In other words, written language fosters the mindset of the hunter rather than the holistic nurturer. Leonard shlain has an idee fixe or in more colloquial and colourful terms, a bee in his bonnet. The hebrew goddess demonstrates that the jewish religion, far from being pure monotheism, contained from earliest times strong polytheistic elements, chief of which was the cult of the mother goddess. My greek mythology alphabet by jimbopants the monkey. This groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought about profound changes in history, religion. In laying out the considerable circumstantial evidence implicating the written word as the agent responsible for the decline of the goddess, i have sought to convince the reader that when cultures adopt writing, particularly in its alphabetic form, something negative occurs.
In summary the book is excellent as a documented, scholarly treatment of aspects of the history of neuroscience. The conflict between word and image compass shlain, leonard on. Thats a pretty audacious claim, one that the alphabet versus the goddess provides extensive historical and cultural correlations to support. Making remarkable connections across brain function, myth, and anthropology,dr. Leonard shlain was a bestselling author, inventor and surgeon. The conflict between word and image is a work of critical theory by american surgeon leonard shlain, published by viking press in 1998. Many of the things that we will read this year will make a reference to a greek godgoddess and you will need. The abstractness of all three innovations were mutually reinforcing. Admired among artists, scientists, philosophers, anthropologists and educators, shlain authored three bestselling books.
The alphabet vs the goddess global arts collective. Shlain shows why preliterate cultures were principally informed by holistic, rightbrain modes that venerated the. About the alphabet versus the goddess 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 is essential reading for those who are interested in knowing how contemporary ideas about the nervous system developed. Making remarkable connections across brain function. Drag and drop files into the browser from your desktop or click the upload icon in the menu bar.
Admired among artists, scientists, philosophers, anthropologists and educators, leonard shlain authored three bestselling books. Lucidly written and richly illustrated, this third edition contains new chapters of. 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. The first two reject of any goddess influence and ban any form of representative art. Five letters are vowels and sometimes w and y, and twentyone letters are consonants. Review of the alphabet versus the goddess metanexus. This groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought. Contents 8 introduction vii map of the greek world, c. This last one, leonardos brain, was about the brain of leonards hero and kindred spirit leonardo da vinciwho died five centuries ago.
The first book written in an alphabet was the old testament and its most important passage was the ten commandments. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. How the invention of the alphabet usurped female power in. 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 conflict between word and image compass by shlain, leonard isbn. These user guides are clearlybuilt to give stepbystep information about how. The love of mary, chivalry, and courtly love arose during the illiterate dark ages and plummeted after the invention of the printing press in. This easytouse alphabet created a level of literacy in greece unmatched in the ancient world.
Greek mythology page 2 you need to know the greek gods goddesses by both of their greek and roman names. Gimbutas, marija, and the goddess encyclopedia of psychology and religion. Mcluhan classified speech, pictographs, ideographs, alphabets, print, radio, film, and television as distinctive informationconveying media. Alphabet vs the goddess notes global arts collective. Think tank article on longrunning debate over functions of left and right sides of brain. My alphabet book about greek mythology with a different topic per letter. Literacy has promoted the subjugation of women by men throughout all but the very recent history of the west, writes leonard shlain. How the alphabet may have destroyed goddesses howstuffworks. The alphabet vs the goddess the conflict between word and image 1998 dr. Parallel visions in space, time, and light, and a contributor to. Alphabets, the most abstract, linear, sequential, reductionist forms. I was fortunate to be gifted with this book by the manager of borders bookstore in san jose. When written at the end of a word, it is written like this.
The alphabet vs the goddessthe conflict between word and image 1998 dr. Shlains thesis takes readers from the evolutionary steps that distinguish the human brain from that of the primates to the development of the internet. The alphabet vs the goddess leonard shlain mar 7, 2012 source. The increased nuance in writing allowed the greeks. The occurrence of monotheism, codified law, and the alphabet all at the same moment in history cannot have been coincidental. Even the chinese writing system, which has no alphabet, depends on linearity and abstract logograms. If it occurs anywhere else, it is written like this. Leonard shlain 19372009, san francisco surgeon and professor of medicine specialising in bloodflow to the brain, and bestselling author. In the english alphabet, there are twentysix letters.
A distinguished inventor, surgeon, author of books including one titled alphabet vs. The alphabet versus the goddess preface acknowledgments 1. Leonard shlain contrasts the feminine rightbrained oral teachings of socrates, buddha, and jesus with the masculine creeds that evolved when their spoken words were committed to writing. Shlain argues that learning written language, especially alphabetic language, alters human brain function in a way that emphasizes linear thinking over holistic thinking. Its benefits have been so incontestable that in the five millennia since the advent of the written word numerous poets and writers have. As you read this book, we want to encourage you to do a few things to help hide these bible verses in your heart. 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. Making remarkable connections across brain function, myth, and anthropology, dr. The alphabet vs the goddess sex, time and power l eonard shlain proposes that the visionary artist is the first member of a culture to see the world in a new way. First, try to memorize the bible verses at the beginning of each devotional. Buy a cheap copy of the alphabet versus the goddess. Leonard shlain pdf the alphabet versus goddess conflict between word and image leonard shlain are a good way to achieve details about operating certainproducts. The alphabet versus the goddess quotes by leonard shlain.
After being on the national best seller list, penguin distributed his book internationally in. The alphabet versus the goddess mystic medusa astrology. Many products that you buy can be obtained using instruction manuals. 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. The conflict between word and image was published by viking in hardcover in 1998 and met with critical acclaim. He delivered stunning visual presentations based upon his books in venues around the world including harvard, the new. Alphabet goddess how is alphabet goddess abbreviated. 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. Leonard shlain father of tiffany shlain quite the visionary and definitely worth a listen. In the above table, we suggest that you pronounce this letter like u in put. He spends 400 pages of the current book, the alphabet vs. These characters are referred to many time in classical literature.
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