The World's Best Book Summaries
What is stage 2 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the “refusal of the call”? The refusal of the call is the initial reluctance of a hero to follow the steps of their destiny and heed the call of adventure. The refusal of the call is stage 2 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what the refusal of the call entails and look at an example of a hero refusing the call.
What is cumulative advantage? How does it work? Why is it dangerous to society? Who does it help? Cumulative advantage is the idea that small gains compound over time. In the work of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, cumulative advantage refers to the innate human tendency to flock to past successes, regardless of whether those successes are the product of merit or chance. We’ll cover cumulative advantage, where it’s most prominent, and why the rich get richer.
What is a black swan? What is black swan theory? What does the term “black swan” mean? A black swan is an extremely unpredictable event that has a massive impact on human society. The Black Swan is named after a classic error of induction, the black swan fallacy. We’ll cover the meaning of “black swan,” what black swan theory is, and what “black swan” means in economics.
Who is Muchukunda? What did he want more than anything else, and what does this Hindu story have to do with Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? We’ll cover the story of King Muchukunda and his desire to sleep forever, and we’ll look at how King Muchukunda’s journey follows the mythological template of the hero’s journey.
What are the functions of myths, according to Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces? Do myths have a place in our society today? We’ll cover the various functions of myths and why myths are so important, in the past and today.
What is the King Midas story about? How does it conform to the conventions of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? The King Midas story is about what happens when we’re greedy and don’t think things through. The phrase “Midas touch” comes from this story, and while the phrase refers to someone who has good luck, in the King Midas story, the king’s luck runs out. We’ll cover the King Midas story and how it fits into the traditional hero’s journey template.
What is Sun Tzu’s philosophy in The Art of War? What are his main themes? The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a renowned guide for how to engage in conflict and be successful in battle. Written more than two thousand years ago, Sun Tzu, a Chinese warrior and philosopher, details the nature of competition and psychology of leadership and provides strategies for how to approach both. Although his teachings are geared toward actual military conflict, the principles can be useful in all arenas of conflict or competition, even at a personal level. We’ll cover some of the primary aspects
What is stage 11 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is “the ultimate boon”? The ultimate boon is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero achieves limitless bounty or indestructible life. The ultimate boon is stage 11 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what the ultimate boon may entail and look at two examples of the ultimate-boon stage of the hero’s journey.
What is stage 8 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the significance of the “woman as temptress”? The woman as temptress is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero is tempted by a “bad” mother figure, a goddess who attempts to either harm the hero, spurn his advances, hamper him in his quest, or tempt him into desire. The woman as temptress is stage 8 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what the woman as temptress entails and look at an example of a hero encountering the woman
What is stage 12 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the significance of the “refusal to return”? The refusal to return is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero refuses their duty to return home and bestow their newfound wisdom upon the rest of humanity. The refusal of the return is stage 12 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what the refusal to return entails and look at an example of the refusal-to-return stage of the hero’s journey.