Rating: 
Summary: Left Brain vs. Right Brain
Review: Great books stir the soul, and this one is no exception. Dr. Shlain exposes the moral-ethical foundations of Western and Eastern civilizations by raising the age-old question, why do men rule instead of women? By men, he means the masculine 'virtues' of aggression, physical domination, might-makes-right, survival of the fittest, id-ego, and all those other explanations that are used to justify male wants and needs. The author asks simply, why didn't feminine values (nurturing, loving, inclusion) reign supreme? The answer that he proposes is based upon the well-known split-brain phenomenon in neuropsychology, i.e., each human being harbors two distinct personalities governed by separate regions in the right and left hemispheres. The masculine left brain specializes in analytical, reductionistic thought processes used in alphabet-based language and mathematics. The feminine right brain uses intuitive, wholistic thought processes important in metaphor-based language and image recognition (this research generated a Nobel Prize in Medicine-Physiology for the late Dr. Roger Sperry). Dr. Shlain proposes that male domination evolved due to the rapid development of the left brain promoted initially by the invention of the alphabet (and further expanded by progress in mathematics, writing, and the printing press). At each stage, he cites cultural changes that devalued feminine values and promoted male domination. Not since Freud has there been such a bold, innovative attempt to understand the source of sexual differences. This book will be of interest to anyone unsatisfied with the standard theories couched in psychoanalytical and evolutionary perspectives. This book reaches for a higher ground of discourse between the sexes.
Rating: 
Summary: The Reviewers vs. The Intent
Review: I read The Alphabet vs. The Goddess before I read any reviews. In going through these reviews, I'm fascinated that most people either absolutely detest or adore this book. I think most of the folks at either extreme of the reviews are missing the point.The basics. This is a fun and accessible romp through history. Is it a thoroughly researched piece of scholarship? Absolutely not. Will any of Shlain's arguments ever be provable? Very likely never. But that's not the point of this book. If you try to judge this work as cut-and-dried scholarship, you will be frustrated and disappointed. Shlain covers a lot of bases -- too many to adequately research without devoting a lifetime to the task. In some areas in which I have modest domain knowledge, I found fodder to debate his interpretations; I didn't always agree with the completeness of his research or the quality of his theories. But I would argue to the detractors of this book that the whole point is to let go of the veracity of his research and theories. So, it's not provable.... Who cares. So, he hasn't crossed every "T" and dotted every "I" in chronicling the last 20,000 of human development.... Doesn't matter. In his preface, Shlain makes it clear that he essentially considers this work to speculative non-fiction. I agree that he presents some unvalidated theories in the book as accepted canon; he should have tossed in a few more disclaimers. However, Shlain acknowledges from the start that his theories are nothing more than (very interesting!) personal musings. And, as a speculative exploration of the human condition, this book is engrossing. The entire point of this book is to be a -- pardon me-- holistic, imaginative, creative, right-brained "What if...." To treat Shlain's speculations like Bible or to castigate the book as bad science are both missing the point. The extreme left-brainers out their need to learn to relax and have fun with the unquanitifiable. The extreme right-brainers need to learn to analyze information with a discerning eye. The rest of us should just sit down and enjoy some good brain candy.
Rating:
Summary: A rivetting journey
Review: This book is a gem to be savored like a high quality ice cream. One doesn't have to concur with its conclusions to enjoy the historic quilt that the author masterfully sews. It provides the reader with one of those "I never thought about it quite like that" moments. The part about the witch-hunt period should be mandatory school material in my opinion. I believe that any person with an inquisitive mind must read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Power and Place
Review: Overall impression: I was enthralled both by the underlying proposition that physiology influences the expression of human power and place and by the scope of material and history engaged. An ambitious, thoughtful, thought- provoking, and, I think generously offered perspective on the forces that have shaped society. Also an opportunity to review behavior and stories we accept as givens. An excellent read! First, an expression of thanks for the amount of scholarship tackled, the quantity of written and visual material organized, the adherence to a model whose pitfalls were pointed out at the beginning, and the chance to review an enormous wedge of History from a new and brave perspective. Because it is offered as a structural guide, the idea that the physiology of the brain influences perception and might therefore influence how humans document thought and vying for immortality, power, and place, in my mind, can be accepted as stated. Dr. Shlain does not offer all the details of the research that might support his view. We are only at the beginning of figuring out where in the brain abstractions like honor, justice, etc. are housed. The premise is logical and does allows a vast amount of material to be anchored in a non-judgemental way. I especially appreciate looking at events like the Reformation or the witch hunts in Europe(I had no idea of the scope of the latter) within the social context in which they occurred. We are usually offered this type of history as a given. It is important to look at the writing of major figures e.g. Augustine and realize the power of his words. Introducing a concept like "original sin" can influence generations. Examining writing by writing is both ironic and necessary. The written word of the critiquer assumes some measure of the power of the critiqued. I think the point of tracing a shift in power from generative to institutionalized by using male/femaleness allowed the author to transcend racial, national, economic, and other biases that might diffuse the message. However, the corallry to that is to look at these same historical landmarks purely in human to human terms: haves (money, weapons, brutality) vs. have-nots. [There was an article in the Washington Post this morning with a picture of a four year old girl whose hand had been amputated by rebel soldiers in her country. It is hard to explain or condone this type of behavior on any level.] If we can begin to look at our behavior, man to woman, adult to child, human to animal, man to man as a system or an option rather than irreducible law, we begin to ascend in evolutionary terms, perhaps, toward a freedom of spirit that we idealize and imagine and seek, but rarely reach. A word about form. The Goddess vs. the Alphabet is written with ease and gracefulness, clarity and forthcoming. I felt welcomed into the text and not wary of it.
Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking -- will change the way you look at the world
Review: There are very few books that have truly changed the way I think, but Leonard Shlain's The Alphabet versus the Goddess is one of them. After reading it, I found myself looking at the world through the perspective of his intriguing thesis: that the rise of alphabet literacy has led to the fall of the female. Our society has indeed become one in which the written word is almost all-powerful, and it certainly does take a measure of thought to reconcile one's mind to the thought that literacy's effect on mankind has not always been a positive one. But Dr. Shlain in a quick scan of human history points out example after example of how the adoption of the alphabet in a particular society has correlated with the degredation of women. Fascinating! Being the particular person that I am, I had a few minor points about his book. A few historical facts are misplaced; namely, that the female name "Maria" comes from the Hebrew "marah," not the Latin "mare," and that Queen Mary of England was not engaged to the Dauphine of France (Mary Queen of Scots was) but was married to Philip of Spain. Other than these rather nit-picky points, I also wished Dr. Shlain explained in a little more detail about the Reformation, and why the Catholic Church, with its veneration of saints and the Blessed Virgin and with its emphasis on imagery and symbols, is today considered more anti-feminist in its stances on female clergy, abortion, and birth control than its Protestant counterparts who have always and still do renounce the "image." This is the only point that was not explained to my satisfaction, but otherwise I think Dr. Shlain did a wonderful job in proving his remarkable thesis. A highly recommended read!
Rating:
Summary: I'm skeptical
Review: Much of the material in this work is based on the fallacy that a prior event is the cause of a later event. Shlain repeats this argument endlessly as if sheer numbers of fallacious cases somehow make up for the defficiency. However, the book is very thought-provoking. Surprisingly considering its thesis, the book is written in a very "left-brain" manner; each chapter sets up dichotomies of opposite ideas. Although this structure leads to oversimplification, it does tend to clarify issues in a global way and provide an outline of history and culture. Perhaps he's on to something when he sees the inherent misogynist purpose behind fundamentalist religions and the puritanism of 20th century ideologies that he calls atheistic religions. There are many small insights, but I would need more information before accepting his main thesis. The book is very flattering to women; thus, there is a temptation to believe. Shlain made an appearance at the Boulder World Affairs Conference where I attended some of his sessions. He is a very dynamic individual with a great sense of humor and much that is interesting to ponder.
Rating: 
Summary: Are Leonard Shlain and Dr. Laura the Same Person?
Review: In "The Alphabet Versus the Goddess" Leonard Shlain offers us a fascinating thesis. Unfortunately, embedded in so much of his work, especially in those sections dealing with the ancient Judaic and Greek cultures, we hear the unmistakable voice of a man who must be a religious fundamentalist at heart. For example, Shlain attempts to nuance the brutality we read of in the Old Testament. Specifically, Shlain does not tell the truth about the genocide YHWH commanded the Jewish armies to perpetrate upon those sovereign nations who occupied lands desired by the Jews. Instead, Shlain emphasizes the ethical qualities of ancient Judaism and adulterates the truth about how non-Jewish female captives, babies and children were treated, when in fact Shlain knows that these people were either killed or became slaves, the women becoming sexual slaves (read = concubines) after seven days of mourning YHWH alloted them after their husbands were killed by the Jewish army (no prisoners were taken). Moreover, Shlain also asks us to indulge his immense leap of faith that the miracles surrounding the Exodus were attributable to a volcano. His series of conjectures here were wildly implausible in that they depended upon a cascade of "ifs" happening in a sequential manner requiring infitesimial odds. I sensed Shlain's writing was torn between his religious committment and his desire for artistic integrity. By compromising the two, he fails to wholly succeed in either. Shlain's conflict is especially apparent on the topic of homosexuality, where he could just as well be Dr. Laura in drag. Shlain says of the homosexuality of ancient Greece, "Whatever are its causes, it is most unusual that the Greeks went against the evolutionary grain...." As a doctor, Shlain should know that gayness does not go against the "evolutionary grain" but that it is rather like left-handedness and is passed down through the mother's side. As one writing about history, Shlain should know that the Greeks had no concept of biological evolution, and so could not have formed the idea that they were doing anything contrary to evolution. Finally, as one who has read Freud, Shlain could have exlpored the notion that all people are bisexual, rather than employ a transparent non sequitor to dismiss Grecian bisexuality as a conscious and immoral plot on the part of ancient Greek men to destroy the power of the Goddess. Shlain's biases and implausibilities are lamentable because they negate the power of his thesis. Ironically, though, Shlain himself proves his thesis that alphabet literacy results in male predominance, in that his own dominant male religious bias is so eloquently woven into his book.
Rating:
Summary: Validation for the Female
Review: One fierce fine book in concept & scope of research--to have underlined a passage on every page because it shook me with mindful/emotional impact indicates the level of intrigue & applause it offered. Macro & micro comprehensions into the origins & maintenance of feeling Not Good Enough abound. I'm especially grateful to drop some current judgments regarding contemporary visual idioms after reading what Shlain posits regarding TV & film. Thanks to him for what was a turn-around-new-concept masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: The Left Brain Trap
Review: The idea of a matriarchal society where leadership was provided by a belief in a Goddess was disregarded by most academics as little as two decades ago. This in spite of clues such as Cronos' role of consort to the Goddess Rhea. Although there is little argument now that the hunter, gatherer raiders from the East brought their male warrior Gods with them. 'The Alphabet and the Goddess' provides a window into the mechanism that enabled their success in establishing victory. We still refer to an inviolate idea or rule as 'carved in stone'. Those who doggedly believe schools should post the Ten Commandments are those who will not likely read "The Alphabet and the Goddess". I am a collector of icons. Until reading Leonard Shlains' most recent work I had been unable to express the difference and the advantage of a representation over a written explanation. Now I can refer those who question to this book. One can interpret images in a personal or spiritual way. I feel the work is a very significant contribution to a world questioning the framework of our contemporary consciousness.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book I've Read in Years!
Review: I bought this book after hearing Dr. Schlain was on NPR. I was so intrigued by his hypothisis on the rise in literacy seemingly in tandum with the decline of the Goddess Cultures (Cultures that archeology proved existed about 30,000 years ago with the findings that included Venus of Willendorf.) I was struck by the amount of contemplation and research by the author, that went into this book. Dr. Schlain's medical background seemed to complement as well as substantiate his (and many others) claim that women's brains process information differently than mens brains. It seemed every few pages I learned something new about the most basic traditions of dating (sex for meat), marriage (insuring fidelity)and children (immortality). As a woman it was sometimes difficult to read about the lot we have been cast in the past, yet it was so enlightening the book was hard to put down. This is not a casual read, like a romance novel or magazine. It is a well thought out,heavily researched, yet clearly explained book. This would be a great read when you have some extended quiet time. Perhaps on a plane, train, automobile or sunny deck. I keep my copy near my desk for easy reference. Be prepared to consider a theory that may well shake the very ground of your being! I can't wait to see what would have happened if Goddess cultures would have survived intact! BUY THIS BOOK! You'll love it!
|
