The Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell (1904–1987) is widely credited with bringing mythology to a mass audience. His works, including the four-volume The Masks of God and The Power of Myth (with Bill Moyers), rank among the classics in mythology and literature.Phil Cousineau is an award-winning writer and filmmaker, teacher and editor, lecturer and travel leader, storyteller and TV host. He has written and co-written numerous books on religion, travel, and mythology, including The Art of Pilgrimage and Once and Future Myths. He lives in San Francisco.Stuart L. Brown was the executive producer of (and driving force behind) the popular documentary film The Hero's Journey: The World of Joseph Campbell. He lives in Northern California.

In what amounts to Campbell's only spiritual autobiography, this beautifully crafted collection of conversations, interviews, and outtakes from the "The Hero's Journey" documentary reveals and illuminates Campbell's personal and intellectual journey. Warm and relaxed, Campbell is first seen sipping Glenlivet and encouraging his mentee, Cousineau. Then, as described by "Publishers Weekly," "the book ranges widely, from Cro-Magnon art to Arthurian legend...as it follows Campbell from his Catholic boyhood and early interest in American Indians to his years in Paris and Munich." Readers listen in as he meets Jung (who discusses the meaning of the Hindu syllable, "Om"); hear Campbell quip, "if marriage isn't a first priority in your life, you're not married"; and learn the genesis of Campbell's trademark, "follow your bliss." As Richard Adams wrote, it reveals "at every turn fresh aspects of his genius, wisdom, and understanding."