Review by Bella Hough -- Mythic Worlds and the One You C...
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[Following is a volunteer review of "Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In" by Harold Toliver.]
[rbc=4]id208550-125[/rbc]
With the development of language, so came the development of “illusions, trickery, and treachery.” As a result of myth, we’ve seen group-think and political agendas directly lead to turmoil and the cost of morality in many cases. Toliver uses several examples over our history in order to craft his argument, one of the most prominent being Hitler’s reign. He uses this to detail the role propagating myths played in the creation of war and the alienation and subjugation of an entire group of people.
Though the author takes more of a pessimistic route, eventually arguing myths are to blame for much of the tumult in the 20th century, he begins with the assertion that myths simply formulated in the minds of man as a way to draw conclusions for phenomena that weren’t understood at the time:
“…myth creating was a dynamic process in which the mind, reacting with excitement, produced narratives that answered as much to the excitement as to phenomena themselves. Deities hurling lightning bolts are better for some purposes than treatises on electricity.”
I appreciated the structure of this book and liked how well-crafted the author’s arguments were. His dive into philosophy and science proves to be incredibly convincing and it’s clear that Toliver has a deep understanding of subjects such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, geology and much more, all of which add credibility and depth to his writing. This is one that is certainly designed for readers with an interest in philosophy and the patience to spend a great deal of time digesting each piece of evidence being presented. This is definitely not a quick and easy read – the ideas presented are quite complex and take a great deal of thought to unravel.
My only critique is the emphasis on religion. Though not personally offended myself, I can see how many readers could be. Though this book is seemingly intended for examining myth in general, it spends a great deal of time focused specifically on religion and discourages it en masse.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for being an incredibly thought-provoking and engaging read that certainly prompts an interesting discussion. This was an eye opener for me personally and I truly enjoyed the piece as a whole. If possible, I would deduct half a star for the author’s focus on religion above all other forms of myth, but seeing as the ideas were well-presented, the research is thorough, and there were very few errors, this aspect alone is not enough for me to give it 3 stars instead of 4.
******
Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In
View: on Bookshelves
Like Bella Hough's review? Post a comment saying so!
With the development of language, so came the development of “illusions, trickery, and treachery.” As a result of myth, we’ve seen group-think and political agendas directly lead to turmoil and the cost of morality in many cases. Toliver uses several examples over our history in order to craft his argument, one of the most prominent being Hitler’s reign. He uses this to detail the role propagating myths played in the creation of war and the alienation and subjugation of an entire group of people.
Though the author takes more of a pessimistic route, eventually arguing myths are to blame for much of the tumult in the 20th century, he begins with the assertion that myths simply formulated in the minds of man as a way to draw conclusions for phenomena that weren’t understood at the time:
“…myth creating was a dynamic process in which the mind, reacting with excitement, produced narratives that answered as much to the excitement as to phenomena themselves. Deities hurling lightning bolts are better for some purposes than treatises on electricity.”
I appreciated the structure of this book and liked how well-crafted the author’s arguments were. His dive into philosophy and science proves to be incredibly convincing and it’s clear that Toliver has a deep understanding of subjects such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, geology and much more, all of which add credibility and depth to his writing. This is one that is certainly designed for readers with an interest in philosophy and the patience to spend a great deal of time digesting each piece of evidence being presented. This is definitely not a quick and easy read – the ideas presented are quite complex and take a great deal of thought to unravel.
My only critique is the emphasis on religion. Though not personally offended myself, I can see how many readers could be. Though this book is seemingly intended for examining myth in general, it spends a great deal of time focused specifically on religion and discourages it en masse.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars for being an incredibly thought-provoking and engaging read that certainly prompts an interesting discussion. This was an eye opener for me personally and I truly enjoyed the piece as a whole. If possible, I would deduct half a star for the author’s focus on religion above all other forms of myth, but seeing as the ideas were well-presented, the research is thorough, and there were very few errors, this aspect alone is not enough for me to give it 3 stars instead of 4.
******
Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In
View: on Bookshelves
Like Bella Hough's review? Post a comment saying so!
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