 "the Power of Myth" | 2008-09-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3VJAHHHBM3OU7 |
| I got the book title from looking at a television programme and now, having read the book, I wonder how I've lived so long (I'm 61) without ever having heard of Joseph Campbell. Anyway, it's a great book by a great man and it arrived, as is usual for Amazon, in mint condition. So thank you. |
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| "Resonates with the song of the universe deep inside us." | 2008-08-25 |
| - Reviewed By oakshaman |
I have lost track of just how many times I have listened to this set of conversations, but they never seem to grow old to me. It might be a year or more between my getting them down from the shelf, but they still completely emgross me. Perhaps that is the best indication that eternal truths are being discussed here.
Mr. Campbell recorded these sessions with Bill Moyers during the last two summers of his life. I find it significant that he didn't dispair, nor did he abandon or radically alter his life's work. No, he continued to draw strength from it and continued to believe that it was worth passing on to others. That is the sort of teacher that I want to listen to.
When I was a boy "myth" seemed to largely be equated with "lie", or at least with primitive ignorance. Joseph Campbell changed that misunderstanding for me. Thanks to these talks, and his other works, I comprehended that myths bring us to a level of consciousness that is spiritual and embedded deeply in our collective unconscious. It speaks to heart and not our brain (which, after all, is a secondary organ.)
As for his philosophy of "finding your bliss", it truly is the influence of a vital person to vitalize the world around them, thereby saving both their self and the world. If you do not eventually find your true center and act from it you are always going to be off balance. |
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| "Thought-provoking" | 2008-07-25 |
| - Reviewed By ohiobusymom |
There is a reviewer in here who said that this book wasn't fit to read even for students in philosophy classes or whatever. I strongly disagree. This book is a wonderful introduction to the world's myths. I would have never picked this book up if it weren't for my dad, another avid reader. I've had this book for several months and had to put it down in between readings since it was not grabbing my interest like it should. (It's easy to see why, this book should be read and thoroughly enjoyed and pondered upon, of which I simply did not have the time to do so!)
I wish I had a copy of this book in my world history class in college because it would have made that class so much more interesting. It is a compliation of interviews between Bill Moyer and Joseph Campbell. It sounds boring since it is basically a transcripts of their TV interviews, but it really isn't. It is thoroughly interesting and the passion Campbell has for his education, thoughts, desires and life shines through the written word. And Campbell is a very passionate man, full of life and ideas. Men (or women) like him do not come along that often and this book is a great introduction to a forward thinker on the thoughts and philosophy of the world's myths, religions, history and more.
The basic premise of Campbell's philosophy in this book is to follow your bliss. There is more to life than what meets the eye and he uses examples after examples of old myths to show the idea that mankind has always been on the search for purpose of life, how to live life fully and how religion can hamper that desire. It is very interesting and very thought-provoking and insightful look in the human need to know where he/she belongs.
I know that my dad is a big fan of Campbell's work so I am sure he'll be passing along other books of Campbell's. I have to admit that after reading this one, I am even more intrigued.
7/25/08 |
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| "only you can walk the correct path in your own life" | 2008-05-22 |
| - Reviewed By afurgang |
| If you think taking advice from other people about what you should do and where you should go is smart then you will never be happy. It's when you settle down and do what you want that you will finally realize what you were meant to do. No one else can tell you this or show you this. It's also when you stop searching, and trying so hard that the path you were meant to take will appear before your feet. Usually most people can not see it and they PUSH where they think they should go, rather than be where they should. Also, money, should never enter into your consideration when making a life decision. |
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| "Outstanding" | 2008-05-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A6GZPMW954BLQ |
| For anyone interested in life, history, phychology, culture ...the human experience...this is a "must". Joseph Campbell articulates how the underlying currents of our experience(internal & external)are reflected both individually and in masses through our mythology; where we've come from and where we're going. He does so with the expertise of a teacher who has the ability to reach into everyone from the novice to the expert and inject excitement into the subject. |
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| "A fitting Introduction" | 2008-05-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1HQZ2RIK5RGJJ |
| It isn't often that one comes across a book that can be referenced again and again. This is probably best described as broad overview of the late Joseph Campbell's best work. For those who are not familiar with the scholar's previous works, including the world renowned "Hero with a Thousand Faces" (which has also been reviewed), this work covers the vast expanse of Campbell's ideas and research over the course of his lifetime. The volumes of his scholarly work may be a bit intimidating to the uninitiated, but for the casual reader who would like a taste of mythology, psychology, art and religion, this work is a great and welcome piece that should belong in every philosopher's library. The conversational style of the writing is very accessable and makes the reader feel as if they are privy to a private talk with the man himself. The breadth of knowledge and humor with which Campbell presents his material is a great way for readers to get the sense of what a lecture from the man was like. This book is the definative work on the subject and has even been condensed down to the bare bones elements by Hollywood screenwriters and playwrights. This work is also available in audio format and on DVD. Overall, a wonderful introduction to Joseph Campbell and his ideas. |
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| ""A Revolutionary Impact"" | 2008-03-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2UDXJVVP0Y298 |
I spent many years as a person of faith before I encountered the perspective that I now identify with Joseph Campbell. The guiding idea of this book, as well as his work overall, is that of discovering the deep principles that are at work in the myths or stories of all cultures. He has challenged me to think anew about the "myth of Christianity" and how it is, in the words of Gordon Kaufman of Harvard Divinity School, "an imaginative human construct."
The most intriguing discussion of the book is reported as a conversation of Campbell with Bill Moyers. In response to Campbell's assertion that he was seeeking "for a centering in terms of deep pinciples," Moyers said, "You are talking about a search for the meaning of life." But Campbell would have none of that. He responds, "No! I am talking about the experience of being alive! People say that what we're seeking is a meaning in life. I don't think that is what we are really seeking. I think that what we are seeking is the experience of being alive so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive."
At this point I want to disagree with Campbell, a choice I make with trepidation. What he is saying doesn't seem anything more than the "will to pleasure," with a dash of ecstasy through in as flavoring. Epicurus didn't convince me and Campbell isn't succeeding either.
But because I have such a genuine respect for the thrust of Campbell's work I knew that I had to think again about the question of the source of meaning. Who is right -- Freud or Adler or Frankl or Campbell? I tend to side with Frankl but there is reason to give other perspectives their due. I understand Campbell's assertion to mean that the "will to pleasure" or "the rapture of being allive" is the heart of the human experience. I doubt that he or Freud can defend that view successfully in a world of such misery. It's a view that is more hopeful than realistic. Not convincing. The darker side of human nature is rejected. Or, at minimun, ignored. Yet the fact that I was confronted in such a way that I had to think my perspective through again is a STRONG recommendation of this book! Read it and enjoy it. The fact it was written several years ago as a report of a television program doesn't lessen its value. Along with "the new cosmology" and the "Jesus Seminar," Campbell's notion of myth has had "a revolutionary impact" on me. |
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 "A very interesting read and infomative!" | 2008-03-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2WHDFWMXDU81N |
| I found this book to be quite interesting and running the gamut between challengeing one's ideas about life to how we actually fit in life. This book is packed with life wisdom. The books format is a question and answer format with Joseph Campbell who clearly has spent his life studying the myths which man has chosen to live by. I can see why some people get unglued when they read this book for it is hard to have one's view so closely examined in an objective manner rather than a subjective one. I found I was able to read through it quickly and really understand what the author intended. Give it read, you won't be disapointed. |
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| "The Power of Myth, A hero within us - Relate it with modern society" | 2008-02-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: AJS43VGQQ986 |
He has answers to your quest. He does not wait, does not think twice, does not vary in his statements but he answers all your questions. The questions that you had been asking yourself about the purpose of your being in this world, questions about nature, questions about what is right and what is wrong.
Different people can have different uses for Joseph Campbell's study about mythology. If Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas can create movies out of it, you or anyone else can understand the power that mythology have had in the history of human life. An author like Dave Lakhani can refer Joseph Campbell's work when he is talking about Storytelling concept (marketing). That is entirely your own perception (like always) however the point is that this book is a must read. Even if you do not read the book but do get acquainted with the concept of mythology and storytelling and it's relation to human behavior. You would be presented with great insights and would smile on many occasions.
This is a work of a scholar, hence, how I review should not matter. Also, would try to focus on one point. The review is not just about the book but the entire concept of Mythologies. The reference to Buddha, Mohammad, Christ who understood mythologies and it is said that they used the concept to convey their message to the masses. If you are seeking information about persuasion, grow up from persuading an individual to persuading masses to lead them to what is right. This is where Mythology comes into picture. At one instance, he even mentions that Mythologies are neither truth nor lies but it is something that is generated out of the day to day problems that individuals faced in history and even today.
"How to live a human life under any circumstances, only myths can tell you that." excerpt from the interview.
My next book in reading is his another great work "The Hero with 1000 faces." It is a journey of how heros are formed in Mythologies and the real hero that exists within all or us. |
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| "Symbology light" | 2008-02-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2O9L2LA6Z5LXJ |
This book, The Power of Myth, is a slightly expanded and re-edited version of the Moyers/Campbell interviews, now nicely illustrated and organized more or less by general topic or concept. It is not exhaustive, but does give one a taste of what Campbell's life work was all about.
What was it all about? Man's short span on earth, consumed by a search for self-meaning, has generated innumerable stories, myths, symbols and subcontexts, archetypes familiar and unfamiliar, all pointing in generally the same direction, often strikingly similar in nature and tone. Campbell's work in comparitive religion and mythology contrasted and compiled and amazing variety of these, and through his many books charted the course of our search for ourselves, and meaning in the universe. Along the way he discarded more popular notions of organized religion in favor of a more individual path, neatly summarizable as, "Follow your bliss."
The book itself is organized by concept, i.e. the Mother Goddess, the Hero, Love & Marriage, the Journey Inward, and so on, but again and again, through culture after culture, the message resonates the same. These conversations are often insightful, always wide-ranging, and from time to time deeply personal, but always interesting. While by itself this book will teach few people much, they may well steer them to Campbell's much deeper examination of the various topics he here touches upon, and in that sense the book is well worth reading if only to whet the neophytes appetites in that way.
A well done and nicely illustrated volume with plenty to think about and consider. |
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