For most Americans, myths belong to other places. Having come of age in centuries largely dominated by the slow, relentless development of science and industry, America is, superficially at least, the product of the Industrial Revolution and the Enlightenment. Which is, of course, thankfully a big lie. Myths affect everyone's lives, whether in the form of the Calvinist-derived "American Dream" or the ascent to folktale status of such real-life characters as Bonnie and Clyde. In the short but broad collection Myths, Legends & Folktales Of America, David Leeming and Jake Page offer a survey of some of the stories that make up the mythic fabric of America. After dividing their book into three large sections concerning gods, heroes, and mythical creatures—each broad enough to cover a wide variety of topics—the authors further divide their material into the ethnic groups that spawned the stories. This is more than a matter of convenience: If there's a myth Leeming and Page seem to object to, it's that of the melting pot, and if their collection has an additional agenda, it's to reveal the wide variety of people and beliefs that have contributed to the making of America. Not exactly a controversial stance, to be sure, but Myths, Legends & Folktales not only provides a great introduction to American myth, but makes a convincing case for it, too.