Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful, intelligent look into Goddess spirituality.
Review: I was given this book by a male friend who was so impressed with it that he bought up every copy in his local store to distribute among his friends. I can see why he was so enthused. I couldn't put it down and have read it many times since. It really resonates with me on a deep level - as it does with a lot of people, it seems.There are so many aspects to this little book worth discussing it would be hard to pick out my favorite! I do think one of the best contributions of this work, is the way Sjoo envisions ancient culture's harmony with nature, and a positive agriculture and science, and then fuses them with the ecstasy and dreamlike states of shamanic traditions. That she somehow manages to combine these emotional, spiritual and practical aspects of Goddess realities is one of the reasons this book is such a complete experience from a feminist point of view. I think it's a very holistic and healthy vision of the past and what is possible for the future. A couple of people in reviewing this book have mentioned the inevitable "male-bashing" that always comes up when discussing any strong feminist message, but I think any criticism of a group isn't "bashing" or prejudice. It is a fact that whole groups of people have often throughout history oppressed and enslaved other groups of people. The German persecution of Jews, white enslavement and then oppression of black people and culture... you could go on and on throughout history. To say that whole groups of people (meaning the majority of people in a given group not every single person, of course) do oppress other groups would be a lie. When most feminists talk about male oppression and talk about "men" in the general sense, it isn't a criticism of every single man alive, but more a recognition of the fact that there is a real problem within the larger culture and that groups of people do have responsibility, just as single individuals do. I think it's in this positive sense that Ms. Sjoo is discussing her thoughts on the subject and not in any negative prejudicial sense. The fact that there are so many men who seem truly excited about this book is proof to me that men do understand this and don't interpret feminist anger or critiques of culture as personal affronts and aren't offended by them. There is a lot of value here for men who feel close to nature, to women, goddess spirituality, or feminism and are looking to think about and develop a deeper understanding of these aspects of themselves. If you have a feminist love in your life it would be a great gift, too! In short, I think this is a great book for both men and women who are interested in matriarchal cultures, feminism, Goddess spirituality, or just like to explore new ideas!
Rating: 
Summary: For smart people who "worship" nature
Review: I'm a 36 year old male who has (intellectually and spiritually) inhabited just about every "headspace" one can imagine -- from New Age kook to cynical academic. I know bad scholarship when I read it, I know opinion stated as fact, and I know the red flags of junk science, because I've experienced this stuff from both sides of the intellectual divide, both as believer/consumer and critic. Are there unsubstantiated claims and questionable conclusions in "Cosmic Mother"? Yes. There are also many opinions stated as fact. This problem is endemic in social science writing -- it's called THEORY, and if you object to the way these women researched and wrote this book (competently, for the most part), you'd better not look at your college sociology, psychology, or anthropology texts too closely. "Truth" in the social sciences depends on where you start the clock and who's telling the story. You do NOT have to be slavishly devoted to the notion of prehistoric matriarchies to gain insight and knowledge from this important book. To me, more than anything else, "Cosmic Mother" is a critical examination and radical deconstruction of patriarchal religion and the devastating effects it has had on humanity and the natural world, as well as a precious and rare source of validation for 'smart" neopagans and earth/mother/goddess worshipers of all stripes. I originally bought "Cosmic Mother" because I realized that I experience the presence of god/dess almost solely in nature. So-called "holy" books and churches do nothing for me except make me wonder at the stupidity of man -- the night sky is my catherdral. I thought this book would help me understand why this is so, why the ocean, the forests, the mountains, the moon, the seasons heal my soul. I wasn't disappointed. Final words -- this book is intelligent, lovingly written, insightful, well researched, and remarkable in the interdisciplinary nature of its scholarship. The authors seemlessly integrate every branch of the social sciences (drawing heavily on anthropology), biology, history, comparative religion, cultural criticism, you name it. If you are a smart person -- an academic, a critical thinker, a theory wonk, whatever -- who is also aware of spirit and "worships" nature, the earth, the sun, moon, and stars, this book is essential reading.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing and Profound
Review: In-depth history of the earliest Goddess-based religions and beliefs from a wide variety of cultures. This book is quintessential herstory - profound, powerful, and moving. The first 200 pages is an extraordinary compilation of women's multitudinous contributions to the survival and development of our species. The last 100 pages offer a radical analysis of Eurocentric imperialist patriarchy. The authors present a profound and substanial argument against the destructive influences of patriarchal societies which have deliberately attempted to erased the Womb/Mother/Goddess from the very world in which She has created. This book is a must read; if you approach this book with an open mind, you can learn a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing and Profound
Review: In-depth history of the earliest Goddess-based religions and beliefs from a wide variety of cultures. This book is quintessential herstory - profound, powerful, and moving. The first 200 pages is an extraordinary compilation of women's multitudinous contributions to the survival and development of our species. The last 100 pages offer a radical analysis of Eurocentric imperialist patriarchy. The authors present a profound and substanial argument against the destructive influences of patriarchal societies which have deliberately attempted to erased the Womb/Mother/Goddess from the very world in which She has created. This book is a must read; if you approach this book with an open mind, you can learn a lot.
Rating:
Summary: a brainstorming book
Review: It seemed I had always had an appointment with such a book. Many, many things I believed in and that I always thought had nothing in common are suddenly harmoniously tied together. It is really hard, though, to read this book, for it totally uproots your vision of the world, inscribing everyday life injustices into a long tradition (machismo, harm done to women, "minorities", the earth...). But the clearer your vision, the harder to bear those realities - and the more necessary to have it read around. If you don't find peace in the world (the day it happens, call me!!) you can find it within yourself, and believe me, i wasn't one for mysticism!
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Summary: Can't be dismissed
Review: Perhaps it is true that not every conclusion the authors draw and present in this book is identified as such, as a part of a theory, but the book is serious scholarship in the main, and such distinctions are generally unnecessary for close readers. One must keep in mind that all "facts" from prehistory and the field of archeology have been interpreted by their presenters; there is no such thing here as objective truth in the hard science sense. All archeologists/anthropologists "pass their theories off as fact," ie they make the claim that their theory is the one that should be accepted as true, and, if their scholarship is good, they present compelling evidence to support their claims. Why assume that traditional (male-created) theories are more "factual," have a greater "truth" quotient, just because Sjoo and Mor sometimes express their opinions along with their research? Every male anthropologist has done the same. Read traditional anthropology with the same scrutiny and you will find at least as much extrapolation going on with the actual evidence as Mor and Sjoo do; it just fits a dominant paradigm better, and therefore has a resonance that makes it easier to accept as "truth." Sjoo and Mor have as much right to advance their theory as correct as anyone else who has done the same amount of research; they have the same right to draw what they see as logical conclusions from their research as others have had to draw from their own, and also expound as true. Bear in mind that all that is going on with this kind of "truth" is whether it is accepted or not by the majority of the academic world, and men still have the distinct advantage there. Is something truer because you can find more people to agree with you that it is true? It does not logically follow that the inclusion of some "unsubstantiated" statements in "The Great Cosmic Mother" renders the whole work nothing but a fiction, or in fact inferior in terms of probable veracity to traditional theories that came before it. Such a test would flunk traditional theories, too.
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Summary: Free Your Mind And Your Heart Will Follow-among other things
Review: Preserve your sanity and read this book. Take what you find and decide and think for yourself
Rating: 
Summary: Thanks to readers for 13 years of support.
Review: Readers of GREAT COSMIC MOTHER have kept the book alive and circulating for 13 years.Thanks for your intelligent support. This is my first chance to access the Internet: I'd be glad to dialog with anyone about the book, the Universe, and related matters.
Rating:
Summary: Thanks to GCM readers for their l3 years of support.
Review: Readers of GREAT COSMIC MOTHER have kept the book alive and circulating for l3 years. Thanks for your intelligent support. This is my first chance to access the Internet. I'd be glad to dialog with anyone about the book, the Universe, and related issues.
Rating:
Summary: change yourself !
Review: Since a musician friend (I'm a female percussionnist) had given me this book to read, my life changed absolutely. this is a book to read for every woman in the world and the only way to stop war, slaughter, money-power- manipulation and all other complete stupid and distructive acts of man-kind in 2000 ! To the editor: please translate into french, absolutely urgent for the latin macho-mundo to know about it! Spanish as well! Love to all, and write me any comment to my email in Paris, France. Petra Bour-Morales
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