The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1948) is a seminal work of comparative mythology. It reveals that foundational myths from around the world share similar structures and themes, which trace back to some of our earliest stories and continue to hold a strong power over us today. Introduction: Discover the psychological power of the classic …
Anthropology
Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997) is a short history of humanity over the last 13,000 years. The question it poses is as simple to state as it is hard to answer: Why did some parts of the world develop advanced technologies while others didn’t? It rejects explanations that rely on assumptions about the relative intelligence …
Yuval Noah Harari proposes that intelligent design might one day become the baseline of all life, and that perhaps “superhumans” will replace us. That is, unless we take the time to understand our origins as a species. A cautionary tale for our species that everyone should read. READ THIS BOOK REVIEW IF YOU: Want to …
Purity and Danger (1966) presents a framework for understanding different societies and religions according to what they find pure and sacred and what they consider unclean and out of place. Cultures organize their experiences, values, and worldview into binary categories: either something is “dirty” and does not belong, or it is pure or holy. Sometimes, …
Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels (2015) argues that the values we hold most dear stem from one fundamental source: energy. While anthropologists have spent centuries attempting to understand differences between cultures, few have attempted to explain those differences. These summaries do just that. Introduction: Investigate the source of our most fundamental values. Where do our …
