Don't Know Much About Mythology [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Kenneth C. Davis (Author), John Lee (Reader), Lorna Raver (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 8, 2005

Employing the popular Don't Know Much About® style, with its familiar question-and-answer format, DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT MYTHOLOGY will explore the myths of the world, their impact on history, and their continuing role in our lives. It will offer listeners a wide-ranging, comprehensive, entertaining and listenable survey of the great myths of world civilizations, how they came to be, what they meant to the people who created them, how they influenced society, literature and art through history, and how they still speak to us today. Mythology is alive today in our art, literature, theatre, dreams, psychology--and certainly our language. "Pandora's Box," "Golden Fleece," "Labor of Hercules," and "Wheel of Fortune" are just a few of the words and phrases that come from a world of mythology and still color our speech. Using humor, contemporary references, and anecdotal material from mythology, extensive research based on recent archaeology which often reveals the history behind mythology and surprising information that breaks down conventional wisdom, DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT MYTHOLOGY will ultimately be about stories--the great and timeless tales that have fascinated people around the planet for several millennia.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

KENNETH C. DAVIS is the author of The New York Times bestselling DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT series for adults. Dubbed the "King of Knowledge" by Amazon.com, he lives in New York City and Vermont with his wife and their two children.

From AudioFile

When you hear an old, old story, do you know the fundamental things that apply? Kenneth C. Davis retells ancient myths and legends, explaining the cultures in which they developed and relating them to life today. John Lee reads with an authoritative British voice but brings with it a humor that makes the relationships Davis draws plausible -- as when he explains that you couldn't go into a bar on a Friday night, have a beer, and ask a potential date, "What's your sign?" without the Mesopotamians, who invented the days of the week, beer, and astrology. The material is familiar to anyone who's taken a mythology class, but it's a fun refresher or introduction for newcomers. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Random House Audio; Abridged edition (November 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739317458
• ISBN-13: 978-0739317457
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 6.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,553,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Ripping read, tales about what people believed to be true, January 31, 2011

By 

Candace Drimmer "a.k.a. Candi Boggs" (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Know Much About Mythology (Audio CD)

A delightful book that explores various civilizations mythology--written with a certain tongue in cheek wit and cheekiness. Not the dry MYTHOLOGY of my high school days by Edith Hamilton. This answers questions (posed by author) that we all wonder about.