Ariadne's Clue: A Guide to the Symbols of Humankind

For centuries people everywhere have expressed their preoccupations and concerns through symbolism in myths, stories, religions and dreams. In ARIADNE'S CLUE Anthony Stevens explains how and why we create the symbols we do. Taking the thought of C.J. Jung a stage further, Stevens argues that symbol formation has an adaptive function in the human psyche: it promotes our grasp on reality and is a result of selection pressures encountered in the course of evolutionary history. From the ancient symbol of the serpent to the primordial landscape of the savannah, Stevens traces a host of common symbols through time to reveal their deep-rooted effects on the lives of modern men, women and children.