Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Joseph Campbell's classic cross-cultural study of the hero's journey has inspired millions and opened up new areas of research and exploration. Originally published in 1949, the book hit the New York Times best-seller list in 1988 when it became the subject of The Power of Myth , a PBS television special. Now, this legendary volume, re-released in honor of the 100th anniversary of the author's birth, promises to capture the imagination of a new generation of readers.

The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence.

Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars , the film it helped inspire, is an exploration of the big-picture moments from the stage that is our world. Offered for the first time with beautifully restored illustrations and a bibliography of cited works, it provides unparalleled insight into world mythology from diverse cultures. It is a must-have resource for both experienced students of mythology and the explorer just beginning to approach myth as a source of knowledge.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• List of Figures (p. xi)
• List of Plates (p. xvi)
• Preface to the 1949 Edition (p. xxi)
• Introduction to the 2004 Commemorative Edition (p. xxiii)
• Acknowledgments (p. lxvi)
• Prologue: The Monomyth (p. 1)
• 1. Myth and Dream (p. 3)
• 2. Tragedy and Comedy (p. 23)
• 3. The Hero and the God (p. 28)
• 4. The World Navel (p. 37)
• Part 1 The Adventure of the Hero
• Chapter I Departure (p. 45)
• 1. The Call to Adventure (p. 45)
• 2. Refusal of the Call (p. 54)
• 3. Supernatural Aid (p. 63)
• 4. The Crossing of the First Threshold (p. 71)
• 5. The Belly of the Whale (p. 83)
• Chapter II Initiation (p. 89)
• 1. The Road of Trials (p. 89)
• 2. The Meeting with the Goddess (p. 100)
• 3. Woman as the Temptress (p. 111)
• 4. Atonement with the Father (p. 116)
• 5. Apotheosis (p. 138)
• 6. The Ultimate Boon (p. 159)
• Chapter III Return (p. 179)
• 1. Refusal of the Return (p. 179)
• 2. The Magic Flight (p. 182)
• 3. Rescue from Without (p. 192)
• 4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold (p. 201)
• 5. Master of the Two Worlds (p. 212)
• 6. Freedom to Live (p. 221)
• Chapter IV The Keys (p. 227)
• Part 2 The Cosmogonic Cycle
• Chapter I Emanations (p. 237)
• 1. From Psychology to Metaphysics (p. 237)
• 2. The Universal Round (p. 242)
• 3. Out of the Void-Space (p. 249)
• 4. Within Space-Life (p. 253)
• 5. The Breaking of the One into the Manifold (p. 261)
• 6. Folk Stories of Creation (p. 268)
• Chapter II The Virgin Birth (p. 275)
• 1. Mother Universe (p. 275)
• 2. Matrix of Destiny (p. 280)
• 3. Womb of Redemption (p. 285)
• 4. Folk Stories of Virgin Motherhood (p. 288)
• Chapter III Transformations of the Hero (p. 291)
• 1. The Primordial Hero and the Human (p. 291)
• 2. Childhood of the Human Hero (p. 295)
• 3. The Hero as Warrior (p. 309)
• 4. The Hero as Lover (p. 316)
• 5. The Hero as Emperor and as Tyrant (p. 319)
• 6. The Hero as World Redeemer (p. 322)
• 7. The Hero as Saint (p. 327)
• 8. Departure of the Hero (p. 329)
• Chapter IV Dissolutions (p. 337)
• 1. End of the Microcosm (p. 337)
• 2. End of the Macrocosm (p. 345)
• Epilogue: Myth and Society (p. 351)
• 1. The Shapeshifter (p. 353)
• 2. The Function of Myth, Cult, and Meditation (p. 354)
• 3. The Hero Today (p. 358)
• Bibliography (p. 363)
• Index (p. 383)