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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The authors, experts in the fields of art history, games, and the tarot, trace the history of the tarot deck from its origins in the game room to its current role in occult circles. Their thorough research cuts through the misconceptions and glamorization surrounding the cards' rather mundane beginnings, while revealing the rich history of psychological, political, and religious influences on our perceptions of what is now a common tool of many occult practitioners.
From Library Journal
Many people prefer the mysterious over the reasonable, and the Tarot satisfies this urge for some. Decker, a curator of the collections at the U.S. Playing Card Co., Michael Summet, formerly a professor of logic at Oxford, and Thierry Depaulis, a writer of books on cards, don't completely blast these expectations. But they clearly show the historical background, indicating that the Tarot has been used for divination only since the 18th century. Before that, since the 16th century, it was a popular card game in Italy and France. Their scholarly effort to present facts and the personalities of those involved in creating the popular mythology of the cards is rather dull reading but a worthy addition for large public libraries.?Jeanne S. Bagby, formerly Tucson P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.