Sir James George Frazer was a Scottish anthropologist. His wide-ranging comparative study of mythology and religion entitled The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion was published in twelve volumes. It was one of the most influential texts in anthropology and helped to establish anthropology as a real science. This one-volume abridgment is aimed at a large literate audience. The object of this work is to familiarize readers with the cultural habits, taboos, beliefs and, with the ancient origins of the world's myths, rituals, superstitions, and religions. The influence of this master work on contemporary European literature and thought is substantial (Sigmund Freud, C. G Jung, James Joyce, T. S. Eliot, Robert Graves, Joseph Campbell, Stephen King ...).

This book is a must-read for the studies of mythology, religion, or anthropology.