This is the second volume of 'The Masks of God' and has a copyright date of 1962. Campbell begins by discussing the 'split' in the mythologies of the East and West and how this led to differences in worldview, culture, and ways of thinking right down to the twentieth century. He begins with the emergence of civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia and then moves east to the Indian subcontinent, China, and Japan. There is much exploration of how various peoples' ways of thinking about God, creation and man's place in the cosmos led to their culture's general characteristics.

Although Campbell's opus is nearly fifty years old, his ideas seem to have a lot in common with other reading I've been doing in the last couple of months by authors writing much more recently. I've also found that his work is much easier going for me than it was when I read the first volume. I think this reflects the fact that I've been reading a great deal in the areas of mythology and early history for the last eighteen months and so have a better foundation for understanding his writing. Recommended for those with a serious interest in Eastern mythology and religion.