“Mythopedia: A Brief Compendium of Natural History Lore” by Adrienne Mayor, illustrated by Michele M. Angel

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Rating: 4/5 Stars.

An interesting compendium of geomyths, or myths about natural phenomena from around the world. Geomyths are attempts by people to explain anomalous natural phenomenon or geological events. These geomyths, passed down as stories, preserve knowledge and speculations about the phenomena. By looking at these geomyths, it can be possible to gain an understanding of what people have seen or act as a starting point for modern day investigations into geological events in the past.

The geomyths in the book are arranged in alphabetical order, with each given brief coverage. The original geomyth is provided, followed by possible explanations, backed up by research or evidence to show what the geomyth attempts to explain or preserve about the events.

Some of the geomyths are of rare events, like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or massive floods, while others are of events that can still occur, like the singing desert sands or quicksand. Some geomyths encode vital knowledge about how to react in crises, like going for high ground when the oceans suddenly retreat from the shore (a tsunami is coming).

This is a book that can be read cover or cover, or dipped into to find particular geomyths of interest.

Book read from 2026/05/14 to 2026/05/20.