The World's Best Book Summaries
Does Arthurian legend follow the conventions of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? In what ways is King Arthur the archetypical hero of classic legends? We’ll cover the elements of the hero’s journey and how Arthurian legends map onto these elements.
What is the biology of happiness? What neurochemicals are involved? Does my biological dictate how happy I’m destined to be? The biology of happiness is a theory that our happiness is determined mostly by oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. According to this theory, some people are wired to be happier than others. We’ll cover the theory of the biology of happiness and explore some counter views on what makes us happy (or not).
What is stage 15 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the significance of “crossing the return threshold”? Crossing the return threshold is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero returns to the ordinary world with their divine boon in hand. Crossing the threshold is stage 15 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what crossing the return threshold entails and look at two examples of this stage of the hero’s journey.
What is the belief in many gods? What were the benefits of polytheism for our ancestors? Polytheism is the belief in many gods. After the Agricultural Revolution, our ancestors worshipped gods in return for dominance over plants and animals. We’ll cover the rise of polytheism and how polytheism is inherently tolerant of diversities in race, culture, and lifestyle.
Is there Neanderthal DNA in modern humans? How much? How did it get there? Some people have up to 4% Neanderthal DNA. This is because early Homo sapiens, our species, interbred with Neanderthals, a different human species. Learn the difference between Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens and how researchers made the surprising discovery that there’s Neanderthal DNA in some modern humans.
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu advises to “subdue the enemy without fighting.” What does Tzu mean by this? How can you avoid fighting in battle? We’ll cover how to subdue the enemy without fighting and the art of the easy victory.
How does Buddha’s journey toward enlightenment follow the hero’s journey, as described in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces? What was the Buddha’s “call to action”? In Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, every significant adventure in mythology and religion starts with a call to action. We’ll cover how the Buddha’s journey conforms to the hero’s journey and what the Buddha’s call to action was.
What was the Pleistocene extinction? Why was it one of the biggest animal extinctions caused by humans in history? The Pleistocene extinction was the event in which many large mammals about 45,000 years ago. According to the Pleistocene overkill hypothesis, this mass extinction was caused by human migration to previously uninhabited areas of the world. We’ll cover what kinds of animals went extinct during the Pleistocene extinction and how humans became history’s most egregious serial killers.
What is Sun Tzu’s strategy for battle in The Art of War? Why is terrain so important to Sun Tzu’s overall strategy? Within the strategy of successful leadership, you must understand both the types of terrain and grounds on which battles may be waged. Terrain includes all physical elements of the land, and grounds refer to the psychological considerations encompassed in the land. We’ll cover the terrain to be aware of and other elements of Sun Tzu’s strategy for battle.
What are the basic theories of happiness? Which one is correct? Theories of happiness come from the areas of psychology, biology, philosophy, and religion. Each one has a slightly different take on how to find true happiness. We’ll cover the four theories of happiness and discuss how they compare.