecting scuba diver be sucked out of the water by a firefighting helicopter and get spit out in the middle of a forest fire? Can you save yourself in a plummeting elevator by jumping just before it hits bottom?

Special effects experts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, hosts of the Discovery Channel's top-rated MythBusters, use modern-day extreme science to show you what's real and what's fiction. With photographs, illustrations, blueprints, and exclusive interviews to document the mythbusting process, MythBusters: The Explosive Truth Behind 30 of the Most Perplexing Urban Legends of All Time will examine dozens of urban legends, from exploding toilets to being buried alive -- these guys have tested them all. Eye-opening, jaw-dropping, and even laugh-inducing, this book will delight armchair scientists, curious readers, and fans of the show alike. Keith and Kent Zimmerman are the New York Times bestselling coauthors of Hell's Angel and The Best Damn Sports Book, Period, among others.

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain (Pied Piper Book)

Verna Aardema

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Incredible Response! 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book after having it recommended while taking a graduate level children's literature class. I was not disappointed! I grabbed this book to read aloud if I had extra time while substitute teaching for a kindergarten class. I thought the children would be more attracted to the rhyme and pattern of the words so imagine my surprise when the book sparked a lengthy discussion between 5 year olds about drought, Africa, animals, and culture! It prompted questions that I didn't even know they were capable of asking and had them making connections to weather in our own backyard and stories they heard on the news. This book is a reading, social studies, and science lesson in one!

My Kids Love This Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

After hearing James Earl Jones read this book on Reading Rainbow, I knew I had to buy it. My two very young sons (ages 1 and 2) sat entranced the whole time. Of course that may have been because it was the voice of Darth Vader, but hey, it's a great book all on its own. My husband now reads this book to them at bedtime every night.

Editorial Review:

The story of how Ki-pat ingeniously brings rain to the arid Kapiti Plain. "Cumulative rhyming tale with the rhythm and repetition of The House That Jack Built . . . Illustrations are stylized, simple, and dramatic."--School Library Journal.

The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics)

Snorri Sturluson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An Essential Read 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241) was a famous Icelandic author, statesman, and one of Iceland's wealthiest men. During Snorri's time Iceland was increasingly dominated by Norway and Norwegian culture. Snorri's Prose Edda was written in response to these new trends as a handbook for those "aspiring Icelandic skalds [poets] who wanted to master the traditional forms of verse and the older stories essential to the imagery of Old Norse Poetry" (xi). The Prose Edda's stories were based on the oral tradition from the Viking Golden Age (800-1000). The Edda is divided into four parts (the Prologue, the Gylfaginning, the Skaldskaparmal, and the List of Meters). Sadly, this volume only includes a sample stanza of the List of Meters due to its dense didactic content. For me the Prologue is by far the most interesting part of the entire Edda. Firstly, Snorri might not have been the author which raises some interesting questions about later additions to his text. Secondly, the Prologue consciously attempts to reconcile Norse myth with Christian beliefs. For example, the Prologue states that after the Fall Norse myth was developed in an attempt to understand the world and that they "understood all matters in an earthly way because they had not been granted no spiritual wisdom (ie. of the Christian God's existence)" (4). Also, Graeco-Roman myths are fitted into the Norse mythology and pantheon for the author states that Odin was descended from the Trojans.

The second section, the Gylfaginning, consists of a dialogue between King Gylfi and the Aesir (Mysterious God people). King Gylfi asks questions to the three manifestations of Odin about the All Father, The Primeval Cow Audhumla, the origins of the Gods, Ice Giants, the Birfrost bridge to Heaven, etc. This is the core of the Edda and is a virtual encyclopedia of Norse Mythology. The third section, called the Skaldskaparmal, gives background for references and allusions found in Old Norse verse. This section gives thousands of kennings (words substituted for other words - for example, whale road = ocean). However, this the Skaldskaparmal is not simply a list of kennings for poets but also provides the background and stories from which the kennings come from. For example, the story about the origin of poetry (a mead made from a man created from the spittle of the Gods) introduces tens of kennings created from obscure details of each story. This section is a treasure trove of poetic lore as well as important Norse stories.

This Penguin edition is absolutely wonderful (besides the lack of the List of Meters). The introduction covers all pertinent information including the historical background about Iceland and Norway, a brief section on Snorri Sturluson, questions of the Edda's authorship, analysis of each section, and the text's Christian influences. Also included are three illuminating Appendixes (about the Norse Cosmos, Kennings, and the sources of the Gylfaginning), a diagram of the World Tree, and a useful map. Although the Prose Edda often seems to didactic and encyclopedic for easy reading the myths are absolutely fascinating and clearly the Prose Edda is not only "Scandinavia's best known work of literature" but also "the most extensive source for Norse Mythology" (ix). A must buy for anyone interested in Norse Mythology and Medieval Icelandic Literature and history.

Editorial Review:

The stirring, bloody, and tragic saga that inspired such artists as Wagner, Borges, and Tolkien

Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, The Prose Edda is the source of most of what we know of Norse mythology. Its tales are peopled by giants, dwarves, and elves, superhuman heroes and indomitable warrior queens. Its gods live with the tragic knowledge of their own impending destruction in the cataclysmic battle of Ragnarok. Its time scale spans the eons from the world’s creation to its violent end. This robust new translation captures the magisterial sweep and startling psychological complexity of the Old Icelandic original.

Reflections on the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

We are each living our hero's journey . . . 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We are each living our own Hero's Journey in life. This book is a guide on that journey. Wonderful quotes that inspire. For the price of movie ticket, you get a weekend workshop on how to live a life that you're destined to live.

Perfect intro to Campbell! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

"So that's what destiny is: simply the fulfillment of the potentialites of the energies in your own system." ~ Joseph Campbell from "A Joseph Campbell Companion"

This book is a must-have.

Packed with a wide range of Campbell's musings, it's the perfect introduction to the man who helped us understand the hero's journey and what it means to follow our bliss.

A quick read! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If one has read Campbell's other work, then this is like a great pick me up book. Readers who have not already experienced the scholar's work would be best served by reading those before they decide to tackle this one. It's not all too often that one comes across a book that you can't put down and I can say that this is one of the few times that I can say that. I read this in only a matter of days and would think about reading it when I didn't have time to. This collection has a very intimate feel and really gives the sense that you have almost comes across a secret journal that had been written long ago, but was written just for you. It's like having a private conversation with Campbell himself. The majority of this volume has been pulled from lectures and journals which perhaps have never been published and gives the sense that Campbell is letting you in on secrets that only few in the world have ever been gifted with, all from the comfort of your living room. As a scholarly work this doesn't hold up to "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" but as an entertaining read it is a wonderful book. Joseph Campbell the teacher gives way to Joseph Campbell, the friend. Biased as I am in that I admire him so much, I would recommend this book to any who love his ideas. It feels like a talk with an old friend, letting you in on all those little glimpses of his experiences.

Editorial Review:

Celebrated scholar Joseph Campbell shares his intimate and inspiring reflections on the art of living in this beautifully packaged book, part of a new series to be based on his unpublished writings.

Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents (The Little Light of Mine Series)

Sarah Conover

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Kindness goes a long way 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

First I used this book with my children as we learned about different religions and spiritual views. As they got older we visited it again because these Buddhist stories are applicable to so many situations in life regardless of your views on God, theist, or atheist.
Now as a religious education teacher of younger people at the Unitarian Universalist fellowship I use this book extensively when teaching about buddhism, kindness, compassion and many other concepts. Well written and engaging for all ages, but best for elementary school age children. My middle schoolers still love the stories.

Editorial Review:

Sarah Conover's collection of traditional Buddhist tales leads us to the kind of implicit understanding of ourselves and others that only stories can provide. Following the Buddha through his various transformations, these clarified and often humorous narrative journeys open the ancient master's profound and gentle teachings to persons of all ages, religions, races, and ideological persuasions. Over and over, this marvelous book tells us, "Let go of your anger, your fear, your greedy desire. Embrace gladness. Follow the path." The stories form a wondrous pageant: of elephants, monkeys, monks, and men working through foolishness toward wisdom and delight.

Scary Stories to Tell

Alvin Schwartz

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 86 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

CLASSIC! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

OMG!!! I forgot all about Scary Stories to tell in the Dark! I can't believe that this book is as old as I am! This book really takes me back to like, 1st and 2nd grade! Fun times, great stories!

Scary but fun 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My five year old went through a phase of liking scary books. These are the best collection out there once you are past the "easy reader" scary stories. The stories are short and some are even funny and so my five year old was able to handle them despite the fact that they are listed for a 9+ age group. Do note that many stories are very scary/morbid and if your child is easily frightened, wait till they are older.

Editorial Review:

This spooky addition to Alvin Schwartz's popular books on American folklore is filled with tales of eerie horror and dark revenge that will make you jump with fright.

There is a story here for everyone -- skeletons with torn and tangled flesh who roam the earth; a ghost who takes revenge on her murderer; and a haunted house where every night a bloody head falls down the chimney.

Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories -- and even scary songs -- all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark.

If You Dare!

The Masks of God, Vol. 1: Primitive Mythology

Joseph Campbell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Deserved Three Stars 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I've read or skimmed all the reviews here. Except for the hardcore Christians, all make valid points. The people who love Primitive Mythology are devotees of Campbell who find spiritual guidance in his work. And good for them. If you're one these, then knock yourself out and buy this book. Fundamentalist Christians, you're wasting your time. Anthropologists and biologists, you're wasting your time too; this book has little or no scientific value. Primitive Mythology relies heavily on science that is about 50 years old. As another reviewer has pointed out, there have since been tremendous advances in psychology, cognitive science, and evolutionary biology.

However, fiction writers such as myself will find the book somewhat interesting. The value of Campbell's work is entirely literary. It provides powerful storytelling tools. One only has to look at the success of Star Wars and The Matrix for proof of this. But Primitive Mythology should be used only as a supplemental text because, on top of wading through Campbell's convoluted writing style, one has to wade through a lot of obsolete science to get to the good stuff. Like how Campbell constructs a narrative explaining how the mythology of agricultural and hunting societies might have come into being and their respective differences. This is interesting because it provides insight into how environmental factors can influence and dictate the structure of a story.

At its worst, Campbell's work is a collection of dated, useless information. At its best Campbell's work is a meditation on the power and meaning of the art of story telling. Outside of New Age spiritualism, this is it's value. Primitive Mythology is not Campbell at his best. But it's not Campbell at is worst either.

Before reading Primitive Mythology, I read The Power of Myth, Myths to Live By, and The Hero with a Thousand faces. I've watched the Power of Myth and Mythos and listened to a several lectures that were available for download on the Joseph Campbell Foundation website. I've been studying Campbell's work for several years now, so I feel capable of writing an informed review of Primitive Mythology, in spite of the fact that I've read 300 of the 470 pages of the book so far. I'm not sure I'm going to finish it.

Editorial Review:

The author of such acclaimed books as Hero With a Thousand Faces and The Power of Myth discusses the primitive roots of mythology, examining them in light of the most recent discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, and psychology.

DAKOTA CL

Kathleen Norris

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 48 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

More spirituality than Dakotas 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I had been meaning to read this book for years. After finally doing so, and then skimming through the 40+ previous Amazon reviews, it is clear that the book will appeal most to those of a highly spiritual bent (but probably not devout followers of an organized religious denomination or practice). I am not highly spiritual, so the book does not speak as intensely to me as no doubt it does to many. Nonetheless, I admire the author's sincerity and her individuality.

As for the "Dakota" angle, that too is present, although not to the degree perhaps suggested by the title. Don't expect some sort of travelogue or overview of the Dakotas. In point of fact, much of the content is rather prosaic, which of course is not really a criticism of what is essentially an inward, spiritual book. Actually, the "geographical" locus of the book has more to do, I think, with the High Plains and with small towns than it does with the Dakotas.

The book consists of thirty or so short stand-alone chapters, interspersed with what the author terms "weather reports". Thus, it is somewhat of a hodgepodge; it certainly is not an example or product of linear thought (which also denotes it as spiritual in nature). I ended up marking a few sentences or paragraphs for future reference. In that sense, I found the book to be somewhat like a magpie's collection -- a few sparkling gem-like pieces of glass amidst a lot of string, weeds, and twigs.

Editorial Review:

A celebrated poet transports readers to the heart of the Great Plains, examining her heritage, religion, language, and the land itself, revealing the contradictions of small-town life on the Great Plains. 10,000 first printing.

Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies

Robert Lake-Thom

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Animals can tell us a lot... 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Animals have been living on Earth and dealing with nature a lot longer than us. They can sense when an Earthquake is about to happen. Pets can sense an illness within their owner before the owner does. Birds, insects, and other animals have evolved and adapted to deal with floods, climate changes and dangers that happen in their lives. Why NOT use their reactions and knowledge to help us deal with nature and our own dangers?
American Indians have been listening to nature and the animals to help them deal with such dangers. Early Europeans did the same before Modern Science and the Church destroyed those cultures. While I am not sure about many of the stories I did enjoy the book. It is for beginners and I think many details have been withheld so not to make the exercises and the ceremonies beyond the grasp of the person just starting his or her spiritual quest. Think of it as a Spirits of the Earth for Dummies.

Editorial Review:

A Native American healer explores the symbolic meanings of animals in Native American legends and tales and explains how one can get in touch with animal spirits through dreams, ceremonies, or sacred objects and places. Original."

Foxfire 10 (Foxfire)

Inc. Foxfire Fund

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

WONDERFUL REFERENCE BOOK AND INTERESTING READ 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Foxfire books are a wonderful thing and we are so lucky to have them. Many of the ways, crafts, planting lore, animal lore, and as the book says "affairs of plain living" are preserved here. This particular volume includes oral histories of the Great Depression, CCC Camps and their impact on the local areaa and ecomomy, folk art, chair makeing, and of special interest to me, gourd art. This is a wonderful recording of life the way it was and probably never will be again. The book is quite well written and has faithfully recorded even the dialect of these wonderful people, from which so many of us sprung. That is a big part of the charm of these works. This book includes actual interviews with folks from that region of the country which I am sure are long dead now. Their knowledge would be completely lost without works such as this. Another generation or two and it will all be completely gone. This book will cetainly be of great interest to those, like me, who are interested in the depression era and in the CCC in particular. Thank goodness we have recordings such as this. Recommend this one highly.

Editorial Review:

Chock full of the wit and wisdom that has become  the Foxfire trademark, this entirely new volume in  the acclaimed, 6-million-copy best-selling  Foxfire series is on oral history of  Appalachian lives and traditions, homespun crafts,  and folk arts.