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Summary: A "must read" for all humans
Review: Simply outstanding. This is a fascinating and careful look at civilizations and beliefs that existed prior to the Adam and Eve creation myth and how that myth has been used in the most damaging and brutal hegemony of all time. Readers may find themselves angry at times -- if the reader is fearful and closed minded, it may be too challenging. If the reader approaches with a peaceful, open, and critical mind, he or she may feel strong emotions about the systematic deception and destruction detailed in this wonderful book. The first two thirds carefully lay the groundwork and evidence for the last third, which will rock your world. This is a serious wake up call that is still fresh this very minute.
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Summary: important foundation for women's spirituality
Review: So many scholarly types chalk this book up to feminism which is unfair. This book set the tone for many to come, and the reason this particular book is important is that it is based in actual archaeology. Granted, some of the authors who come after Merlin Stone take this book way too far (e.g. Starhawk), but this should be required reading for prehistory students at the college level, along with all the Marxist interpretations of various prehistorical sites known to exist. Very readable and scrupulously researched.
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Summary: intelligent and important work
Review: The history of our society, our religions, and our gender roles is vital to understanding ourselves and our world. Things are not the way we have been told they were. The truth may well shock and anger you.We are becoming used to conspiracy theories and revisionist history surfacing in an almost constant stream these days. Much real history has been destroyed or distorted, and much we simply never knew. Spin doctors throw an immense amount of PR garbage in our faces to try and manipulate us into their camps. It is difficult to know whom to trust, particularly regarding emotionally loaded issues like religion and sex. Merlin Stone has written a very good book about the history of gender roles in Western society and the part religion plays in forming these roles. She also gives us insight into the nature of laws regarding sexual behavior and marriage, a subject of considerable interest right at the moment. The book is very well documented with quotes attributed and citations listed in the bibliography. While the subject of populations in remote historical times can be quite dry when treated in detail, Stone manages to mantain a high degree of academic depth while remaing very readable and accessible. The book is well organized and leads one through the evidence to her very rational conclusions. She draws on vast amounts of archelogical and historical data, and her arguments are convincing. The information in this book correlates well with information I have seen from other sources in my investigation of why religions and governments put so much time, money, and energy into criminalizing sexual behavior. The basic theme of the book is that gender roles, the nature of sexual expression, and the rights of women changed drastically when the Aryan-driven patriarchal religions took over in the Middle East. While we have been told that this was an inevitable "progression" as we moved to a "modern" society, the truth is that it was more a matter of physically superior forces destroying any opposing points of view. The changes studied here were not the progress of people thoughtfully moving to new ideals, but of vanquished peoples crushed by violent and greedy religious fervor. The evidence, even from the religious sources themselves, is undeniable. The bias in favor of the triumphant religious structure is shown to still exist today and to reach even into the halls of Science, which exists supposedly to free us from superstitious nonsense. This is not a book about male-bashing, nor does it promote a particular feminist stance. Stone is not as strident as I sound in this review, but very logical and even-tempered. The conclusions and information in this book shed light on oppression and global violence that effect us all; male, female, or otherwise. When you see that sexual laws and supposed "morals" are actually twisted excuses for oppression and control, it might open your eyes to a new understanding of the debates about sex and marriage happening as I write this (March 2004). I sincerely hope so. We must grow beyond the twisted neuroses of sexually maladjusted, oppressive superstition if we want to make the Earth a safe, warm, loving home for all. Read this book if you want to grow in your understanding of our history, our present, and our future.
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Summary: Mind-blower for women
Review: Think God has always been male? The female deity was worshipped long before the current crop of male gods. Each religion has a way of destroying the one that came before it. This book details how current religions have replaced previous ones and how the status of women has suffered because of it.
"I was robbed!" And if you're female, you have been, too.
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Summary: This book makes sense
Review: This book explains things in a way that makes a lot of sense to me. I enjoyed reading it and learned a lot by reading it.
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Summary: A must for all to read!
Review: This book has had a greater effect on me than almost any other book I've read in my entire life. I now look with a keener and clearer eye at the role(s) of men and women in society especially within the church and family. A great book!
Rating: 
Summary: a great intro to the subject that provokes thought
Review: This book is a great introduction to the subject of early Goddess worship. It does not always follow through entirely on some very good ideas that are raised, and it could stand to be longer because of that. This book will have you seeking out other readings on the subject and re-thinking all your thoughts on sexual politics as it relates to religion. I definitely recommend it.
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Summary: A must-read!
Review: This book is an eye-opener, coherent and well researched. An empowering book for women AND men. You won't be disappointed!
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Summary: This book Should Be In Every History Classroom
Review: This book provides archeologically documented evidence tracing the fall of women from Goddess status to subjugation under patriarchal religions. Everyone who is interested in uncovering the truth about our past, should read this book. ** Excellent **
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Summary: A wonderful piece of the bigger puzzle
Review: This book really helped to me to lay out the evidense for myself, and must have been an amazing wake up call when it was first published twenty years ago. Stone has done fantastic research to reveal the distorted common beliefs about the role of women in the begining of recorded history and although her feminist view point often threatens to pollute the fantastic content with bias, the information itself still stands well. So for those of you who love ancient cultures or those not afraid to have their patriarchal worlds redefined, this book is for you!
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