Human Myth

In the ground-breaking The Myth of Human Nature Dr Heidi Colleran, an associate professor of evolutionary anthropology, looks at cultures all over the world and throughout history that live according to different social facts of life than ours in the West - and not simply by the brute facts of...

Humans are primates, much like chimps—or so we've been continually told. Yet recent discoveries show that our species has a different brain design, function, and chemistry; different eating, sleeping, mating, and rearing patterns; a different metabolism; and a different physiology than apes. Nor is our behavior much like theirs, and we don't even have the feet made for climbing trees that define the primate order. Could it be that conceiving of ourselves as primates isn't helping us understand what it is to be human?

50 Great Myths of Human Evolution uses common misconceptions to explore basic theory and research in human evolution and strengthen critical thinking skills for lay audiences, listeners, and students. Includes myths such as: "Humans lived at the same time as dinosaurs"; "Lucy was so small because she was a child"; "Our ancestors have always made fire"; and "There is a strong relationship between brain size and intelligence."

Presenting scientific evidence from diverse fields, including anthropology, biology, and psychology, Fuentes devises a myth-busting toolkit to dismantle persistent fallacies about the validity of biological races, the innateness of aggression and violence, and the nature of monogamy, sex, and gender. This revised and expanded edition provides up-to-date references, data, and analyses, and addresses new topics, including the popularity of home DNA testing kits and the lies behind ‘"incel" culture.

Martial Science and the Myth of Superhuman Skill A Modern Breakdown of Ancient Tricks, Sensory Manipulation, and True Body Mechanics by Sky Benson Is there really such a thing as a no-touch knockout? Can Chi energy move people without contact? Are pressure point knockouts actually real? The legends of martial arts are filled with mystique—but this book reveals the truth behind the myth. In Martial Science and the Myth of Superhuman Skill, master instructor and biomechanics expert Sky Benson unpacks the world’s most mysterious martial feats and explains them using real science: physics, ...

From acclaimed Atlantic staff writer and host of BBC’s podcast “The New Gurus” Helen Lewis comes a timely and provocative interrogation of the myth of genius, exploring the surprising inventions, inspirations and distortions by which some lives are elevated to 'greatness' - and others are...

To save her village, she was sold to the sea. To save his soul, she must break the heavens. For three hundred years, the Black Dragon King has ruled the Abyssal Heavens with a heart of ice and a throat bound in obsidian chains. Cursed by the gods for a love that nearly unmade the world, Muhan has forgotten the warmth of the sun—until Seo-yoon is cast into the depths as his sacrificial bride. She was meant to be a silent offering, a mortal vessel to absorb his rage. Instead, she is a spark in the dark. As a slow-burn longing ignites between a fallen god and a resilient weaver of fate, ...

A New York Times’s Notable Book of 2025 An impassioned celebration of humility before the living world that leads us to a new understanding of other species—and ourselves Darwin considered humans one part of the web of life, not the apex of a natural hierarchy. Yet today many maintain that...

Happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky’s research-based lessons in how to find opportunity in life’s thorniest moments In The Myths of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky isolates the major turning points of adult life, looking to both achievements (marriage, children, professional satisfaction...

Josephson-Storm traces the history of the myth of disenchantment in the births of philosophy, anthropology, sociology, folklore, psychoanalysis, and religious studies. Ironically, the myth of mythless modernity formed at the very time that Britain, France, and Germany were in the midst of occult and spiritualist revivals. It was specifically in response to this burgeoning culture of spirits and magic that they produced notions of a disenchanted world.

The oldest stories ever written. The gods who came before all other gods. The myths that built every civilization that followed. Five thousand years ago, in the world's first cities, a civilization pressed its beliefs into clay. Those tablets contained the original versions of the stories the modern world thinks it knows — the Great Flood, the creation of humanity, the descent into the underworld, the hero who could not accept death. The Sumerians told these stories first, told them without apology, and told them with a brutal honesty about the nature of gods and humans that every ...

A seminal work of scientific and philosophical exploration. Ever since the Greeks coined the language we commonly use for scientific description, mythology and science have developed separately. But what if we could prove that all myths have one common origin in a celestial cosmology? What if the gods, the places they lived, and what they did are but ciphers for celestial activity, a language for the perpetuation of complex astronomical data?

Ernst Cassirer Explained: Symbolic Forms, Myth, Language, Science, and the Making of Human Meaning offers a clear introduction to a philosopher who treated culture as the key to understanding human life. Cassirer’s central claim is simple but far-reaching: people do not confront a bare, neutral world and then add interpretation afterward. Human experience is shaped from the start by symbols. Language, myth, art, religion, science, and history are not decorative extras. They are the forms through which reality becomes intelligible, shared, and inhabitable. This book explains those forms in...

In the last sixty years, Israel has faced seven different wars. During that time, the country has been under immense scrutiny and been the recipient of false accusations. This leaves the public with many questions: Does Israel want peace with the Arab nations? How do Islamic views affect Israel? Using a number of sources, Mitchell G. Bard uncovers Israel’s true history. His book includes the following: · A discussion of various wars involving Israel (including the war of 1948) · Multiple maps that help the reader visualize the wars · An analysis of terrorism directed at Israel · An ...

For the audio book version, Dr. Warren Farrell personally rewrote the highlights of The Myth of Male Power as a dialogue. The questions are similar to what others will ask you when you discuss these issues. You’ll have Dr. Farrell’s best answers. The Myth of Male Power helps each family member understand that genuine power is neither status nor money, but “control over one's life.” He documents that virtually every society that has survived has done so by persuading its sons to be disposable--whether in war or in work; and therefore indirectly as dads. And disposability is not power. Considered the Bible of men's studies—yet highly empathetic to women (Dr. Farrell was repeatedly elected to the Board of the National Organization for Women in NYC)-- the meticulously researched The Myth of Male Power takes the listener on a captivating journey around the world, throughout history, biology, the Bible, the law, and everyday life, challenging every currently-held assumption about men, women and the family.

More than a hundred years into the future, as the US approaches its 400th anniversary, Tomas, a young graduate student, searches for the real identity of one of the cyborgs that maintained American homes. He has been haunted for years by an audio clip of a cyborg named Felipe and is intent on writing Felipe’s biography. In the clip, Felipe can only recite that he was made in America, but Tomas must find out: Where was the Self-made Man really from?

Joseph Campbell’s The Masks of God Explained: Mythology Across Civilizations, Archetypes, Ritual, Symbolism, and the Evolution of Sacred Stories in Human History offers a sweeping and accessible guide to one of the most ambitious mythological works ever written. In this in depth exploration, readers are guided through Campbell’s four volume masterpiece to understand how myths evolve from primitive tribal rituals to the great religious traditions of the East and West, and finally into the creative mythology of the modern individual. This book breaks down complex ideas into clear language...

Bloomsbury presents (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall, read by Alex Phelps and Olive Gray. 'Creepy cryptids, a compelling slow burn romance, and corporate humour blend together perfectly in this excitingly unique debut... (Mostly) Human Resources is a must read' Mallory Marlowe, USA Today...

A quiet mountain town. A final night of movies. An unstoppable force emerging from the dark. The Pine Ridge Drive-In is closing its gates forever, and manager Emma Reeves has planned the ultimate all-night movie marathon to send it off. The lot is packed. The projector is humming. The crowd is ready for a scare. But the real terror isn't on the screen. Deep within the dense forest bordering the lot, a legendary apex predator has been pushed to the brink by decades of corporate greed and environmental destruction. Tonight, it is reclaiming its territory—and it will tear through steel, ...

René Girard Explained: Mimetic Desire, Scapegoating, Violence, Religion, and Human Culture introduces a thinker whose central claim is both simple and unsettling: people do not just desire things on their own. They learn what to want by imitating others. From that starting point, Girard built a far-reaching account of rivalry, conflict, blame, religion, and social order. This book explains his ideas in clear language for intelligent non-specialists, with concrete examples drawn from ordinary life, public controversy, and cultural history. The discussion begins with Girard’s life and ...