Don't Know Much About Mythology

Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never Learned

De: Kenneth C. Davis

Narrado por: John Lee, Lorna Raver

It has been 15 years since Kenneth C. Davis first dazzled audiences with his instant classic Don't Know Much About History, vividly bringing the past to life and proving that Americans don't hate history, they just hate the dull, textbook version they were fed in school. With humor, wit, and a knack for storytelling, Davis has been bringing readers of all ages up to speed on history, geography, and science ever since. Now, in the classic traditions of Edith Hamilton and Joseph Campbell, he turns his talents to the world of myth.

Where do we come from? Why do stars shine and the seasons change? What is evil? Since the beginning of time, people have answered such questions by crafting imaginative stories that have served as religion, science, philosophy, and popular literature. In his irreverent and popular question-and-answer style, Davis introduces and explains the great myths of the world, as well as the works of literature that have made them famous. In a single volume, he tackles Mesopotamia's Gilgamesh, the first hero in world mythology; Achilles and the Trojan War; Stonehenge and the Druids; Thor, the Nordic god of thunder; Chinese oracle bones; the use of peyote in ancient Native American rites; and the dramatic life and times of the man who would be Buddha.

Ever familiar and instructive, Davis shows why the ancient tales of gods and heroes, from Mount Olympus to Machu Picchu, from ancient Rome to the icy land of the Norse, continue to speak to us today, in our movies, art, language, and music. For mythology novices and buffs alike, and for anyone who loves a good story, Don't Know Much About Mythology is a lively and insightful look into the greatest stories ever told.

©2005 Kenneth C. Davis (P)2005 Random House, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Ranges widely and with such sparkling wit....A superb starting point for entering the world of mythology." (Publishers Weekly)

recommended

if you enjoy history or just learning about mythology. this is an incredible listen. book is well read.

good read

it gives a good overview of a very large topic. I live the simplistic language and style.

Good Introduction; Worth Reading

I have always enjoyed Davis' "Don't Know Much About Books." I realize they are designed to be overviews/introductions but I feel like they are occasionally much more in depth than you might expect.

This wasn't my favorite Davis book, but that's not totally fair to the review because it was partially due to the reader not paying attention to what he was selecting. For some reason I was thinking that this was going to be--more or less--don't know much about Greek/Roman mythology. I've been studying Ancient Rome/the Roman Empire recently and was thinking that it wouldn't be a bad idea to read a Davis book about the gods and myths.

Not that it had to be all Greek/Roman; essentially I was hoping that this book would give me an overview of the most well known gods and myths. In some ways this book does do that. The sections on Greek/Roman and Norse gods and myths are extensive. But this is an overview of the mythology of many, many different cultures. While I found all of those reviews to be interesting, it wasn't really what I was looking for.

Long and not what I expected

I thought this book would be full of stories about the greek mythology etc. It did not really seem to hit the mark although did go into some depth talking about all the various gods in different civilizations. So it was very long (three audiofiles) and not fantastically interesting. I am generous giving it a 3 I think. Maybe I will listen to it again as I can't really remember very many details of it!

Encyclopedic Treatment of the World's Mythology

I listened to Don't Know Much about Mythology because I had listened to Mr. Davis' Don't Know Much About the Bible and thought the former was fascinating. This book on mythology was a bit like listening to an encyclopedia. It recounts myths and the historical background for each of numerous cultures (Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, American Indian, etc., etc.) around the globe. The first 5 or 6 chapters were mostly historical in nature and seemed to drag on. I almost gave up. But the rest of the book was very interesting.

History isn't boring

Why did'nt our history teachers make it this interesting? Very engrossing book, covers not just the basics of mythology but why it enthralls us such. We are teased with the man behind the myth story telling method though he never quite finishes what he starts. Not only a history lesson but an indepth look at how these stories from the past have shaped both or present and future outlook on life. Truly entertaining.

Just phenomenal.

For anyone desiring a fairly unbiased outlook on theology,or mythology,depending on what you consider each to be. The Dont know much about series is a blast, I stared this one,and I’m lesss than 2 hours from finishing the Bible one,then unto the history one.

Endlesslorendlesslorendlesslorendlesslorendlesslor

A real mixed bag here, ergo three stars. When this book is good it is very good. Interesting and quite informative. Alas, that's only about half the time. Some of the narration seems to go on forever to no real point. If Davis had cut away 50% of this book it would have just as informative and a lot less tedious. I keep hoping for Edith Hamilton's Mythology to become available in audio. I've been fishing around with other books like this one and come away disappointed.
John Lee is excellent as a narrator, though. I swear it must really be Sean Connery. His reading is the only reason I stuck with this to the end.

Superb

I could listen to John Lee read the phone book! Of course listening to him read this Superbly well done material is much more instructive.

The use of BCE, btw, has become more common and while it may be more "PC", I, for one, prefer it to BC.

preachy

The book starts out great - not what I expected. It gives a history of the region (Greece, Rome, Africa, Americas, etc.) then gives some of the more popular beliefs and myths. Well done. But, wow - does he get on a soap box concerning the Americas. It really gets old and soures an otherwise good listen.