In his illuminating introduction, Robert Graves discusses the function of myth. He claims that in the first place, it serves to answer the type of awkward questions that children ask, like Who made the world or Who were the first people? The second function of myth is to justify an existing social system and to account for traditional customs and rites. Graves points out how myths of origin and eventual extinction vary according to the climate and that one finds a warm celestial afterworld in the north or a fresh flowered Elysian Field in Greece. He also deals with the Akan of Ghana and with Egypt and India. His conclusion is that myth is a dramatic shorthand record of stuff like invasions, migrations, dynastic changes, admission of foreign cults and social reforms. For example, when bread was first introduced in Greece, the myth of Demeter and Triptolemus sanctified its use.
The Encyclopedia investigates prehistoric mythology and that of Egypt, Assyro-Babylonia, Phoenicia, Greece, Rome, Persia, India, China, Japan, Oceania and that of the Celts, the Teutons, the Amerindians and Africans. It contains 34 colour plates and hundred of black and white illustrations and it concludes with a further reading list divided under different headings reflecting its chapter contents, plus a thorough index.
Kabbalah Revealed: The Ordinary Person’s Guide to a More Peaceful Life
Added by: LianaSaakova | Karma: 26.69 | Fiction literature | 24 June 2007
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Kabbalah Revealed: The Ordinary Person’s Guide to a More Peaceful Lifeis a clearly-written, user-friendly guide to making sense of the surrounding world while achieving inner peace. Each of the six chapters in this book focuses on a different aspect of the ancient wisdom of Kabbalah, shedding new light on a teaching that has too often been shrouded in mystery and misconceptions. A subtle, yet profound idea weaves the book’s chapters into a coherent and concrete whole.
The first three chapters in Kabbalah Revealed tell reader why the present world is in a state of crisis, explaining how our growing desires promote progress as well as alienation, and why the biggest deterrent to achieving positive change is rooted in our own spirits.
Chapters Four through Six offer a prescription for positive change. Therein, we learn how we can use our spirits to build a personally peaceful life in harmony with all of Creation.
For the first time ever, the timeless principles of Kabbalah are explained for a general readership by a world-renowned scholar of Kabbalah – Rav Michael Laitman, PhD. For those seeking to achieve transformational change on a personal, communal or global level, Kabbalah Revealed is required reading.
Great Speeches of the 20th Century
Students and teachers of history, enthusiasts of speechmaking, and
folks needing something different to spice up those mix tapes with will
enjoy this inspired four-disc tour of a century. It's a bit heavy on
events a baby boomer is most likely to be interested in, but there's
nothing wrong with knowing one's audience. For the most part, these
recordings make 20th-century history appear to be happening right now.
It might sound clichéd, but it really is a thrill to hear history in
the making: Woodrow Wilson lying to the American Indians, Gloria
Steinem addressing the National Organization for Women, the launch of
sputnik, Dr. King delivering the "I Have a Dream" speech with intense
clarity and emotion, Kennedy delivering his infamous address to the
nation after being sworn in, the very first recording ever made on an
Edison phonograph, Nixon resigning in shame, Hitler hatefully ranting
about Germanic expansionism, Malcolm X powerfully speaking on black
power, Babe Ruth saying good-bye to baseball, and Neil Armstrong
uttering those famous words as he first steps onto the moon.
The Timeline Book of Science
Year by year, era by era, a record of how science has altered human life, from prehistory to the present.
Who discovered the Gulf Stream? Where was cloth first woven? Who constructed the first computer? What caused the extinction of the woolly mammoth in America? "The Timeline Book of Science" answers these and thousands of other essential questions, pinpointing the time of each breakthrough, describing its significance, and relating it to other inventions and events through the ages.
Fun and informative, this book makes the history of science totally accessible to all readers.
