The Bookshelf
The works and references cited, quoted and utilized throughout the extensive collection of scriptures, writings, articles, essays, and treatise represented on RealityRoars.com
Myth: A Very Short Introduction
Where do myths come from? What is their function and what do they mean? In this Very Short Introduction Robert Segal introduces the array of approaches used to understand the study of myth. These approaches hail from disciplines as varied as anthropology, sociology, psychology, literary criticism, philosophy, science, and religious studies. Including ideas from theorists as varied as Sigmund Freud, Claude Levi-Strauss, Albert Camus, and Roland Barthes, Segal uses the famous ancient myth of Adonis to analyse their individual approaches and theories. In this new edition, he not only considers the future study of myth, but also considers the interactions of myth theory with cognitive science, the implications of the myth of Gaia, and the differences between story-telling and myth. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
About the Author
Robert A. Segal was born, raised, and educated in the United States. He received his PhD in religion from Princeton University. He taught in the US for many years at Reed College, Stanford University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Tulane University before relocating to the UK in fall 1994. He taught at Lancaster University, before moving in 2006 to the University of Aberdeen, where he is Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies. He teaches and writes on theories of myth and on theories of religion. Among the books he has written or edited are Joseph Campbell (1987, 1990) The Gnostic Jung (1992), Jung on Mythology (1998), The Myth and Ritual Theory (1998), Theorizing about Myth (1999), The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion (2006), and 30-Second Mythology (2012). He is currently editing the Oxford Handbook of Myth Theory.
Series: Very Short Introductions
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 2 edition (September 1, 2015)
Some of the best stories about Ancient Greece are mixed with actual historical events: equal parts truth and fantasy, and that’s what makes them so intriguing. The Trojan War for example, in which we see the hero Achilles, the bulwark of the Greek Army who saved the kidnapped Helen, is told from the perspective of his goddess mother. But did you know that according to the ancient Greeks, Achilles had the choice to live a long and happy life or die by his ambition to be remembered as a hero? Even with all the intervention of his Immortal mother who called in favors from the gods, she could not change the fate of her son, which was allegedly set by the Fates when he was born. Greek Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Heroines, Monsters, and Classic Greek Myths of All Time is filled with interesting tidbits about the most popular heroes, gods and goddesses, as well as some little known facts and interpretations about their lives. You’ll find timelines and the genealogy of the Immortals as well as the men and women who were subjected to their whims and used as pawns to further their intentions. It gives us deep insight into the philosophy of this “religion”, into the minds of great thinkers of the time and how they viewed their world – the earth, the heavens, the stars, and the afterlife. But this book is as entertaining as it is informative. Discover how the great Olympian and King of the Gods, Zeus himself, was controlled by his wife, Hera, and how something as meaningless as a pomegranate seed fated poor Persephone to being the Goddess of the Underworld, at least part-time, that is. Find out about the four seasons, what or who inspires music and poetry, why life is limited to a certain span of time, how each person is allotted certain gifts and why, how the gods intervene, what came before Olympus, and how we got the names of many of our constellations and stars. It may seem like superstition today, but a mere 3000 years ago, these were strongly held beliefs that influenced everything in daily life including philosophy, religion and government in the same way today’s dominant religions influence society. Greek Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Heroines, Monsters, and Classic Greek Myths of All Time is a fun read and a book you’ll want to refer to again and again. It should find a place in your reference library and onto your reading list.
Paperback: 242 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 16, 2015)
The Book of Greek and Roman Folktales, Legends, and Myths
The first anthology ever to present the entire range of ancient Greek and Roman stories―from myths and fairy tales to jokes
Captured centaurs and satyrs, talking animals, people who suddenly change sex, men who give birth, the temporarily insane and the permanently thick-witted, delicate sensualists, incompetent seers, a woman who remembers too much, a man who cannot laugh―these are just some of the colorful characters who feature in the unforgettable stories that ancient Greeks and Romans told in their daily lives. Together they created an incredibly rich body of popular oral stories that include, but range well beyond, mythology―from heroic legends, fairy tales, and fables to ghost stories, urban legends, and jokes. This unique anthology presents the largest collection of these tales ever assembled. Featuring nearly four hundred stories in authoritative and highly readable translations, this is the first book to offer a representative selection of the entire range of traditional classical storytelling.
Set mostly in the world of humans, not gods, these stories focus on figures such as lovers, tricksters, philosophers, merchants, rulers, athletes, artists, and soldiers. The narratives range from the well-known―for example, Cupid and Psyche, Diogenes and his lantern, and the tortoise and the hare―to lesser-known tales that deserve wider attention. Entertaining and fascinating, they offer a unique window into the fantasies, anxieties, humor, and passions of the people who told them.
Complete with beautiful illustrations by Glynnis Fawkes, a comprehensive introduction, notes, and more, this one-of-a-kind anthology will delight general readers as well as students of classics, fairy tales, and folklore.
Hardcover: 584 pages
Publisher: Princeton University Press; F First Edition edition (March 7, 2017)
Mythology The Gods, Heroes, and Monsters of Ancient Greece
Presenting the newest discovery in the series with the Midas touch — a mythical exploration fit for the gods.
In the early nineteenth century, an English nobleman embarked on a tour of the sites of ancient Greece. He brought as his guide a primer on Greek myths written by his friend Lady Hestia Evans, a devotee of Lord Byron who had recently taken the same voyage. In the true Romantic spirit, Lady Hestia’s book was not only lavishly illustrated but also boasted many paper crafts and novelties, including a card game featuring the twelve Olympians, an oak-leaf oracle of Zeus, a pop-up Pandora’s box (with hope still inside), a booklet retelling the tale of Odysseus, a piece of the Golden Fleece, a gold OBOLOS coin to pay the ferryman on the River Styx, and many more flaps, foldouts, and other surprises. The nobleman added his own witty comments and drawings along the way, but seems to have wished for something odd at the Delphic oracle: as the book nears its end, it slowly begins to turn . . .to gold. Now, for lovers of Greek myths and those just discovering their timeless power, this fascinating volume is faithfully reproduced with all its Romantic ambience, clever wit and novelty features intact.
Hardcover: 29 pages
Publisher: Candlewick Press; First Edition edition (August 28, 2007)
The Illustrated A-Z Of Classic Mythology
A comprehensive reference source to the ancient world's most fascinating mythologies, bringing together the Classical legends of ancient Greece and Rome; the fairytale myths of the Celtic world; and from Northern Europe, tales of Germanic gods, Nordic warriors and giants.
About the Author
Arthur Cotterell has lectured and written widely on the mythologies and ancient civilizations of the world and is respected as a world-renowned authority on the subject. Former Principal of Kingston College in London, he is the author of the best-selling Dictionary of World Mythology, as well as books on the civilizations of East Asia.
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Lorenz Books (January 7, 2014)
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
In the first half, author Arthur Cotterell describes the central mythical figures of classical Greece and Rome, the Celtic heroes and the Nordic gods. In the second part, author Rachel Storm expertly leads us through the powerful pantheon of gods and goddesses of the East from Ancient Egypt through Central Asia, to the dragon festivals of eastern lands. Pictorial features focus on recurring mythological themes, including heroes, oracles and prophecies. This comprehensive A-Z guide is timeless in its universal appeal.
About the Author
Arthur Cotterell has lectured and written widely on the mythologies and ancient civilizations of the world. He is Principal of Kingston College in London, and author of the best-selling Dictionary of World Mythology, as well as books on the civilizations of East Asia. Rachel Storm is a journalist and author specializing in religion, alternative religion and spirituality. Her works include In Search of Heaven and The Sacred Sea. She has written introductions to several books on mythology.
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Southwater (September 16, 2012)
The Complete World of Greek Mythology (The Complete Series)
A full, authoritative, and wholly engaging account of these endlessly fascinating tales and of the ancient society in which they were created.
Greek myths are among the most complex and influential stories ever told. From the first millennium BC until today, the myths have been repeated in an inexhaustible series of variations and reinterpretations. They can be found in the latest movies and television shows and in software for interactive computer games. This book combines a retelling of Greek myths with a comprehensive account of the world in which they developed―their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape.
"Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts, such as ritual and theater.
"Myths of Origin" includes stories about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the first humans, and the founding of communities.
"The Olympians: Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main divinities.
"Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes.
"Family sagas" explores the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines.
"A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld.
"Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance, to the twenty-first century.
Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks.
250 illustrations, 120 in color
Series: The Complete Series
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Thames & Hudson (June 28, 2004)
World Mythology: The Illustrated Guide
The great myths of the world create meaning out of the fundamental events of human existence: birth, death, conflict, loss, reconciliation, the cycle of the seasons. They speak to us of life itself in voices still intelligible, yet compellingly strange and distant. World Mythology offers readers an authoritative and wide-ranging guide to these enduring mythological traditions, combining the pure narrative of the myths themselves with the background necessary for more complete understanding.
Here, noted mythology expert Roy Willis, brings together a team of nineteen leading scholars navigate a clear path through the complexities of myth as they distill the essence of each regional tradition and focus on the most significant figures and the most enthralling stories. All aspects of the world's key mythologies are covered, from tales of warring deities and demons to stories of revenge and metamorphosis; from accounts of lustful gods and star-crossed human lovers to journeys in the underworld. All are told at length and are accompanied by illuminating and readable introductory text. Also included are summaries of important theories about the origins and meaning of myth, and an examination of themes that recur across a range of civilizations.
Beautifully illustrated with more than 500 color photographs, works of art, charts, and maps, World Mythology offers readers the most accessible guide yet to the heritage of the world's imagination.
About the Author
Roy Willis, Ph.D., is Honorary Fellow in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh.
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (June 29, 2006)
The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
The only work of its kind to survive from classical antiquity, the Library of Apollodorus is a unique guide to Greek mythology, from the origins of the universe to the Trojan War.
Apollodorus' Library has been used as a source book by classicists from the time of its compilation in the 1st-2nd century BC to the present, influencing writers from antiquity to Robert Graves. It provides a complete history of Greek myth, telling the story of each of the great families of heroic mythology, and the various adventures associated with the main heroes and heroines, from Jason and Perseus to Heracles and Helen of Troy. As a primary source for Greek myth, as a reference work, and as an indication of how the Greeks themselves viewed their mythical traditions, the Library is indispensable to anyone who has an interest in classical mythology.
Robin Hard's accessible and fluent translation is supplemented by comprehensive notes, a map and full genealogical tables. The introduction gives a detailed account of the Library's sources and situates it within the fascinating narrative traditions of Greek mythology.
About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
About the Author
Robin Hard is Tutor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Reading.
Series: Oxford World's Classics
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (August 1, 2008)
World Mythology: An Anthology of Great Myths and Epics
World Mythology is a compilation of over 50 great myths and epics. Your students will gain an appreciation and understanding of ancient and modern cultures through myths and epics from the Middle East, Greece and Rome, the Far East and Pacific islands, the British Isles, Northern Europe, Africa, and the Americas. An introduction and historical background supplement each myth. Questions at the end of each selection prompt analysis and response.
About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide.
Paperback: 722 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education; 3 edition (February 12, 2001)
Prodigal Genius: The Extraordinary Life of Nikola Tesla
Before the turn of the 20th century, electricity remained a mere scientific curiosity. Nikola Tesla, arguably more than anyone else, changed that. But Tesla's pioneering research in electricity represents only a portion of the scientific and technical innovations that elevated him to science godhood.
Prodigal Genius, The Extraordinary Life of Nikola Tesla covers, among other topics, the story of Tesla's inspiration for his career in engineering, shows his theories of electricity that went against the scientific establishment, explores his friendships, investigates the story of the lost Nobel Prize, and, dig into Tesla's own views of the paranormal.
Written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author John J. O'Neill, Prodigal Genius, The Extraordinary Life of Nikola Tesla details the life of one the greatest geniuses of our time.
Hardcover: 324 pages
Publisher: Discovery Publisher (July 26, 2018)
The bush connection book is a non-fiction history book that details the bush family's connection to SS Nazi war criminals. it provides photos, names and aliases of the C.I.A.'s favorite SS Nazi war criminal terrorist spook employees who are all supposed to be dead according to the C.I.A. including never before published photos of Dr. Josef Mengele, Reinhardt Gehlen, Frank Wisner, Alois Brunner, Walter Rauff and more.
Dr. Josef Mengele is the Zodiac Killer, the real Boston Strangler and the real 2001 anthrax mailer killer who all have never been caught!
The Nazis murdered Dr. Nikola Tesla in 1943!
George HW Bush the 41st president wasn't born in America and his last name isn't really Bush!
George H. W. Bush is really George H. Scherff Jr. the son of Dr. Nikola Tesla's illegal immigrant born accountant George H. Scherff Sr.
George H. W. Bush was the badgeman on the grassy knoll!
See never before published photos of Barbara Bush and SS Nazi George H. Scherff aka: George H.W. Bush with SS Nazis: Otto Skorzeny, Josef Mengele, Martin Bormann, Reinhardt Gehlen and more!
See the only photo of Hitler in existence after his alleged suicide!
Hitler's SS Gestapo merged with the American OSS to form the CIA.
See photos of a donuts on a rope vapor contrail put out by the Aurora spyplane!
Can you name one good thing the CIA has ever done for America?
File Size: 74842 KB
Print Length: 359 pages
Publisher: ERIK ORION; 1 edition (August 1, 2003): 136 pages
George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography
This is the groundbreaking classic expose of the Bush family, cited by all that followed it, yet still unmatched. Exhaustively documented by intensive search of dozens of archives and months of interviews with government insiders, this biography digs up all the dirt - frightening, gory, hilarious - on the Bush dynasty: how the Bushes made their fortune building up Hitler and the Nazi war machine; Iran-Contra; Zapata's Watergate burglars; the Reagan shooting; the 'war hero' story; the secret government; 'Eugenic' population reduction plans; Kissinger, China, and genocide in the Third World; Luring Iraq to attack Kuwait; The Bush Leveraged Buyout Mob, theft of a nation; Jupiter Island, Skull and Bones, and other power bases. Essential reading as long as this Anglo-American oligarchy directs American politics, the "Unauthorised Biography" is a vivid X-ray of the presidential dynasty, and the private forces dominating both major political parties.
About the Author
Webster Griffin Tarpley is an activist and historian best known for his George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography (1992), an underground classic. An expert on international terrorism with decades of experience, he directed the study Chi ha ucciso Aldo Moro? (Who Killed Aldo Moro?), which was commissioned by a member of the Italian government and published in Rome in 1978. He also co-authored American Leviathan: Administrative Fascism Under the Bush Regime (1991), which identified many tendencies which have become prominent today, and Surviving the Cataclysm (1999), an analysis of the world financial crisis. Against Oligarchy, a collection of his essays and speeches, appeared on the internet in 1996. He has appeared on CNN Crossfire, Charlie Rose, talk radio, and cable access television across North America.
Anton Chaitkin is an historian and investigative reporter. Chaitkin has written hundreds of articles on economic and political history and current affairs. His 1985 book Treason in America: from Aaron Burr to Averell Harriman, documented the takeover of U.S. policy by "blue-bloods" from their family archives.
Like father like son: During the 1930's Chaitkin's father, a New York attorney and Jewish political activist, carried out a legal fight against Wall Street and London financiers propping up the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler in Germany, resulting in the indictment of Prescott Bush, father of U.S. President George Bush (Sr).
He is co-author of George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography, which helped decide the 1992 election against Bush. He has collaborated with Lyndon LaRouche since 1966.
Paperback: 700 pages
Publisher: Progressive Press; Reprint edition (October 7, 2004)
American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush
The Bushes are the family nobody really knows, says Kevin Phillips. This popular lack of acquaintance—nurtured by gauzy imagery of Maine summer cottages, gray-haired national grandmothers, July Fourth sparklers, and cowboy boots—has let national politics create a dynasticized presidency that would have horrified America's founding fathers. They, after all, had led a revolution against a succession of royal Georges.
In this devastating book, onetime Republican strategist Phillips reveals how four generations of Bushes have ascended the ladder of national power since World War One, becoming entrenched within the American establishment—Yale, Wall Street, the Senate, the CIA, the vice presidency, and the presidency—through a recurrent flair for old-boy networking, national security involvement, and political deception. By uncovering relationships and connecting facts with new clarity, Phillips comes to a stunning conclusion: The Bush family has systematically used its financial and social empire—its "aristocracy"—to gain the White House, thereby subverting the very core of American democracy. In their ambition, the Bushes ultimately reinvented themselves with brilliant timing, twisting and turning from silver spoon Yankees to born-again evangelical Texans. As America—and the world—holds its breath for the 2004 presidential election, American Dynasty explains how it happened and what it all means.
About the Author
Kevin Phillips has been a political and economic commentator for more than three decades. A former White House strategist, he is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and NPR and writes for Harper’s and Time. His books include New York Times bestsellers The Politics of Rich and Poor and Wealth and Democracy.
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books; 1st edition (September 7, 2004)
George Bush: The Life of a Lone Star Yankee
Parmet (Richard Nixon and His America, LJ 12/89) spent six years researching and writing this biography. Bush gave him complete access to his papers and personal correspondence and granted several interviews, from which Parmet has constructed a comprehensive, sympathetic portrait. Bush's career as a successful player in the world of Texas politics and oil is interestingly retold, as is the complicated, sordid relationship between CIA director Bush and Panamanian drug dealer and sometimes CIA operative Manuel Noriega. Bush is praised for his military success in the Gulf War and his diplomatic finesse toward the former Soviet Union. Ultimately, decides the author, Bush was denied a second term because he alienated the Republican Right Wing and appeared indifferent to the economic plight of workers. This fine narrative would have been improved by an analytical summation of Bush's legacy and a comparison to other modern presidents. Recommended for public and academic libraries. Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, Pa. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Hardcover: 576 pages
Publisher: Scribner; Complete Numbers Starting with 1, 1st Ed edition (November 4, 1997)
