When God Was a Woman Paperback – May 4, 1978

I can't exactly put my finger on why this book changed me. I've spent the last few years attempting to be a successful corporate executive and entrepreneur and continually felt frustrated that where others (men) seem to be failing up, I couldn't work hard enough to justify my work and elevate my status. Reading this reminded me that the impression that women are oppressed is a social construct. A quote I heard the other day reinforced this: "Men feel it's their duty to keep women humble."I won't spoil the story for you, but I will tell you to keep an open mind. This is not a story book: it is an academic dissertation, written largely without emotional or manipulative expression. It's just 95% facts and historical accuracy.Enjoy!

I did some research on this book before I purchased it as it was suggested to me by a friend. This part of reviewing this book is not based on the information in the book but by the product I received. The book is exactly as described and and the print is easy to read. It is a paperback book with a laminate cover.Now as for the context of the book, I knew what to expect when it came to the writing itself. I enjoyed the research style of the book along with the way the author presents the information. However, take everything with a grain of salt and do your own research as well. But if the idea of what it was like before the patriarch appeals to you this is a good place to start.

A relatively oldie but a goodie. One of the classics? of this genre.I read this when it first came out in the 70s. I was already a feminist, & still am, but this was a bit of an exploration in another direction from 'equal pay' or 'take back the night' and other pressing contemporary women's concerns.It was also one of the books that spurred my intense interest in cultural anthropology, women's history, and their place in religion (which was already of great interest).You may not like her scholarship--it was, after all something like 40 years ago! We don't fault former scholars and paleontologists (pretty much all male, mind) ad hominum for their multitude of oops! moments and misinterpretations, so to do so for Stone seems almost to single her out for. . .gasp! thinking like a girl! Imagine.And you may not like her premise nor her conclusion about the sort of society mom-goddesses produced. But there is no getting around the fact that women in ancient society were vastly under-studied, unknown, and ignored. This might have been the book that changed that.If nothing else, it fostered an interest in and greater respect for ancient women, and called into question the findings and conclusions drawn by generations and generations of male archaeologists. Not to demonize those guys, but they were products a male-dominated academic system, in which everything from science to literature was dominated by men. A centuries-long +++ bias, of course. And pervasive bias should always be challenged by a bit of out-of-the-box musing.Amusingly, some of Stone's seemingly unusual ideas have borne out in modern studies of what impact women-run organizations have on the tenor of business, and on why the Wild West was wild. . . and what calmed it down. DNA studies and sophisticated technology are fleshing out the picture. But Stone was one of the first to acknowledge it existed.

I highly recommend. This gave voice to growing concerns I’ve had with how ancient religions have been interpreted I first heard of Science Mike and this book on Good Mythical Morning. It would be many months before I would purchase the audio book and listen to it on a cross country post vaccination road trip.I have to say, this is more than a deconstruction story. It’s a story of being willing to listen, learn, change, all while remaining a loving and loyal father, husband, and son. As someone who has exited evangelicalism and orthodoxy, it was a breath of fresh air to listen to someone who has reconstructed a faith that acknowledges that there is more to Jesus than whitemalegod. That being said, I also think this is a good read for anytime interested in how humanism interacts with Christianity and atheism. With an artful blend of personal biography mixed with brain science and philosophy, this book is a must read for anyone trying to understand deconstruction.