4 out of 4 stars
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Harold Toliver’s The Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In argues that the common person has been lead to believe fictional fabrications and myths instead of reality. These false notions seem to be derived from the influence of society’s leaders—such as philosophers. The author suggests that readers should question their reality while carefully taking proper evidence into consideration.
The book begins with a discussion that establishes what the author believes is hypothetical and utterly false in order to make the argument in the rest of the book. Topics include what text really intends to truly say, the depiction of reality, our tendency to “filter evidence”, and historiography versus myths. The grammar is professionally edited, the ideas are organized, and the argument is supported by credible sources. The structure of the whole book is carefully well-crafted.
Toliver especially talked about the influence of leaders and their roles in inspiring people. For example, a common religious person may have borrowed or inherited ideas from their family or religious leaders. He also discusses about the common relationship between a common person and the spiritual beings. Another example would be the government’s use of propaganda with the intention of influencing particular groups. Regardless of the topic, the author often uses history, accompanied by logical thinking, as his main source of evidence.
What I liked most was that the author seemed to be making his argument with an objective standpoint. In fact, the citations consists of psychology, history, sources published by universities, and more. Knowing that his argument is made without any subjective influence, I felt that it was worth giving my attention and reading his whole argument. There wasn’t anything in particular that I disliked. The ideas discussed provide a wide variety of examples and are easy to understand. Despite this, there are numerous words that were added to my vocabulary.
I recommend these books to readers that are interested in philosophy, science, and history. It is also worth noting that the author makes many references to other forms of text. That being said, I believe that this book is less suitable for people who have not read many books. However, I can’t recommend this book to those who are in search of a book with some plot. Keep in mind that some parts of the book may be found controversial for religious readers. Due to the well-organized structure and interesting exploration of ideas, I rate Toliver’s book 4 out of 4 stars.
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Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In
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