Greek Mythology For Beginners [Paperback]

USJoe Lee is an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, and clown. With a degree from Indiana University centering on Medieval History, Joe is also a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey's Clown College. He worked for some years as a circus clown. He is the illustrator of a baker's dozen of For Beginners books, including Barack Obama, Shakespeare, Postmodernism, Deconstruction, Eastern Philosophy, Dante, Jane Austen and Global Warming among others. The author lives in Bloomington, IN.Would there be a Western civilization without the Greek myths? Would we be able to define our civilization and ourselves without some reference to the grand, violent, and venal doings of those denizens of Mount Olympus?

Greek Mythology For Beginners presents the pantheon - that immortal collection of rogues and heroes, misfits and tyrants - and the stories about these deities and their dealings with the mortals. It delves into their undying influence on our thought and culture, and how each age from Rome to Shakespeare to Freud down to our own Marvel Comics and NASA has been enlightened, informed, and inspired by these tales.

So strap on Hermes' winged sandals, saddle-up Pegasus, or even grab the nearest Harpy (remember to keep your eyes closed) and come along for the ride of your life. So let's fly to that world that's as old as Chaos -- the ancient and refreshingly timely Greek myths! The value of Greek Mythology for Beginners, then, is to remove the filters of modern culture and return us to the source. It’s a bookshelf-worthy collection of fireside stories as well as an easy reference to consult... Like Charon on the River Styx, but far less ominous, Joe Lee takes us on a memorable ride with a very pleasant bonus. Unlike the journey to Hades, we can return from Greek Mythology for Beginners with a refreshed perspective on our Western cultural legacy. --The Front Page Online