The latest installment in the New York Times bestselling Don’t Know Much About® series — a magical journey into the timeless world of mythology

It has been fifteen years since Kenneth C. Davis first dazzled audiences with his instant classic Don’t Know Much About® History, vividly bringing the past to life and proving that Americans don’t hate history, they just hate the dull, textbook version they were fed in school. With humor, wit, and a knack for storytelling, Davis has been bringing readers of all ages up to speed on history, geography, and science ever since. Now, in the classic traditions of Edith Hamilton and Joseph Campbell, he turns his talents to the world of myth.

Where do we come from? Why do stars shine and the seasons change? What is evil? Since the beginning of time, people have answered such questions by crafting imaginative stories that have served as religion, science, philosophy, and popular literature. In his irreverent and popular question-and-answer style, Davis introduces and explains the great myths of the world, as well as the works of literature that have made them famous. In a single volume, he tackles Mesopotamia’s Gilgamesh, the first hero in world mythology; Achilles and the Trojan War; Stonehenge and the Druids; Thor, the Nordic god of thunder; Chinese oracle bones; the use of peyote in ancient Native American rites; and the dramatic life and times of the man who would be Buddha.

Ever familiar and instructive, Davis shows why the ancient tales of gods and heroes — from Mount Olympus to Machu Picchu, from ancient Rome to the icy land of the Norse — continue to speak to us today, in our movies, art, language, and music. For mythology novices and buffs alike, and for anyone who loves a good story, Don’t Know Much About® Mythology is a lively and insightful look into the greatest stories ever told.

His ego is big, but his problems just got bigger. Can a thirteen-year-old hacker learn to be a hero, or is his talent meant for evil?

The United Kingdom. Ryan Jacobs is too smart for his own good. So the young genius thinks it would be a grand lark to prove he can break into the army’s maximum-security system. But the born-to-be-a-rebel teenager never expected soldiers to storm his house and arrest him, taking away his freedom… forever.

Surprised to be whisked off to a mysterious academy for gifted kids, Ryan’s competitive streak is challenged by strict teachers, global crises, and the unexplored skill of making friends. But when his new bestie is kidnapped and a dark organization demands his compliance, the juvenile lawbreaker faces a complex choice between life and death.

Can he save his classmate before they’re both permanently deleted?

The Rules is the fast-paced first book in the Ryan Jacobs YA techno-thriller series. If you like heroes with an attitude, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and gritty themes, then you’ll love Paul Orton’s action-packed adventure.