Review of Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In

[iva_ivanova]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In" by Harold Toliver.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In by Harold Toliver is literary criticism and analysis of reality and myth. It is an exploration of truth and lies as well as beliefs and facts. The author is a professor of English and Comparative literature. He combines musings and research from various fields such as history, geography, theology, philosophy, psychology, literature, and more.

The book is an essay-style exploration of how more scientific knowledge can prevent delusions, crime, and unfounded beliefs. The author argues that natural history and sciences should be taught more and be more available to the average person in order to broaden the mind and make it less susceptible to lies, delusions, and groundless faiths.

Reading this book is not something one can do on a commute or before bed. It is a heavier read that requires the reader to follow the train of thought and activate their own analytical and comprehensive thinking. It can come across as a heavy read to those who are not used to literary discussions or reads that draw upon various fields to draw the bigger picture. In a nutshell, this book is not for people who want to read mindlessly to pass the time.

I recommend this book to people who are interested in broadening their horizons and are not afraid of proficient vocabulary and analytical thought. If you want a good start-up book for more proficient reading material, this is a good choice.

I do not recommend this to readers who want a quick, fun, and easy read. This is not a fiction book and it does not have dialogue or narrative.

Personally, I enjoyed this book. I made a list of reference works that I would like to explore as well. I found myself agreeing with a lot of what the author wrote in the book. I firmly believe people should pay more attention to science and natural history and look for the facts instead of believing blindly. I think that could prevent a lot of crimes and tragedies that stemmed from delusional thinking of what the world and the universe are like.

For the fascinating content, proficient writing, and sprinklings of humor, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I acknowledge that this book is not for everyone but for the genre and what this book was meant to be and should be, I believe the full rating is fitting.

If you read this book, I recommend you read slowly and pay attention. I recommend you read a few of the referenced works either after or during reading this book. It's a network of works and fields and that is a perfect way to broaden one's horizons.

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Mythic Worlds and the One You Can Believe In
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[Rajaee]

I have read this book and I completely agree when you says: "I do not recommend this to readers who want a quick, fun, and easy read".
This review gives a clear idea to readers whether to consider reading this book or not.