November 05, 2007
Jewish Mythology Focus of NetLibrary eBook for November
The November NetLibrary eBook of the month is the winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Reference — Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism by Howard Schwartz, renowned collector and teller of traditional Jewish tales and professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Schwartz provides readers with the first anthology of Jewish mythology in English, this mythical tradition is as rich and as fascinating as any in the world.
Drawing from the Bible, the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud and Midrash, the kabbalistic literature, medieval folklore, Hasidic texts and oral lore collected in the modern era, Schwartz has gathered together nearly 700 of the key Jewish myths. Read about Adam's diamond and the Land of Eretz (where it is always dark), the fall of Lucifer and the quarrel of the sun and the moon, the Treasury of Souls and the Divine Chariot. Discover new tales about the great figures of the Hebrew Bible, from Adam to Moses; stories about God's Bride, the Shekhinah and the evil temptress, Lilith.
For each myth, he includes extensive commentary, revealing the source of the myth and explaining how it relates to other Jewish myths as well as to world literature (for instance, comparing Eve's release of evil into the world with Pandora's). For ease of use, Schwartz divides the volume into 10 books: Myths of God, Myths of Creation, Myths of Heaven, Myths of Hell, Myths of the Holy Word, Myths of the Holy Time, Myths of the Holy People, Myths of the Holy Land, Myths of Exile and Myths of the Messiah.
The eBook of the Month showcases new and noteworthy titles available from NetLibrary. Each month, NetLibrary selects a new featured title and provides free, unlimited access through the authenticated homepages of more than 15,000 public, academic and special libraries. To help libraries promote the November eBook of the Month, NetLibrary has developed a tool kit of free promotional resources that includes print-on-demand bookmarks, a sample press release and electronic support materials. More information is available at http://library.netlibrary.com/eBookOfTheMonthResources.aspx?ekmensel=20_submenu_42_link_2.
