Rating: 
Summary: Eloquent exposition of the Universal Myth
Review: "Myths to Live By" is one of those books which makes me wish I did not have to assign a star rating. For while it is, as the title of this review suggests, a very eloquent and powerful exposition of the Myth that forms the bones of our Psyche, Campbell clearly has some predjudices that make some of his points difficult to see. First, however, I shall focus on the positve aspects of the work. Campbell begins his book with a story about the conflict between a myth (in this case the story of Adam and Eve) and the facts discovered by science. The little anecdote serves to present the key thesis of the book: that our old religious idea that myths are literally true is no longer servicable, and that we must now, in an age where the world is coming together in ways unprecendented, seek the pattern that underlies all myths and discover our oneness as a species. Campbell explains why myth and ritual are neccesary in concrete, psycholgical terms. If there are no myths, individuals will become alienated from their society, since myths contain affect images that speak to not the rational mind, but the psyche. His argument is essensially Jungian in tone. Through a comparitive look at the worlds "major" religions, he shows how all myths are variations on the theme of self discovery and rebirth as a person engaged with the Universe and society. All that is wonderful. What is not wonderful, however, is the vaugley reactionary tone underlying some of the books passages. Campbell seems to share the imperialist view that all of human history naturally culminates in modern, technological, Western Civilization. He dismisses the youth movement of the time he wrote this book (the sixties to early seventies) as folly. The cultural contribution of "Beat" poets such as Ginsberg an Kerouak is completley ignored. In fact, the "Beats" are never even mentioned when Campbell throws out an all encompassing statement like "we have no artists...of such power today". Equally troubling is the statement that "all life is suffering, all societies are opressive, and we just have to learn to live with it". Now, while it may be true that life is sorrowful and that social orders have, throughout history, tended to be unjust, it does not follow that we have to accept the latter fact with the same passivity as the former. As Campbell points out, we make the choices that determine the direction of our society. If everyone, or a strong majority at least, were able to come to the understanding of universal Myth and Divinity, the opression that exists today would decrease, if not dissapear. The book comes to a climax with an expose of the mythic dimensions of the first moon walk. The chapter illustrates how we are indeed one planet and one species. Juxtoposed with "all societies are opressive, and we just have to live with it" however, the chapter's beauty becomes terror. In this light, the chapter is a prophecy of slavery, not oneness. Still, this is a very important book, marred as all great works are by the author's prejudices. When reading this book, remember Buddha's finger pointing at the moon, and which one was more important.
Rating: 
Summary: not his best....
Review: ....by any means, though Campbell's erudition and clarity are always interesting and impressive. To the well-stated critics of other reviewers I would add that Campbell's view of war as instinctive (a very Freudian notion, of course) does not prove helpful or illuminate the social conditions that create class and power imbalances characteristic of warlike cultures. He is correct, however, that the American Eagle is an appropriate symbol for our nation: not for the reason he states (arrows in one talon and olive branch in the other), but because the eagle ours resembles, the Imperial Eagle of Rome, flapped its wings over another militarized and hubris-infected empire bent on political and economic domination (nowadays called "global leadership"). Books like THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES and THE POWER OF MYTH provide less biased introductions to Campbell's thought...and in fairness to him, he did grow beyond some of those biases, as is evident in video interviews conducted in his later years.
Rating:
Summary: Campbell's Ancient Themes Live Here and Now
Review: Campbell selected and compiled a selection of a talks on mythology from a series of discussions that he delivered between 1958 and 1971. There is an academic quality about his style, but this will not be a barrier to most people who enjoying thinking and reflecting about what humans share in beliefs. The ancient mythic themes come alive as he weaves the observations of 20th Century everyday living with flashbacks of times ago. He storytells and teaches using 13 broad topics such as love, the beginnings of Humankind, War and Peace, schizophrenia, and the moon walk. Campbell's text reads as if he is in your home; quite possibly having a glass of wine; discussing love relationships in the theater of Life; balancing the ideas of such people as St. Paul, Shaw, Sarte, Persian poets, Buddha, and Lord Krishna. He is at his strongest in his chapters on journeys: inward and outward. A word of caution: Your mind's ear will be listening to a Master Teacher. If you liked Bill Moyer's interview with Campbell, you will appreciate Campbell's theme choices and style. His art of making sense of human potential and challenging its boundaries is a stimulating reflective exercise.
Rating:
Summary: Helpful Integration
Review: Here is an attempt at a summary to Myths to Live By. Myths and tales are a vibrant and pertinent source of insight and consolation which can be used psychologically to nourish. "In sum, then: The inward journeys of the mythological hero, the shaman, the mystic, and the schizophrenic are in principle the same; and when the return or remission occurs, it is experienced as a rebirth: the birth, that is to say, of a "twice-born" ego, no longer bound in by its daylight-world horizon. It is now known to be but the reflex of a larger self, its proper function being to carry the energies of an archetypical instinct system into fruitful play in a contemporary space-time daylight situation" (Campbell 230). Myths fuel imagery and expression of person's "inner" world experience within the framework of culture - similar to what Pierre Bourdieu would call a Habitus. Campbell deals with notions of the healing power of myths as per Carl Jung. According to Jung, Myths when correctly applied are the way to bring a patient back in-touch (Campbell 210). Myths give us a common framework of picture and language which our psyche to be knows and incorporates in our lives. "The first is what I have called the mystical function: to waken and maintain in the individual a sense of awe and gratitude in relation to the mystery dimension of the universe [...] The second function of a living mythology is to offer an image of the universe that will be in accord with the knowledge of the time, the sciences and the fields of action of the folk to whom the mythology is addressed [...] The third function of a living mythology is to validate, support, and imprint the norms of a given, specific moral order, that, namely, of the society in which the individual is to live" (Campbell 214-5). Through a study of myths, we can understand and come to terms with the larger sphere of our own inner self - we can gain a greater understanding. And similarly, on a grander scale, any society that values and keeps its myths alive will be nourished at the foundation strata of the human spirit. "For it is simply a fact - as I believe we have all now got to concede - that mythologies and their deities are productions and projections of the psyche. What gods are there, what gods have there ever been, that were not from man's imagination?" (Campbell 253) No kidding... Miguel Llora
Rating:
Summary: Helpful Integration
Review: Here is an attempt at a summary to Myths to Live By. Myths and tales are a vibrant and pertinent source of insight and consolation which can be used psychologically to nourish. "In sum, then: The inward journeys of the mythological hero, the shaman, the mystic, and the schizophrenic are in principle the same; and when the return or remission occurs, it is experienced as a rebirth: the birth, that is to say, of a "twice-born" ego, no longer bound in by its daylight-world horizon. It is now known to be but the reflex of a larger self, its proper function being to carry the energies of an archetypical instinct system into fruitful play in a contemporary space-time daylight situation" (Campbell 230). Myths fuel imagery and expression of person's "inner" world experience within the framework of culture - similar to what Pierre Bourdieu would call a Habitus. Campbell deals with notions of the healing power of myths as per Carl Jung. According to Jung, Myths when correctly applied are the way to bring a patient back in-touch (Campbell 210). Myths give us a common framework of picture and language which our psyche to be knows and incorporates in our lives. "The first is what I have called the mystical function: to waken and maintain in the individual a sense of awe and gratitude in relation to the mystery dimension of the universe [...] The second function of a living mythology is to offer an image of the universe that will be in accord with the knowledge of the time, the sciences and the fields of action of the folk to whom the mythology is addressed [...] The third function of a living mythology is to validate, support, and imprint the norms of a given, specific moral order, that, namely, of the society in which the individual is to live" (Campbell 214-5). Through a study of myths, we can understand and come to terms with the larger sphere of our own inner self - we can gain a greater understanding. And similarly, on a grander scale, any society that values and keeps its myths alive will be nourished at the foundation strata of the human spirit. "For it is simply a fact - as I believe we have all now got to concede - that mythologies and their deities are productions and projections of the psyche. What gods are there, what gods have there ever been, that were not from man's imagination?" (Campbell 253) No kidding... Miguel Llora
Rating: 
Summary: A great book, though sometimes hit or miss
Review: How should myths be used in our personal lives? Are they important? What Campbell did for this book was to take a bunch of lectures he had given in the 60s and early 70s and collect them for this book. Therefore, to my mind, they seemed a bit disjointed. Some chapters were much more interesting and relevant than others (heck, some of them I didn't really feel even related to the theme of the book). But overall, there were a lot of good ideas and thoughts in this book, especially the chapter on schizophrenia.
Rating:
Summary: Myths to Live By
Review: I must admit...I only starting reading this book because Scott Stapp from Creed said he was reading this book and they are my favorite band, but when I starting reading it I couldn't stop. When you start to read the book you will quickly understand how it reflects in our everday lives. It is a collecection of powerful lectures that makes you continue and want to keep reading.
I will recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Myths to Live By
Review: I must admit...I only starting reading this book because Scott Stapp from Creed said he was reading this book and they are my favorite band, but when I starting reading it I couldn't stop. When you start to read the book you will quickly understand how it reflects in our everday lives. It is a collecection of powerful lectures that makes you continue and want to keep reading.
I will recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: The best of all Joseph Campbells books
Review: I read this book while on a cruise, and found myself spending a lot of time reading. Of all his works, this is the most down to earth. The others are too 'professorial' as if intended to impress, while this one simply lays it on the line. Psychology and mythology relate to each other very nicely, as Mr. Campbell realized when asked to share his concepts with those of a Psychologist. Jung was a favorite because of his concept of Universal Mind. Contrary to what might be thought, the book is not anti-religious, but it does explode particular Christian beliefs. Rather, it reveals the Universal meaning of 'life' which each community resolves in its own way, frequently as not, in similar ways. Boil away the variety of customs, etc.,and you have the essence of Joseph Campbell's work, and a better appreciation of man's universal mind.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: If you feel you are not fullfilling your souls quest and this book catches you at the right moment, it can change you life
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