Managing Monsters

Managing Monsters PDF Author: Marina Warner
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1409028704
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 129

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Book Description
In early 1994 Marina Warner delivered the prestigious Reith Lectures for the BBC. In a series of six lectures, she takes areas of contemporary concern and relates them to stories from mythology and fairy tale which continue to grip the modern imagination. She analyses the fury about single mothers and the anxiety about masculinity in the light of ideals about male heroism and control; the current despair about children and the loss of childhood innocence; the changing attitude of myths about wild men and beasts and the undertow of racism which is expressed in myths about savages and cannibals. The last lecture, on home, brings the themes together to examine ideas about who we are and where we belong, with reference to the British nation and its way of telling its own history. Using a range of examples from video games to Turner's paintings, from popular films to Keats, Marina Warner interweaves her critique of fantasy, dream and prejudice.

Managing Monsters

Managing Monsters PDF Author: Marina Warner
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1409028704
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 129

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Book Description
In early 1994 Marina Warner delivered the prestigious Reith Lectures for the BBC. In a series of six lectures, she takes areas of contemporary concern and relates them to stories from mythology and fairy tale which continue to grip the modern imagination. She analyses the fury about single mothers and the anxiety about masculinity in the light of ideals about male heroism and control; the current despair about children and the loss of childhood innocence; the changing attitude of myths about wild men and beasts and the undertow of racism which is expressed in myths about savages and cannibals. The last lecture, on home, brings the themes together to examine ideas about who we are and where we belong, with reference to the British nation and its way of telling its own history. Using a range of examples from video games to Turner's paintings, from popular films to Keats, Marina Warner interweaves her critique of fantasy, dream and prejudice.

Great Myths of the World

Great Myths of the World PDF Author:
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486120392
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
A collection of tales from ancient myth and legend. Isis and Osiris, Gilgamesh, Hercules, Pandora, Quetzalcoatl, and other larger-than-life figures populate these pages in a wonderful treasury for all ages.

Cassandra Speaks

Cassandra Speaks PDF Author: Elizabeth Lesser
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062887203
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
What story would Eve have told about picking the apple? Why is Pandora blamed for opening the box? And what about the fate of Cassandra who was blessed with knowing the future but cursed so that no one believed her? What if women had been the storytellers? Elizabeth Lesser believes that if women’s voices had been equally heard and respected throughout history, humankind would have followed different hero myths and guiding stories—stories that value caretaking, champion compassion, and elevate communication over vengeance and violence. Cassandra Speaks is about the stories we tell and how those stories become the culture. It’s about the stories we still blindly cling to, and the ones that cling to us: the origin tales, the guiding myths, the religious parables, the literature and films and fairy tales passed down through the centuries about women and men, power and war, sex and love, and the values we live by. Stories written mostly by men with lessons and laws for all of humanity. We have outgrown so many of them, and still they endure. This book is about what happens when women are the storytellers too—when we speak from our authentic voices, when we flex our values, when we become protagonists in the tales we tell about what it means to be human. Lesser has walked two main paths in her life—the spiritual path and the feminist one—paths that sometimes cross but sometimes feel at cross-purposes. Cassandra Speaks is her extraordinary merging of the two. The bestselling author of Broken Open and Marrow, Lesser is a beloved spiritual writer, as well as a leading feminist thinker. In this book she gives equal voice to the cool water of her meditative self and the fire of her feminist self. With her trademark gifts of both humor and insight, she offers a vision that transcends the either/or ideologies on both sides of the gender debate. Brilliantly structured into three distinct parts, Part One explores how history is carried forward through the stories a culture tells and values, and what we can do to balance the scales. Part Two looks at women and power and expands what it means to be courageous, daring, and strong. And Part Three offers “A Toolbox for Inner Strength.” Lesser argues that change in the culture starts with inner change, and that no one—woman or man—is immune to the corrupting influence of power. She provides inner tools to help us be both strong-willed and kind-hearted. Cassandra Speaks is a beautifully balanced synthesis of storytelling, memoir, and cultural observation. Women, men and all people will find themselves in the pages of this book, and will come away strengthened, opened, and ready to work together to create a better world for all people.

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology PDF Author: Scott O. Lilienfeld
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1444360744
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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Book Description
50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology uses popular myths as a vehicle for helping students and laypersons to distinguish science from pseudoscience. Uses common myths as a vehicle for exploring how to distinguish factual from fictional claims in popular psychology Explores topics that readers will relate to, but often misunderstand, such as 'opposites attract', 'people use only 10% of their brains', and 'handwriting reveals your personality' Provides a 'mythbusting kit' for evaluating folk psychology claims in everyday life Teaches essential critical thinking skills through detailed discussions of each myth Includes over 200 additional psychological myths for readers to explore Contains an Appendix of useful Web Sites for examining psychological myths Features a postscript of remarkable psychological findings that sound like myths but that are true Engaging and accessible writing style that appeals to students and lay readers alike

Founding Myths

Founding Myths PDF Author: Ray Raphael
Publisher: New Press, The
ISBN: 159558949X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
First published ten years ago, award-winning historian Ray Raphael’s Founding Myths has since established itself as a landmark of historical myth-busting. With the author’s trademark wit and flair, Founding Myths exposes the errors and inventions in America’s most cherished tales, from Paul Revere’s famous ride to Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech. For the seventy thousand readers who have been captivated by Raphael’s eye-opening accounts, history has never been the same. In this revised tenth-anniversary edition, Raphael revisits the original myths and explores their further evolution over the past decade, uncovering new stories and peeling back additional layers of misinformation. This new edition also examines the highly politicized debates over America’s past, as well as how school textbooks and popular histories often reinforce rather than correct historical mistakes. A book that “explores the truth behind the stories of the making of our nation” (National Public Radio), this revised edition of Founding Myths will be a welcome resource for anyone seeking to separate historical fact from fiction.

30 Great Myths about Shakespeare

30 Great Myths about Shakespeare PDF Author: Laurie Maguire
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470658509
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
Think you know Shakespeare? Think again . . . Was a real skull used in the first performance of Hamlet? Were Shakespeare's plays Elizabethan blockbusters? How much do we really know about the playwright's life? And what of his notorious relationship with his wife? Exploring and exploding 30 popular myths about the great playwright, this illuminating new book evaluates all the evidence to show how historical material—or its absence—can be interpreted and misinterpreted, and what this reveals about our own personal investment in the stories we tell.

50 Great Myths of Human Evolution

50 Great Myths of Human Evolution PDF Author: John H. Relethford
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470673923
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 301

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Book Description
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 readers and students. Examines intriguing—yet widely misunderstood—topics, from general ideas about evolution and human origins to the evolution of modern humans and recent trends in the field Describes what fossils, archaeology, and genetics can tell us about human origins Demonstrates the ways in which science adapts and changes over time to incorporate new evidence and better explanations 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” Comprised of stand-alone essays that are perfect for casual reading, as well as footnotes and references that allow readers to delve more deeply into topics

The Illustrated Book of Myths

The Illustrated Book of Myths PDF Author:
Publisher: DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley)
ISBN: 9780756622237
Category : Folklore
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A collection of myths from many cultures.

The Power of Myth

The Power of Myth PDF Author: Joseph Campbell
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0307794725
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 317

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Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An extraordinary book that reveals how the themes and symbols of ancient narratives continue to bring meaning to birth, death, love, and war. The Power of Myth launched an extraordinary resurgence of interest in Joseph Campbell and his work. A preeminent scholar, writer, and teacher, he has had a profound influence on millions of people—including Star Wars creator George Lucas. To Campbell, mythology was the “song of the universe, the music of the spheres.” With Bill Moyers, one of America’s most prominent journalists, as his thoughtful and engaging interviewer, The Power of Myth touches on subjects from modern marriage to virgin births, from Jesus to John Lennon, offering a brilliant combination of intelligence and wit. From stories of the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome to traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, a broad array of themes are considered that together identify the universality of human experience across time and culture. An impeccable match of interviewer and subject, a timeless distillation of Campbell’s work, The Power of Myth continues to exert a profound influence on our culture.

Mexico is Missing and Other Stories

Mexico is Missing and Other Stories PDF Author: J. David Stevens
Publisher: Ohio State University Press
ISBN: 0814251536
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description
What's America to do when, one day, Mexico suddenly disappears? That question, asked by the title story in Mexico Is Missing, sets the tone for a collection whose individual stories have been described as "provocative," "intensely relevant," and "wickedly macabre." Thematically and formally diverse, these pieces are unified by their devotion to the offbeat, even insane, moments of contemporary life. A widow hears a voice from her computer that claims to be God. An unnamed narrator develops an unhealthy fascination with his mailman. Several characters from a joke come to life and wonder what to do with themselves. A poet married to a porn star considers the real meaning of love. The subjects of this volume range widely. From Snoopy to Southern Baptists, from witch trials to infomercials, from the President's golf game to...well, the President's penis-anything is fair game in a collection that blends satire with a sincere desire to find meaning in the jumbled world that we daily inhabit. A literary critic and author, Stevens also demonstrates his formal range by juxtaposing traditional linear stories against micro-fictions and longer "fractured" narratives. The result is a book that traverses the literary map with impressive dexterity. Individually, the stories in Mexico Is Missing will provide various pleasures for every reader. But taken together, they represent a more profound effort to blend those diametric impulses-formal, cultural, and sociopolitical-which so often define contemporary experience. This collection of 23 short stories by J. David Stevens is clever, sardonic, and humorous. While you're laughing Stevens also gives you plenty of things to think about-spirituality, the negligence of the mass media, American politics, and relationships. Book jacket.