The Power of Myth

The Power of Myth

The national bestseller, now available in a non-illustrated, standard format paperback edition The Power of Myth launched an extraordinary resurgence of interest in Joseph Campbell and his work. A preeminent scholar, writer, and teacher, he has had a profound influence on millions of people--including Star Wars creator George Lucas. To Campbell, mythology was the “song of the universe, the music of the spheres.” With Bill Moyers, one of America’s most prominent journalists, as his thoughtful and engaging interviewer, The Power of Myth touches on subjects from modern marriage to virgin births, from Jesus to John Lennon, offering a brilliant combination of intelligence and wit. This extraordinary book reveals how the themes and symbols of ancient narratives continue to bring meaning to birth, death, love, and war. From stories of the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome to traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, a broad array of themes are considered that together identify the universality of human experience across time and culture. An impeccable match of interviewer and subject, a timeless distillation of Campbell’s work, The Power of Myth continues to exert a profound influence on our culture.
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Reviews

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Melody Izard@mizard
4 stars
Jan 10, 2022

Campbell deserves 5 stars The message is a 5 star message But it is a bit disjointed at time.

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sharkie@scyllalycoris
4 stars
Dec 23, 2021

A very good non-fiction novel. You learn so much about the origins of myths and how we are affected by them.

Highlights

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sharkie@scyllalycoris

Whether you call someone a hero or a monster is all relative to where the focus of your consciousness may be.

Page 156
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sharkie@scyllalycoris

"Sit in a room and read - and read and read. And read the right books by the right people. Your mind is brought onto that level, and you have a nice, mild, slow-burning rapture all the time. The realization in your living. When you find an author who really grabs you, read everything he has done. Don't say, "Oh, I want to know what So-and-so did" - and don't bother at all with the best-seller list."

Page 122
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sharkie@scyllalycoris

That is the idea of Upanishads: "Not female, not yet male it is, neither is it neuter. Whatever body it assumes, through that body it is served.

Page 82