Book Review #110: ‘Culture: 50 Insights from Mythology’ by Devdutt Pattanaik

‘Culture: 50 Insights from Mythology’ by Devdutt Pattanaik (C) Aishwary Mehta.

The story behind this photograph – The above image is that of a small temple room that is housed in every Indian household. The sacred place of worship and every ritual throughout the year. This place keeps us connected to our Culture and our very own favourite diety.

Author – Devdutt Pattanaik | Genre – Mythology

Publishing House – Element (Harper Collins)

Source – Purchased | ISBN – 9352644972

Published in – February 2018

Format – Hardcover | Pages – 240

Quote from the book I Liked –

‘Wisdom that no one can pass on like wealth, but has to be ignited, individually.’ (Loc. 469)

‘Wisdom makes us kinder, gentler, humbler, not angry revolutionaries – for every revolution will also die, eventually, inevitably.’ (Loc. 471)

*Important take from the book* (New segment) –

Mythology is symbolic. It must not be taken literally. Ideas are communicated through male and female forms. For example, a male form represents the king while a female form represents the kingdom, thus indicating mutual dependence. Without either there is neither. Somewhere along the way, there was confusion between idea and the form (vehicle of the idea). Rather than representing kingship, men became identified with kings, while women, rather than representing as the kingdom, become identified as the kingdom, hence property. (Loc. 814)

Stars – 4 Stars

Plot Summary –

How do myths and stories influence culture? What is the difference between one culture and another, and how did these differences come to be? Are cultures fixed or do they change over time? Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s leading mythologist, breaks down the complex maze of stories, symbols and rituals to examine how they shape cultures. He investigates how stories influence perception and construct truths, the cultural roots of the notion of evil and reveal the need for mythology through a telling of various Indian and Western myths. In doing so, he shows how myths reflect the culture they emerge from while simultaneously reinforcing the source. Culture is a groundbreaking work that contextualizes mythology and proposes that myths are alive, dynamic, shaped by perception and the times one lives in.

About the Author –

Dr Devdutt Pattanaik (born December 11, 1970) is an Indian physician turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology, and also management. He has written many books related to Hindu mythology, including Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, a novel, The Pregnant King, and Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata (2010).
He is the Chief Belief Officer of Future Group, one of India’s largest retailers, bringing the wisdom of Indian mythology into Indian business, specifically in human resource management. He also writes a column for the newspaper MIDDAY.
He has also written a novel based on a tale from the Mahabharata titled ‘The Pregnant King’ published by Penguin Books India.

My Review –

This book seemed a rather ‘not for me’ initially but as I proceeded with I felt admiration towards the tales the author accumulated in this book. This book talks about 50 Insights from Hindu Mythology which includes some stories, some tales and some rituals which we see in our everyday life but actually don’t understand the deeper meaning behind it. Like the insight about Rangoli or the image of Krishna’s (Baal Gopal) image of sitting on a Banayan Leaf with him sucking his feet’s thumb. These stories and illustrations are soo common yet the meaning behind is unknown to the masses. Thus, come in this book. This book decodes some of the tales and rituals and helps us understand our culture better. A recommended book who like to be open-minded and want to know the deeper and actual meaning behind several things from Hindu culture.

What I liked – Some stories.

What could’ve been better – Some stories could’ve been elaborated.

Writing Style – Short, self-explanatory and meaningful.

Conclusion – Keep your mind open. Some stories are just amazing and some could’ve been written with more inputs.

22nd BOOK of 2020 (146 books read overall)

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More books by author Devdutt Pattanaik I’ve read –

Book Review #102: ‘Myth=Mithya’ by Devdutt Pattanaik

Book Review #38: ‘my Hanuman Chalisa’ by Devdutta Pattanaik

Book Review #14: ‘My Gita’ by Devdutt Pattanaik

Recent book reviews –

Book Review #109: ‘Recursion’ by Blake Crouch

Book Review #108: ‘The Celestine Prophecy’ (Celestine Prophecy #1) by James Redfield

Book Review #107: ‘Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta’ (Ram Chandra Series #3) by Amish Tripathi