Sophie's World

Sophie's World

Author: Jostein Gaarder

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published: 2007-03-20

Total Pages: 599

ISBN-13: 1466804270

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A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print. One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.


Myths of the Cherokee

Myths of the Cherokee

Author: James Mooney

Publisher: Courier Corporation

Published: 2012-03-07

Total Pages: 610

ISBN-13: 0486131327

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126 myths: sacred stories, animal myths, local legends, many more. Plus background on Cherokee history, notes on the myths and parallels. Features 20 maps and illustrations.


Awakening Earth

Awakening Earth

Author: Duane Elgin

Publisher: William Morrow

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13:

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"Just as there are relatively distinct stages that characterize the development of an individual from infancy to early adulthood, so too are there discernible stages in the development of our species as we move toward a planetary-scale civilization. Awakening Earth brings together views from science and spirituality, East and West, the practical and the visionary, to present a compelling new picture of human evolution. Based upon twenty years of research, this book explores the human journey from the initial awakening of hunter-gatherers roughly 35,000 years ago, through the agrarian era and Industrial Revolution, and then goes on to describe three additional stages of development essential for realizing our initial maturity as a global species-civilization." "A disoriented world civilization faced with dwindling resources, mounting pollution, and exploding population is a recipe for ecological collapse and social anarchy. It is imperative that the human family begin to make rapid and profound changes in how we live together on the Earth. To accomplish this, we must now ask ourselves fundamental questions: Who are we? What are we doing here? Where are we going as a species? Awakening Earth provides a catalyst for this conversation with its integrative vision and inspiring map of the journey toward a sustainable, compassionate, and creative future. While not predicting a sudden "new age" of social enlightenment, Awakening Earth does present the promising view that humanity is roughly halfway through seven major transformations in culture and consciousness required to build a planetary civilization that can endure into the deep future."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Uses of Comparative Mythology (RLE Myth)

Uses of Comparative Mythology (RLE Myth)

Author: Kenneth L. Golden

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-03-05

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 1317550854

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This collection, first published in 1992, offers critical-interpretive essays on various aspects of the work of Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), one of a very few international experts on myth. Joseph Campbell examines myths and mythologies from a comparative point of view, and he stresses those similarities among myths the world over as they suggest an existing, transcendent unity of all humankind. His interpretations foster an openness, even a generous appreciation of, all myths; and he attempts to generate a broad, sympathetic understanding of the role of these ‘stories’ in human history, in our present-day lives, and in the possibilities of our future.


Man and His Symbols

Man and His Symbols

Author: Carl G. Jung

Publisher: Bantam

Published: 2012-02-01

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 0307800555

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The landmark text about the inner workings of the unconscious mind—from the symbolism that unlocks the meaning of our dreams to their effect on our waking lives and artistic impulses—featuring more than a hundred images that break down Carl Jung’s revolutionary ideas “What emerges with great clarity from the book is that Jung has done immense service both to psychology as a science and to our general understanding of man in society.”—The Guardian “Our psyche is part of nature, and its enigma is limitless.” Since our inception, humanity has looked to dreams for guidance. But what are they? How can we understand them? And how can we use them to shape our lives? There is perhaps no one more equipped to answer these questions than the legendary psychologist Carl G. Jung. It is in his life’s work that the unconscious mind comes to be understood as an expansive, rich world just as vital and true a part of the mind as the conscious, and it is in our dreams—those personal, integral expressions of our deepest selves—that it communicates itself to us. A seminal text written explicitly for the general reader, Man and His Symbolsis a guide to understanding the symbols in our dreams and using that knowledge to build fuller, more receptive lives. Full of fascinating case studies and examples pulled from philosophy, history, myth, fairy tales, and more, this groundbreaking work—profusely illustrated with hundreds of visual examples—offers invaluable insight into the symbols we dream that demand understanding, why we seek meaning at all, and how these very symbols affect our lives. By illuminating the means to examine our prejudices, interpret psychological meanings, break free of our influences, and recenter our individuality, Man and His Symbols proves to be—decades after its conception—a revelatory, absorbing, and relevant experience.


The God who Comes

The God who Comes

Author: Rosemarie Taylor-Perry

Publisher: Algora Publishing

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 0875862306

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The most widely acclaimed and influential religious cult in the ancient Greek world, for almost 2000 years, was the Eleusinian Mysteries, the Mystery Rites of Dionysos and associated Hellenic deities. Drawing participants from Rome, Egypt and all around the Mediterranean, the Mysteries influenced and inspired many of the greatest minds including Aristotle, Homer and Plutarch. But initiates were sworn to secrecy; and with the advent of Christianity, the Roman Empire stamped out this "cult." How did adherents of Hellene Mystery Deities performed their worship? What was the symbolism of the sacred objects and the actions performed? The God Who Comes is a meticulously researched exploration of how and why these rites were performed, based upon archaeological, scholarly and iconographic evidence -- a refutation of facile New Age inventions. Cicero said, "Athens never created anything nobler than those sublime Mysteries through which we became gentler and have advanced from a barbarous and rustic life to a more civilized one, so that we not only live more joyfully but also die with a better hope." The author traces how the rituals were related chronologically; why it seems that many aspects of ritual action are unclear or appear transposed; and why no scholar intent upon probing the hows and wherefores of ancient Mystery rites had ever presented them in any sort of chronological, easily-understood manner. She examines parallels in diverse civilizations including the use of hallucinogens in religious rites, and archetypal deities such as shape-changers (like the Navajo Coyote). The book includes an index, Greek-to-English glossary, extensive footnotes and bibliography