Anthropology and Myth
Compiled and Indexed by Richard Seltzer B&R Samizdat Express - January 11, 2006
ISBN: 0-917466-55-1
Genre: Social Science, Mythology
Reviewed by Rochelle Caviness - February 14, 2006
Anthropology is the scientific study of mankind's development, customs, and culture. Mythology, on the other hand, offers a unique window into how various cultures view themselves and the world they live in. These divergent yet corresponding modes of study, one scientific and one literary, offers readers an intriguing and edifying glimpse into the world of man. Richard Seltzer's Anthropology and Myth CD contains a collection of more than 150 books covering such interrelated topics as Anthropology, Archaeology, Mythology, and Folklore. These books, which are all contained on a single CD, provide an unprecedented opportunity for readers to acquire a large collection of books, at minimal cost, while also offering them a chance to read a selection of books that cover a broad range of cultures and belief systems.
The texts in this collection cover a wide range of cultures and countries, in English language, or books translated into English from such diverse regions as the Pacific Islands, Russia, Spain, the Middle East, Japan, India, Great Britain, and Africa, and from such cultural groups as Native American Indians, Norsemen, Ancient Greeks, and the Babylonians. The texts in this collection are divided into two main sections. The first is a general category with basic texts covering anthropology, archaeology, fairy tales, Interpretation of Mythology, and Myths and Legends. The second section contains books that are organized by specific country, region, or cultural group. The books in the second section range from books on mythology and folklore to anthropological treatises and archaeological studies. There is a good mix of both nonfiction and fiction books in this collection, and the literary works will interest readers of all ages as these works include such standards as Aesop's Fables, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Andrew Lang's color coded fairy books, and Bulfinch's three volume Mythology series.
This collection is ideal for not only students and educators, but also for anyone seeking to read about other peoples and cultures. The books in this collection are primarily saved as plain text-files, with a few in html code. Those in html code are best open using a standard web browser. However, they can also be opened with many word processing programs such as Word and WordPerfect. The in addition to being able to access these files with web browsers and word processing programs, the plain text files can also be opened by most text editing programs such as NotePad and EditPad. This collection is contained on a computer CD and can only be used on Windows PCs, as well a recent MACs using OS 10 or higher.
A sampling of the books that you will find in this collection include:
Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel by Ignatius Donnelly
Bygone Beliefs by H. Stanley Redgrove
The Prehistoric World by E.A. Allen
The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria by Theophilus Pinches
Heroic Romances of Ireland, translated by A.H. Leahey
The Book of the Dead by E.A. Wallis Budge
Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell
Njal's Saga
The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon by Corenelius Willcox
The Greek Myths, Volumes I and II, by Robert Graves.
This is a massive book, and it is the standard reference book on Greek Mythology. It delves into the various creation myths, and births and lives of the various Greek gods, the role of the elemental forces in Greek mythology such as Chaos and Eros, as well as exploring the roles and stories of the Titans, the lesser gods, and other supernatural figures, such as witches.
The Naked Eye, by Desmond Morris.
Morris has a keen eye for detail and a ready wit that will have you chuckling as you read this fascinating book filled with autobiographical and natural history essays slash travel monologues that chronicle Morris's adventures in observing human behavior around the globe.
