Echoes in the Dust is a sweeping, provocative exploration of how local myths became global truths—and how humanity mistook its earliest metaphors for universal mandates. With incisive clarity and philosophical depth, Richard Sweeney invites readers on a journey through history, anthropology, psychology, and storytelling to expose the illusion of universality in our most sacred beliefs.From the flood myths of Mesopotamia to the prophetic visions of desert mystics, Sweeney argues that many of our world-shaping stories were never meant to be global—they were born of isolated events, misunderstood skies, and the universal human desire to make sense of chaos. As civilizations echoed their own narratives, what began as reflection became doctrine, and metaphor hardened into law.This book is not an attack on meaning—it's a call to reconstruct it consciously. Part critique, part manifesto, Echoes in the Dust offers a new path forward: one rooted in reflection, plurality, and the courageous act of choosing the stories we live by.A must-read for readers of Yuval Noah Harari, Alan Watts, and Joseph Campbell, this is a book for anyone brave enough to ask: What if we misunderstood the past—and what might that mean for our future?