The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image

Leonard Shlain

Dec 2017 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Norman Dietz

About this audiobook

Who changed the sex of God? 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. Shlain shows why pre-literate cultures were principally informed by holistic, right-brain modes that venerated the Goddess, images, and feminine values. Writing drove cultures toward linear left-brain thinking and this shift upset the balance between men and women, initiating the decline of the feminine and ushering in patriarchal rule. Examining the cultures of the Israelites, Greeks, Christians, and Muslims, Shlain reinterprets ancient myths and parables in light of his theory. Provocative and inspiring, this book is a paradigm-shattering work that will transform your view of history and the mind.

About the author

Leonard Shlain (1937-2009) was a surgeon, author, and inventor. He was the author of Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light; Sex, Time, and Power: How Women's Sexuality Shaped Human Evolution; and Leonardo's Brain: Understanding Da Vinci's Creative Genius.

Norman Dietz is a writer, an actor, and a solo performer. He has also performed frequently on radio and television, and he has recorded over 150 audiobooks, many of which have earned him awards from AudioFile magazine, the ALA, and Publishers Weekly. Additionally, AudioFile named Norman one of the Best Voices of the Century.