Nardo, Don. Egyptian Mythology.

Nardo, Don.  Egyptian Mythology.    Gale/Lucent 2013 104p ISBN 978-1-4205-0745-4 series: Mythology and Culture Worldwide  ms/hs  NR  Nonfiction        

First, let me note that the author listed for this book on the publisher’s website is Jennifer Guess Mckerley, and the ISBN number is different from the one listed above.  When I telephoned the company, nobody could help me with this discrepancy, so I am noting it here.  This is why I gave the book a “NR” (or “not recommended”) rating.  Otherwise I would have given it a very high rating.

This short book discusses the role of ancient Egyptian mythology in world culture, with an emphasis on the ways in which it has influenced religions, philosophies, and popular culture through the ages.  The book begins with a historical overview of the major divisions of ancient Egyptian history, a pre-historical map, a chart demonstrating the heliopolitan theogony, and an outline of the major characters in Egyptian mythology.  All of these additions are helpful to the reader making his or her way through the book.  The information given is fascinating, well written, and well organized.  There is a good glossary and a helpful list of references, both print and electronic.  The illustrations are good.  However, on page 84, the illustration does not match the text at all.  The text describes the visual depictions of Isis holding her baby Horus, and states that these depictions had a large influence on early representations of Mary with the baby Jesus.  An illustration of this influence would have been much more appropriate on this page.

One aspect of the book that will be sure to appeal to young readers focuses on the influence of Egyptian mythology on modern comic books and movies.  This section will pull in readers who didn’t realize they had an interest in Egyptian mythology previously!

This is part of the series Mythology and Culture Worldwide published by Gale Cengage and Lucent.     

Summary: This short book discusses the role of ancient Egyptian mythology in world culture, with an emphasis on the ways in which it has influenced religions, philosophies, and popular culture through the ages.

Egyptian mythology                                       --Carol Kennedy