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The title of this book may mislead potential readers, since it is not a book about the myth of Sisyphus--in the manner of W.B. Stanford's The Ulysses Theme or G. Karl Galinsky's The Herackles Theme--but rather, as its subtitle indicates, Renaissance theories of human perfectibility. This said, Simon (English, Univ. of Haifa) goes well beyond the temporal limits of the Renaissance and includes numerous ancient and medieval authors. In the first chapter he lays down his interpretation of the myth of Sisyphus from the ancient sources: in his frustrated quest for immortality, and with his considerable intelligence, Sisyphus represents (according to Simon) the archetype of the human quest for perfection, which idealizes process over achievement. Other chapters look at the manifestation of this archetypal idea in various philosophical and literary traditions (for example, stoicism and patristic writings) and explore its various dimensions (Sisyphus as astral magician, humanist, lover and hero). Simon examines an impressive number of authors and traditions, and his book will interest literary scholars of the Renaissance and historians of values and ideas. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, and faculty.--P. Nieto, Brown University, Choice, January 2008