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Mythology was once considered merely the result of superstitions and primitive minds. In Myth and Meaning, Claude Lévi-Strauss examines the philosophy behind mythology and what world mythology has come to mean to historians. Summary of the Book A result of five lectures prepared for Canadian radio, this book collects insights from Levi-Strauss who examines what mythology has come to mean to historians and philosophers over the ages. No longer can the student of human nature discard mythology as the result of an overactive primitive imagination. Mythology carries within it deep connotations which spell definite signs of progress for human history. In it historians can find relations between myth and science, for that was how primitive man chose to explain his findings and thoughts. Mythology's effects on all aspects of human life are evident, Lévi-Strauss explains citing music as an example. His explains his belief that study of mythology will not only assist historians today in understanding out past, but also in understanding where we are eventually going as a race. The book is a vital read for students of human nature, history and casual readers who wish to see how the seemingly mystic can perhaps be used to explain deeper, more significant aspects of what we are. About Claude Lévi-Strauss Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist, ethnologist and a writer. He has often been called the "father of modern anthropology." His best known works are: A World on the Wane, Mythologiques I–IV, The Savage Mind and Structural Anthropology. A student at the University of Paris, he studied law and philosophy. His work with human characteristics has secured him a place as one of the pivotal personalities behind the structuralist school of thought.