We think of myth as a fictional story, and Plato was the first to use the term muthos in that sense. But Plato also used muthos to describe the practice of making and telling stories, the oral transmission of all that a community keeps in its collective memory. In the first part of Plato the Myth Maker, Luc Brisson reconstructs Plato's multifaceted and not uncritical description of muthos in light of the latter's famous Atlantis story. The second part of the book contrasts this sense of myth, as Plato does, with another form of speech that he believed was far superior: the logos of philosophy. Appearing for the first time in English, Plato the Myth Maker is a solid and important contribution to the history of myth, based on the privileged testimony of one of its most influential critics and supporters.

What if Loki and Thor found out they were gods but weren't?Condemned to spend eternity with humanity, immortal, just like a god?A life of challenge coming to grips with his role in the world, year over year as time marches on? over nine hundred years' worth. And other gods just want to play, have a laugh or two, and a good ale.What hopes do gods have? What fears? How do they look themselves in the mirror? With Odin's help, maybe Loki can see a better way. A god doing the best he can as he becomes a modern man, over and over again. Mischief Maker could be one of the best stories you read this year. Try it today.

"Whether it is the "American Dream," alien abduction, or belief in virgin birth and resurrection, these "living myths" play a very therapeutic role in the development of a healthy society. In Myth: A Biography of Belief, David Leeming shows that myths are still a fitting way to capture "the soul's high adventure.""--BOOK JACKET.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1877.

What do Muslims like Zuhdi Jasser, Raheel Raza, and Mike Mohamed Ghouse have in common? They play Fantasy Islam: Fantasy Islam: A game in which an audience of non-Muslims wish with all their hearts that Islam was a "Religion of Peace," and a Muslim strives to fulfill that wish by presenting a personal version of Islam that has little foundation in Islamic Doctrine. This is a game that is even played in the Kafir (disbeliever) edition by non-Muslims like John Esposito, Georgetown University's Professor of Islamic Studies. Have you ever wondered: do Christians, Jews and Muslims really believe in the same God? Does the Koran really praise Jews and command Muslims to treat the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) with respect? Is it really "radical" to stone adulterers and cut off the hands of thieves? Can Muslims really reject the Koran? Does the word "Jihad" really have nothing to do with a "Holy War"? Did the Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota really create a book describing its version of Islam that included an endorsement by an imam who appeared to be a Hamas supporter, who referred to Israelis as terrorists, and who believed that Shariah Law should be enforced in American communities where Muslims are the majority? In his fifth book about Islam Dr. Kirby examines these versions of Islam and others like them, and shows how far removed they are from the Islamic Doctrine found in the Koran and the teachings of Muhammad. This book gives you the information you need to counter many of today's popular myths about Islam while gaining a better understanding of that religion.

There are far more entrepreneurs than most people realize. But the failure rate of new businesses is disappointingly high, and the economic impact of most of them disappointingly low, suggesting that enthusiastic would-be entrepreneurs and their investors all too often operate under a false set of assumptions. This book shows that the reality of entrepreneurship is decidedly different from the myths that have come to surround it. Scott Shane, a leading expert in entrepreneurial activity in the United States and other countries, draws on the data from extensive research to provide accurate, useful information about who becomes an entrepreneur and why, how businesses are started, which factors lead to success, and which predict a likely failure. The Illusions of Entrepreneurship is an essential resource for everyone who has dreamed of starting a new business, for investors in start-ups, for policy makers attempting to facilitate the formation and survival of new businesses, and for researchers interested in the economic impact of entrepreneurial activity. Scott Shane offers research-based answers to these questions and many others: · Why do people start businesses? · What industries are popular for start-ups? · How many jobs do new businesses create? · How do entrepreneurs finance their start-ups? · What makes some locations and some countries more entrepreneurial than others? · What are the characteristics of the typical entrepreneur? · How well does the typical start-up perform? · What strategies contribute to the survival and profitability of new businesses over time?