Don't Know Much About Mythology

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

By: Kenneth C. Davis

Narrated by: 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.

Critic reviews

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

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.

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.

Enlightening

I was really looking for a book on GREEK mythology, but this was very enlightening as it expanded the Mythology of the WHOLE WORLD. Egyption, Native Indian, you name it.
Very enlightening.

learned a lot

I really liked this and have been recomending to all my friends. I learned so much about the history of so many cultures and their myths there were areas I wish had been covered a bit beter but all in all a great overview

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.

This book is OK

I really enjoyed "Don't Know Much About History," so I thought I would go through the series, but this book was not as good. I did not enjoy the reader. I found his accent distracting and lacking in emotion.

The first half of the book seemed pretty good. I followed the structure and could understand the links (maybe because I more familiar with the material). The second half seemed muddled. I found myself not wanting to turn on my MP3 player because I new what was waiting for me.

If you really like myths, this might be a good book, but if you only have a passing interest, I might try something else.