Eyewitness: Mythology

Rating:
Summary: Truly a mini-museum between the covers of a book
Review: The L.A. Times Book Review said the Eyewitness Books series is "Like a mini-museum between the covers of a book" and that is certainly the perfect description. When you leaf through "Mythology" and see all the color photographs of artifacts and artwork, you will see that this book is a short course in Comparative Mythology, rather than just Classical Mythology. The book approaches the concept of mythology as "religion in story form," and Neil Philip's book is structured by concepts rather than cultures. Each of the two-dozen two-page spreads is devoted to such things as the creation of the world, making humankind, floods and storms, the elements, ancestor worship, superheroes, gods of war, mythical beasts and sacred sites. "Mythology" accounts for dozens of cultures, from the Aborigines of Australia to the Native American Zuni people. I do not know if students today still bother to draw things for their reports or if they just download photographs from the Internet, but "Mythology" is the sort of book where you will find something to draw for any report on any aspect of mythology you have to do for school. These items are taken from literally dozens of major museums around the world and you are pretty much guaranteed to see lots of fascinating objects you have never seen before. Usually students become interested in mythology through the study of the myths of the ancient Greeks. "Mythology" will get them interested in the myths of other cultures as well. Besides, it is fun just to look at the pictures.

Rating:
Summary: Truly a mini-museum between the covers of a book
Review: The L.A. Times Book Review said the Eyewitness Books series is "Like a mini-museum between the covers of a book" and that is certainly the perfect description. When you leaf through "Mythology" and see all the color photographs of artifacts and artwork, you will see that this book is a short course in Comparative Mythology, rather than just Classical Mythology. The book approaches the concept of mythology as "religion in story form," and Neil Philip's book is structured by concepts rather than cultures. Each of the two-dozen two-page spreads is devoted to such things as the creation of the world, making humankind, floods and storms, the elements, ancestor worship, superheroes, gods of war, mythical beasts and sacred sites. "Mythology" accounts for dozens of cultures, from the Aborigines of Australia to the Native American Zuni people. I do not know if students today still bother to draw things for their reports or if they just download photographs from the Internet, but "Mythology" is the sort of book where you will find something to draw for any report on any aspect of mythology you have to do for school. These items are taken from literally dozens of major museums around the world and you are pretty much guaranteed to see lots of fascinating objects you have never seen before. Usually students become interested in mythology through the study of the myths of the ancient Greeks. "Mythology" will get them interested in the myths of other cultures as well. Besides, it is fun just to look at the pictures.