Books by Helene Basu

Many myths that are told again and again are myths of decision-making, such as for instance the decision of Adam and Eve in Paradise to eat the forbidden fruit, the choices of Paris and Heracles, or Buridan's donkey who starves between two equally attractive haystacks because it cannot decide which one to eat. This volume presents novel interdisciplinary approaches to the question of decision-making as it is reflected in myth and literature. It investigates the relation of myth, narration and the challenge of decision-making. The collection highlights especially the narrative structure of the impossibility to decide that has also been discussed in modern theories of decision-making. Contrary to Rational Choice Theories, the contributions of this collection aim at a Cultural Study approach to decision-making that focusses on social processes of culture specific forms and historical change in decision-making scenarios.