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The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image

The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image

List Price: $17.00
Your Price: $11.56
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: realized ambition
Review: In his book, The Alphabet vs. the Goddess, Shlain contends that literacy has benefitted mankind, and mankind alone. Womankind is left in the dark-quite literally, eclipsed by the reshaping of history by men who wrote and re-wrote events down as they saw fit. Shlain's seemingly preposterous contention becomes plausible as he takes you from prehistorical humankind's right brain and left braind development to the creation of tv, movies and the internet.

On a personal note, this book has changed my life and has converted me from a science-wary student to one who wishes to take medicine as a course of study for the next ten years of her life. What else can be said about the book's accomplishment except that it altered the whole course of one person's life?

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Correction -- I TRIED to read this book and I want to review
Review: My husband recently read this book and he can't stop talking about it! I'm happy for him, but I've tried to get started on it, and it's just too thick for me. I'm not a complete lightweight but this is written in that style that uses the words "paradigm" and "dialectic" a lot. I think I might get more out of a whole book with only one of those words in it.

I don't think that I mean to say no one should read this book. But if you, like me, have trouble with these terribly meta-academic styles, this may not be the book for you.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Quite a disappointment
Review: I found Mr. Shlain's premise fascinating. Unfortunately, the book didn't carry through on the promise it made. It started off on the wrong foot by never actually giving any evidence that women are more right-brained than men. Some of the historical examples in the book were fascinating. Others were pure speculation, twisted to fit his thesis, or just plain factually wrong. He also fails to clearly define what types of proto-feminism he's looking for. As a result, there are confused and confusing examples where women are enshrined but not enriched or vice versa.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely Fascinating!
Review: Once God started writing books, everything changed. Or did it? Answer for yourself, in this comprehensive ride through Western history.

Arguing from a feminist historical perspective, Shlain posits alphabetical literacy as a watershed societal development regarding the conception of God/Nature.

Shlain's hypothesis intrigues me. Having just finished "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond, I was struck by Diamond's observation that the alphabet, as we know it, has only been invented in one culture in the course of human history. That culture's God, being the first to publish, started something. Now here we are, 3000 years later, still warring over who that God is really speaking for and what "He" exactly meant.

Shlain demonstrates to me, at the very least, how literacy can lead to extremism. It is obvious that once God or any other charismatic leader gets things in writing, illiterates tend to end up as inferiors. And, whether our brains begin to work differently regarding gender roles ... I know mine has as a result of reading this impressive work.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Intelligent, insightful, provocative and challenging!
Review: Intelligent, insightful, provocative and challenging, this is a book I could hardly put down! For many, Leonard Shlain's thesis will be difficult to swallow, cutting across cultural and religious prejudices and taboos with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel. (The author's specialty is brain surgery). For others, this books will evoke many 'Ahas's' and 'Amens'. Unlike many contempory authors, Mr. Shlain offers us a genuine vision of ourselves. To borrow a Zen metaphor, reading this book is like holding up a polished mirror which allows us to see ourselves more clearly and wholly. In particular, the issue of hemispherical dominance in relationship to perception, communication, art, religion, politics, gender roles and values, psychology and philosophy is illuminated by this perspective. And the central question of 'What became of the Goddess?'is given a strong and intelligent reply.

Where I would like to see more emphasis in the book is on the perception of sound as well as visual stimulus. For example, music is not examined as the potentially integrating artform that can overcome the schizophrenic tendencies of left-brained written language and right-brained visual imagery. And the left brained time dominance over image and sound is not considered in relationship to motion pictures (film) or digital technology/voice transmission and music.

Despite these differences in perception and opinion, this is an important book addressing critical issues in our evolution and survival as a species. I hope to read more books by this author of wit, style and substance!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Flawed but at base important
Review: OK, OK, so Shlain is not a scholar in the humanities. He does make some mighty big assumptions about everything from evolution to contemporary events. He doesn't seem to be aware that scholars have been quibbling about many of the things he presents as settled facts. As a scholar in religion, psychology, and history, I can say he doesn't have the nuanced view of these issues that I would prefer. NEVERTHELESS, the central thesis of the book is quite compelling: the very practice of becoming literate effects the human brain in such a way that it causes social upheaval. Take, for example, the witch hunts in the early modern era. No one has found a satisfactory explanation for the reason they occurred when they did. Shlain doesn't DENY that other proposed ideas have validity, he simply suggests that we have not taken enough care of the effects of literacy. Truth be told, it is a major shift when large numbers of people become able to read and write. We would be fools to think it would NOT have an effect on our culture. Exactly what those effects were and are remains to be seen, but credit Shlain with having the insight to make the connection.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: keep an open mind...
Review: The issues discussed in Mr. Shlain's book are undeniably intriguing; however, several points he makes are incorrect. With only a little bit of research, I was able to disprove some of his assertions (for example, the relationship between goddesses and animal symbolism). Often Mr. Shlain seems to find convenient proof in order to substantiate his claims. This book is definately worth reading, just try not to blindly accept everything he is saying as fact.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Fascinating and Engrossing Read
Review: I loved this book -- particularly Dr. Shlain's application of his theory to different historical periods. I thought be proved his argument admirably. I couldn't put it down.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The book to read
Review: This may be the most important book I have ever read. I stumbled into a radio talk show whilst driving home one evening and heard Leonard Shlain talk about life and death. I was stunned with his clarity on matters which are usually shrouded in mist. I bought the book soon thereafter but let it sit around for a while since the first few pages seem to suggest that it may not be the most comfortable read. However, once I got into it minimally, lightbulbs began to flash and pages began to turn. Practically every sentence of The Alphabet became immensely enjoyable. More importantly, the book provides a treasure of information and perspective in a very readable style. I think I am beginning to understand a bit of what has gone before, where I am, and what may be to come. Frankly, I got more out of this book than seven years of higher education.

I have bought the book for several friends. I recommend the book to anyone who asks Why.......

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An incredible perspective of history and evolution!
Review: The Alphabet Versus the Goddess is nothing less than intruiging from begining to end. Dr. Schlain's perspective and insight on how something we take for granted (such as the development of written word and the printing press) can change the world in areas such as art, religion, gender roles, and the manner in which our brains work in using right and left hemispheres. He points out events in history and how the introduction of literacy changed the structure of a society during that time. He gives an inspiring outlook on history guaranteed to generate many philosophical discussions ( maybe a few heated ones also). However it shines new light on how the world is evolving. That is without question. I hope this work will be set on stage as it would be interesting to see a book about word and images in a visual perspective.


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