The Raw and the Cooked: Introduction to a Science of Mythology. Vol. 1

This book examines the myths of the South American Indians and demonstrates how these can be reduced to a comprehensible psychological pattern. Moving from minute detail to bold speculation, Levi-Strauss argues that there is no fundamental break between the primitive mind and more evolved attitudes. He analyzes 250 myths to reveal their interrelation and basic structure and, by cross-referencing to European customs, he sets them in a general cultural context.