HOW DID IT BEGIN?

A mildly diverting collection of capsule investigations of the origin and growth of superstitions, customs, traditions, which have their roots in a misty past. Rabbi Brasch has grouped his findings under general tradition-sticky areas--birth, courtship and marriage, death, drinking customs, and reaches into less common areas for investigations of this sort such as army and navy customs, justice, dwellings and nationhood. There are also many references to religious customs and practices. Scholars might chaff a bit, since often traditions and superstitions are traced to one chronicled episode (Norse fear of the number 13 stemming from a specific fable, for example). However, a layman's book that would take account of the totality of myth study would be a gigantic and expensive task. In general a cheerful, easy --going round-up of some of our antediluvian impulses and ritualistic carryings on.