Oddly enough, this book appears to have been originally titled "By Jove!", which would have been far more fitting. Though you will learn (or relearn) a number of famous tales, the purpose of this book is not to function as a primer, but rather to describe the Greek/Roman mythological roots of common English words and phrases. And in that capacity it does an excellent job, covering terms from the obvious (dionysian) to the obscure (syringe), with a healthy peppering of amusing commentary interspersed. If you're a fan of language or mythology, this is a fun read. ( )

We encounter vague references to the ancient Greek and Roman gods in so many common expressions today. Most of us are only dimly aware of the origin of these references. What a fun and light read this book is. It contains short chapters on forty-odd of these ancient deities. Amply illustrated, it even contains a family tree of the gods. Many of the Greek gods morphed into Roman gods with new names and both sides are covered here. There is also a good chapter on the Pantheon for quick reference. Overall a very good introduction to mythology and a quick reference besides. ( )

INDEX; ILLUSTRATED