This book is one of a series by Reference Point Press called Monsters and Mythical Creatures and it's good enough that I'm interested in reading more in the series. It's a good introduction to demonology for adolescents and young adults and contains a lot of information for its size. There are several sections starting with What is a Demon, which is simply an introduction to the concepts of demons.The next chapter is Demons in World Mythology which is relatively comprehensive in the cultures included. Demon's from Mesopotamia, Japan, China, North and South America, Islam, and Africa with a mention of many other areas such as Scandinavia, the Caribbean, and the Philippines are discussed among others. I think this chapter contains the right amount of information to both inform and not bore the target audience.

The next chapter is Demons in Charge which focuses on specific examples of demons in those cultures as well as ideas of evil and the Christian concept of Satan. It's followed by a Chapter on Dealing with Demons which talks about summoning demons, the existence of demons in our world and demons in modern cultures. Last is the chapter on Demonic Possession, probably the most interesting of all the chapters for adolescents. Here are specific case studies and experiences people claim to have had with demons. There is a lot of Catholic exorcism stories but there are several for other cultures as well. The chapter includes demons in pop culture such as the famous film The Exorcist.

The text is accompanied by a variety of illustrations such as ancient artwork portraying demons or possession and photos of rituals, sculpture and people dressed in regional religious garb. Some of these photos are very vivid and disturbing. For example, in one picture a youth is flailing around on a table, his eyes rolled back in his head, with people around him trying to exorcise a demon out of him. In another photo, a man wielding a sword over a tied and terrified buffalo calf is caught mid-swing.

I can't attest for the accuracy of everything in the book, but what I do know from my schooling is mostly accurate with some simplifications that aren't quite right but good enough to make the information simple enough for a less educated audience. There are lots of references, refreshing for a book for youth.

Overall, this is a good book for young people to learn about demonology and a short introduction for adults to understand where to start reading further. ( )

This book is one of a series by Reference Point Press called Monsters and Mythical Creatures and it's good enough that I'm interested in reading more in the series. It's a good introduction to demonology for adolescents and young adults and contains a lot of information for its size. There are several sections starting with What is a Demon, which is simply an introduction to the concepts of demons.The next chapter is Demons in World Mythology which is relatively comprehensive in the cultures included. Demon's from Mesopotamia, Japan, China, North and South America, Islam, and Africa with a mention of many other areas such as Scandinavia, the Caribbean, and the Philippines are discussed among others. I think this chapter contains the right amount of information to both inform and not bore the target audience.

The next chapter is Demons in Charge which focuses on specific examples of demons in those cultures as well as ideas of evil and the Christian concept of Satan. It's followed by a Chapter on Dealing with Demons which talks about summoning demons, the existence of demons in our world and demons in modern cultures. Last is the chapter on Demonic Possession, probably the most interesting of all the chapters for adolescents. Here are specific case studies and experiences people claim to have had with demons. There is a lot of Catholic exorcism stories but there are several for other cultures as well. The chapter includes demons in pop culture such as the famous film The Exorcist.

The text is accompanied by a variety of illustrations such as ancient artwork portraying demons or possession and photos of rituals, sculpture and people dressed in regional religious garb. Some of these photos are very vivid and disturbing. For example, in one picture a youth is flailing around on a table, his eyes rolled back in his head, with people around him trying to exorcise a demon out of him. In another photo, a man wielding a sword over a tied and terrified buffalo calf is caught mid-swing.

I can't attest for the accuracy of everything in the book, but what I do know from my schooling is mostly accurate with some simplifications that aren't quite right but good enough to make the information simple enough for a less educated audience. There are lots of references, refreshing for a book for youth.

Overall, this is a good book for young people to learn about demonology and a short introduction for adults to understand where to start reading further. ( )