Shlain begins with preliterate societies, showing us what life was like before alphabet literacy, and, coincidentally or not, before the demise of goddess religions, the demotion of images, and. The book deals with the invention ofwriting and its effect on religious culture. The alphabet versus the goddess by leonard shlain, 9780140196016, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. The alphabet versus the goddess goes into all sorts of metaphysical commentary on an endless variety of subjects. The conflict between word and image his groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought about profound changes in history, religion, and gender relations. Provocative and inspiring, this book is a paradigmshattering work that will transform your view of history and the mind. It is worth reading as an excellent history of ancient times, beliefs, myths. How the invention of the alphabet usurped female power in. Continually engaging, although on the whole quite woolly, this monumentally ambitious tome treats all history as one great struggle between the verbal and the visual. The alphabet versus the goddess by leonard shlain about the book this groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought about profound changes in history, religion, and gender relations. This article about an anthropologyrelated book is a stub. Goddess harshly rejected from israelite belief system.
A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Even the chinese writing system, which has no alphabet, depends on linearity and abstract logograms. Leonard shlain this groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacythe process of reading and writingfundamentally reconfigured the human brain, and brought about profound changes in. This groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought about pr. And why, when we think of oppressive regimes, do we think not of books but of visual phenomena like surveillance and public spectacles. The first book written in an alphabet was the old testament and its most important passage was the ten commandments. From the author of the bestselling art and physics comes a new book with breathtaking implications.
Shlains book the alphabet versus the goddess, published last year by viking putnam, in which he argues that the invention of. The alphabet versus the goddess summary supersummary. Admired among artists, scientists, philosophers, anthropologists and educators, leonard shlain authored three bestselling books. The alphabet versus the goddess book austin public. Leonard shlain has an idee fixe or in more colloquial and colourful terms, a bee in his bonnet. Takeaways from the alphabet versus the goddess by leonard shlain. The conflict between word and image first printing by shlain, leonard isbn. The alphabet versus the goddess ebook by leonard shlain.
The alphabet versus the goddess is a fascinating read in its entirety, certain to pull into question a great many of our cultural assumptions and perceived givens. The alphabet versus the goddess by leonard shlain book. The book is an entertaining romp through history via this alphabetgoddess lens, but. Making remarkable connections across brain function, myth, and anthropology, dr. It is a fascinating and beautifully written book, encompassing history, science, and religion studies.
How the invention of the alphabet usurped female power in society. The alphabet versus the goddess by leonard shlain reading guide. Kalilil gibran said read a womans mouth, instead of her words. I dont personally agree with a lot of shlains values they point out masculine, christian europe as the cause of all the evil in the world and his view on religon implicit dislike of christianity as intolerant, but this book. My cousin sent me the alphabet versus the goddess by leonard schlain. The alphabet versus the goddess books pics download. In this groundbreaking book, leonard shlain, author of the bestselling. Making remarkable connections across a wide range of subjects, including neurology, anthropology, history, and religion, leonard shlain argues that the development of alphabetic literacy. This groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought about. Two generations ago, marshall mcluhan told us that the medium is the message.
He is the chief of laparoscopic surgery at california medical center in san francisco. In his groundbreaking book the alphabet versus the goddess, leonard shlain proposes that the process of learning alphabetic literacy rewired. Images of any kind proscribed in first culture to worship written words. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. This groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought about profound changes in history, religion, and gender relations. It sounds a lot like the white goddess, a book which tells us a lot about the inside of robert gravess head but nothing at all about anything that ever really happened. In other words, written language fosters the mindset of the hunter rather than the holistic nurturer. Read the alphabet versus the goddess the conflict between word and image by leonard shlain available from rakuten kobo. Making remarkable connections across brain function, myth, and anthropology,dr. This book proves the hurt from singling out one side vs another side.
At least, how i see it the alphabet versus the goddess is not an argument against literacy or writing. By purchasing books through this website, you support our nonprofit organization. The alphabet versus the goddess the conflict between word and image ebook. This groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of. The alphabet versus the goddess fontana regional library. The conflict between word and image compass author. With these values for keys, the alphabet versus the goddess aligns major human endeavors and movements with either the left brain or the right brain. Review of the alphabet versus the goddess metanexus. For california surgeoncumscientificstoryteller shlain art and physics, 1991, human history to date amounts to the tale of how a masculine, verbal mode of thinking, the linear, sequential, reductionist, and abstract mode.
The first two reject of any goddess influence and ban any form of representative art. The summary on the back of the the alphabet versus the goddess assures me that. Shlain argues that learning written language, especially alphabetic language, alters human brain function in a way that emphasizes linear thinking over holistic thinking. The alphabet versus the goddess quotes by leonard shlain. Shlain shows why preliterate cultures were principally informed by holistic, rightbrain modes that venerated the goddess, images, and. Leonard shlain proposes that the alphabet made our brains function differently from those of our preliterature ancestors. The book has been praised by critics for transcending religion, illuminating old myths from across cultures.
The conflict between word and image is a work of critical theory by american surgeon leonard shlain, published by viking press in 1998. Its benefits have been so incontestable that in the five millennia since the advent of the written word numerous poets and writers have extolled its virtues. The conflict between word and image by leonard shlain english 1999 isbn. Takeaways from the alphabet versus the goddess by leonard. This groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought. Shlain ends his book with an optimistic appraisal that the proliferation of images in film, tv, graphics, and computers is once again reconfiguring the brain by encouraging right hemispheric modes of thought and bringing about the reemergence of the feminine. The love of mary, chivalry, and courtly love arose during the illiterate dark ages and plummeted after the invention of the printing press in. In his philosophical nonfiction the alphabet versus the goddess. He spends 400 pages of the current book, the alphabet vs. The premise of this book is pretty straight forward. The alphabet versus the goddess the conflict between word and image book. The conflict between word and image compass book online at best prices in india on. Truly cannot remember it,the book, but thought a woman wrote it. The alphabet versus the goddess quotes showing 114 of 14 a medium of communication is not merely a passive conduit for the transmission of information but rather an active force in creating new social patterns and new perceptual realities.
After reading the alphabet versus the goddess, do you agree with shlains thesis. The conflict between word and image by leonard shlain 1998 vikingpenguin 432 pages of all the sacred cows allowed to roam unimpeded in our culture, few are as revered as literacy. The author gives numerous instances in which a polytheistic often with a goddess or numerous goddess central to its belief system society became literate and shifted towards a monotheistic patriarchal society. The other 25% will more or less reject its central premise out of hand. The alphabet versus the goddess audiobook by leonard. The conflict between word and image compass by shlain, leonard isbn. Leonard shlain lecture about the alphabet versus the. The alphabet versus the goddess mystic medusa astrology.
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