The Myths We Live By

By: Mary Midgley

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

With a new introduction by the author

Myths, as Mary Midgley argues in this powerful audiobook, are everywhere. In political thought they sit at the heart of theories of human nature and the social contract; in economics in the pursuit of self interest; and in science the idea of human beings as machines, which originates in the 17th century, is a today a potent force. Far from being the opposite of science, however, Midgley argues that myth is a central part of it. Myths are neither lies nor mere stories, but a network of powerful symbols for interpreting the world. Tackling a dazzling array of subjects such as philosophy, evolutionary psychology, animals, consciousness, and the environment in her customary razor-sharp prose, The Myths We Live By reminds us of the powerful role of symbolism and the need to take our imaginative life seriously.

Mary Midgley is a moral philosopher and the author of many books including Wickedness, Evolution as a Religion, Beast and Man, and Science and Poetry.

©2004 Mary Midgley (P)2017 Gildan Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"An elegant and sane little book." ( The New Statesman)

Fast talking

A great and very needed statement, sadly read in a very hurried, and in the head manner. I had to rewind so many times it became frustrating.

Philosophy that is modern and sensible

When I hear Mary Midgely's words I wonder how it took 50 years of my life and 20 plus years of school to know of her. It makes me dreadfully sad for Education in general and me personally.

Good book. Horrible narration.

The book is good enough, but the narrator makes it absolutely impossible to listen to it. It sounds as if it was read by Siri. Simply awful.

The narrator ruined it!

For an audiobook, narration can make or break the experience. Unfortunately, in this case it was a monotonous drone. It was almost as if done by a court reader, who had strictly been instructed to refrain from any inflections and such. One could pick up here and there that Midgley was an original and humane thinker. Beyond that, it was a lost cause.