Amanda Penn, Author at Shortform Books

Origin of Monotheism: People Played Favorites With One God

What is the origin of monotheism? How did our ancestors move from worshipping many gods to worshipping a single God? The origin of monotheism is in the individual’s fondness for one particular god in a polytheistic religion. People started worshipping a single, favorite god, and this single god retained the biases and interests of the polytheistic gods. We’ll cover the origin of monotheism from polytheism and how this lay the foundation for some of the most widespread religions today.

Mythology and Psychology: Myth Tells Us Who We Are

What is the relationship between mythology and psychology? How do psychologists serve the function of storytellers in the past? We’ll cover how mythology led to psychology, the psychological aspects of ancient mythology, and why mythology is still relevant today.

Master of Two Worlds: The Hero’s Journey, Stage 16 (Explained)

What is stage 16 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the significance of being a “master of two worlds”? Master of two worlds is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero can move seamlessly between the two worlds, without destroying or compromising either. Master of two worlds is stage 16 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what being a master of two worlds entails and look at examples of the master-of-two-worlds stage of the hero’s journey.

How to “Let Your Plans Be Dark and Impenetrable as Night”

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu suggests you “let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.” What does Tzu mean by this? How can you hide your plans? We’ll cover the art of deception and how to appear so formless in your attack that your enemy can’t discover your master plan. Learn how to let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night.

Empire’s History: Where It Failed, How It United Us

What are the key aspects of empire history? What are the critiques of imperialism? What were the benefits? In this succinct imperialism history, we’ll cover what it takes for a nation to become an empire and how imperialism shortened the distance between people of disparate cultures.

5 Examples of Cultural Evolution in Humans

What are some examples of cultural evolution in humans? How do these examples shed light on our values and assumptions today? We’ll cover five examples of cultural evolution in humans and look at how our cultural assumptions are formed rather than innate.

Gilgamesh’s Quest for Immortality: Why He Had to Fail

What happens in the ancient epic when King Gilgamesh seeks immortality? How does Gilgamesh’s immortality-search align with Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? And why isn’t Gilgamesh successful? We’ll cover the elements of King Gilgamesh’s search for immortality and discuss why he had to fail in this endeavor, according to the standards of the hero’s journey popularized in The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Wheat’s History: How It Became the Most Successful Species

What is wheat’s history? Why is it one of the most important crops in the history of agriculture? The history of wheat is so important because it may have been the species that transformed humans from nomadic foragers to farmers. It has become one of the most successful species on the planet. We’ll cover wheat’s history and how it became such a dominant food source.

History of Money: From Cattle and Salt to Coins and Credit

How did the idea of money develop? What does the history of money tell us about our world today? The history of money is one that starts with bartering and ends in the modern financial world. Money has been one of the primary factors in the creation of a global society. We’ll cover the origin of money and how the concept evolved over centuries.

3 Problems With Capitalism: Inequality, Exploitation, Greed

What are the problems with capitalism? Are there ways around these problems? The problems with capitalism include inequality, exploitation, and aggressive greed. These problems don’t make capitalism inherently evil, but they are hard to rectify. We’ll look at the three biggest problems with capitalism.