Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of Gods: Over 2,500 Deities of the World

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I seriously doubt if Jordan the NBA star wrote this book. Trivia aside, this 'encyclopedia' does cover a good number of gods of the world, not just those of Greek and Roman mythology.

Not much by way of details. It can't possibly cram any significant amount of information on any entry given the fact that it tries to cover so many world deities in so little space (less than 350 pages). I expected more but reading any entry one gets a feeling of just never getting enough, not even enough for an intro. Quite telegraphic in its 'discussion' too. As a random example, under the entry "Ellel" the description goes: "Creator god. Hittite and Hurrian. Derived from Babylonian-Akkadian god Ellil." Rather than encyclopedia it should have been labeled a dictionary, and a very abridged one at that.

One error I've discovered is that Salus is mistakenly referred to as a god when in fact she's a goddess! Other references I've come across all refer to Salus as feminine so I guess Jordan had a lapse there, unless Salus is a hermaphrodite.

This is a handy book to have around because of the quantity of deities which it lists, and for getting a basic idea of the deities(pantheon/general theme as in associated with wealth, prosperity, sensuality, ect.) The quantity is what got this book three, rather than two stars for my vote.

However, I would not reccomend this book for any sort of in-depth study. Simply going on the information contained about the norse deities(the pantheon I follow) there were too many mistakes and too little information. It seems to even say Freya and Frigga are the same goddess.

This book has 2,500 deities listed! Seems like a lot. It certainly is fun to flip through. Encyclopaedias, however, are intended as resource material for when we have specific questions. Many many times I have not been able to find a deity of interest. Many many times I have found the entries to be far too brief and bereft of significant information. Furthermore, there is no index!!! Cross referencing is impossible with this book. To date, I have found my copy to be virtually useless.

This book is good for quick reference, but if you are looking for more indepth reading, look some where else. It seems like he picks his favorite deities and writes about them. others he skips over. he'll mention one deity when writing about another, then you go to look up the one mentioned, and he/she isnt even in his book! Dont even get me started on the index!!! what a mess!

Well formatted and informative. Lists gods alphabetically and cross references them with names used by other ancient civilizations. Also tells who other members of their family were. A great reference if you are reading the Earth Chronicles series by Zecharia Sitchin. One of my best library additions. A must have!

This book is an excellent recourse for those who are interested in studying the Gods of every civilization from the beginning of documented history. Inside the front cover is a time line that presents the span of civilization from Sumerian to present. The descriptions of the Gods themselves are very concise yet informative. I highly recommend this book. Buy and enjoy!

I received the book in excellent condition!! Five stars! Ive been looking for this book in good condition and I was not disappointed! :D
delivered on time with no hassles or lateness ;3

This is a good reference of the gods and goddesses of myths from all over the world. It is brief and to the point on what each deity is responsible for, with major deities getting a bigger article. There are no myth stories thrown in and some of the lesser deities get a few sentences at best.

This book is good for the times when a name in mythology comes up and one wants to find out what they are responsible for. The book does list Eirene (also known as Irene), which is a test I use to see how complete the book is when it comes to deities. Irene is the Greek Goddess of Peace.

Holy Heruka! This pretty much covers it! All the mythological deities of the world, excluding none. From Abzu to Mungu to Zurvan, this exquisite collection presented to us by Michael Jordan is a must-have for all who study comparative religion and mythology. Jump into this tome with the goddess, Nai, and new worlds will show themselves to you!

This book is the most complete referance book on Gods and Goddesses I have ever seen. it list' Gods and Goddesses from every time period, civilization, and atrabute you could think of. It list' Gods and Goddesses minor and major from A-a to Zurvan and even has a wonderful civilization and subject index. If you want information on Gods and Goddesses this is the book to buy.