Amanda Penn, Author at Shortform Books

Refusal of the Return: The Hero’s Journey, Stage 12 (Explained)

What is stage 12 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the significance of the “refusal to return”? The refusal to return is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero refuses their duty to return home and bestow their newfound wisdom upon the rest of humanity. The refusal of the return is stage 12 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what the refusal to return entails and look at an example of the refusal-to-return stage of the hero’s journey.

Interesting Maori Myths and Legends, and the Hero’s Journey

What are some of the most popular Maori myths and legends? How do these Maori legends fit into the template of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? We’ll cover some Maori myths and legends and discuss how they align with stages of the hero’s journey, as laid out by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Why Capitalism Is Failing You and Making Society Vulnerable

Some say capitalism is failing. Is it? How can we tell? Is there anything we can do about it? Capitalists have reason to champion the system. It’s spurred economic, scientific, and imperial growth the way few other imagined realities have. But what happens in situations when it fails to work? We’ll cover two critiques of capitalism that say that capitalism has failed.

Why Is Childbirth So Painful? (Actually, It Could Be Worse)

Why is childbirth so painful? What happened in the evolution of humans to make it as arduous as it is? Childbirth is painful because of our relatively narrow hips and the relatively large brains of infants. Although we’re not sure why humans evolved such large brains, we do know that narrow hips had some evolutionary advantages. We’ll cover how humans evolved the bodies they did and why childbirth is so painful.

Appear Weak When You Are Strong: What Sun Tzu Meant

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu says, “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” What does Tzu mean by this? Why would you want to appear weak? We’ll cover Tzu’s advice for mastering the art of deception and how to make your forces appear weaker than they really are.

To Know Your Enemy, You Must Become Your Enemy (Sun Tzu Explained)

The Hero With a Thousand Faces: Book Overview

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu says, “To know your enemy, you must become your enemy.” What does Tzu mean by that? How do you become your enemy? We’ll cover 17 strategies for reading your enemy so well that you practically become your enemy. Learn what signs to look for.

Early Human Migration: The Incredible Journey, Africa to America

What happened during the first early human migration? Where did humans start, and where did they end up? How did human migration affect other species? The first early human migration was the era in which humans figured out how to cross the sea barrier and made it to Australia, 45,000 years ago. The next major early human migration happened 16,000 years ago, when man reached the American continent. We’ll discuss the progress of the early human migrations and how they caused some of the biggest mass extinctions of all time.

5 Art of War Lessons for Real Life (Sun Tzu)

What are some of the most important Art of War lessons from Sun Tzu? What do they mean? Are they applicable to modern-day life? The Art of War was written as a strategic handbook for how to navigate military conflict. The principles and suggestions provided throughout the book are geared toward armed struggle and the relationships between governments and military factions, but they’re adaptable to everyday life as well. We’ll cover some of the key Art of War lessons.

Origin of Religion: From Nature Worship to God Worship

What is the origin of religion? What was the nature of our ancestors’ first beliefs about the universe? The origin of religion is animism, the belief that every animate and inanimate thing has thoughts and feelings and can communicate with people. From the origin of animism developed polytheism and monotheism. We’ll cover the origin of religion, animism, and how it influenced the subsequent history of religion.

Kamar al-Zaman’s Hero’s Journey (Arabian Nights)

Who was Kamar al-Zaman? How does this prince’s adventures in Arabian Nights tales follow the conventions of the hero’s journey? Kamar al-Zaman is a prince in the tales of The Arabian Nights. The stories of Kamar al-Zaman, Princess Budur, and the otherworldly Maymunah follow the hero’s journey popularized by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll examine two popular Kamar al-Zaman tales and explore how they follow the stages of Campbell’s hero’s journey.