Didn't know much about mythology...and so much more...
by thrakazog
When I picked up Kenneth C. Davis's Don't Know Much About Mythology, I was expecting a humorous and informative read answering some of my questions about mythology and religion, such as whether Nirvana is a Hindu or Buddhist concept (there's a good reason for my confusion) or what people used to do on Christmas before the common era (think much less gift-giving and many more spiked drinks). What I wasn't expecting was the deluge of information Davis packs into these 400 or so pages, such as when the oldest civilizations began, which of them started writing first, why Tara is the perfect name for Scarlet O'Hara's homestead in Gone with the Wind (see p. 289), why Ganesh is a great choice for Apu's favorite god in The Simpsons, or how much the early books of the Bible were influenced by Mesopotamian myths.
If you're at all curious about religions beyond Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, grab Davis's book. It's a great flip-through or straight-through read covering Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Celtic (Norse and Irish), Japanese, Chinese, Sub-Saharan, Native American, Roman, and, of course, Greek mythology.
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