Book Description

Book Description

Throughout the centuries, royal mistresses have been worshiped, feared, envied, and reviled. They set the fashions, encouraged the arts, and, in some cases, ruled nations. Eleanor Herman's Sex with Kings takes us into the throne rooms and bedrooms of Europe's most powerful monarchs. Alive with flamboyant characters, outrageous humor, and stirring poignancy, this glittering tale of passion and politics chronicles five hundred years of scintillating women and the kings who loved them.

Curiously, the main function of a royal mistress was not to provide the king with sex but with companionship. Forced to marry repulsive foreign princesses, kings sought solace with women of their own choice. And what women they were! From Madame de Pompadour, the famous mistress of Louis XV, who kept her position for nineteen years despite her frigidity, to modern-day Camilla Parker-Bowles, who usurped none other than the glamorous Diana, Princess of Wales.

The successful royal mistress made herself irreplaceable. She was ready to converse gaily with him when she was tired, make love until all hours when she was ill, and cater to his every whim. Wearing a mask of beaming delight over any and all discomforts, she was never to be exhausted, complaining, or grief-stricken.

True, financial rewards for services rendered were of royal proportions -- some royal mistresses earned up to $200 million in titles, pensions, jewels, and palaces. Some kings allowed their mistresses to exercise unlimited political power. But for all its grandeur, a royal court was a scorpion's nest of insatiable greed, unquenchable lust, and vicious ambition. Hundreds of beautiful women vied to unseat the royal mistress. Many would suffer the slings and arrows of negative public opinion, some met with tragic ends and were pensioned off to make room for younger women. But the royal mistress often had the last laugh, as she lived well and richly off the fruits of her "sins."

From the dawn of time, power has been a mighty aphrodisiac. With diaries, personal letters, and diplomatic dispatches, Eleanor Herman's trailblazing research reveals the dynamics of sex and power, rivalry and revenge, at the most brilliant courts of Europe. Wickedly witty and endlessly entertaining, Sex with Kings is a chapter of women's history that has remained unwritten -- until now.

Reviews (2)

O my god
This book is amazing it has things that i never realized i mean it so funny,true,and very helpin in school it teaches you more about those time you guys should read it!!!

Page turning historical fun!
Who knew history could be so amusing! Eleanor Herman has intrically crafted a page turning saga of royal mistresses throughout time. This is a very funny, easy to read book with lavish illustrations and well documented research. Never dull, Ms. Herman entertains the reader with laugh out loud stories about hidden lovers, sumptiously decorated suites, set aside wives, ugly woman who captivated kings and great beauties who fought rivals to win the premier post at court. An eye-opening account of the power and intrigue in the daily life of some of history's most famous (and lesser known) women. A summer must read! ... Read more

Book Description

Bolstered by national television exposure on Oprah and a cover story in the New York Times Magazine, the "down low"-a term used to refer to "straight" men who have sex with men-was thrust into the open in 2004. Keith Boykin, a former Clinton White House aide, goes beyond the hype with the first responsible, eye-opening look at the down low sensation. Unlike all previous accounts on the topic, Beyond the Down Low presents the DL not merely as a problem of gay and bisexual men living in the shadows, but more as an example of America's unwillingness to engage in critical but uncomfortable conversations about black sexuality. Boykin details how society has helped to create an environment where black gay and bisexual men feel compelled to lead double lives. Meanwhile, the dialogue that has taken place in the black community encourages an unhealthy battle of the sexes, ignores the complexity of the closet, demonizes bisexuality, disempowers women, and misdirects public resources and attention. This book is a timely and well researched answer to the question, "Why are so many black men on the DL?" More importantly, it is an essential tool to pry open the closet door in black America. ... Read more

Book Description

Drawn from the voices of women of varied backgrounds, Women's Ways of Knowing reveals the unique perspectives from which women view reality and draw conclusions about truth, knowledge, and authority. An intellectual and political Our Bodies, Ourselves, this book has had significant impact on debates about learning and gender, and will continue to have resonance throughout the fields of education and psychology for years to come. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A fascinating look at the psychology of the female mind.
Building on the work of previous psychologists interested in the study of the female mind, Mary Belenky and her colleagues have conducted interviews with a sample of 135 women enrolled in various teaching institutions (whether it be a university, community college, or some other institution such as a clinic to aid parents). The authors looked for patterns in the responses they received, and were able to draw together a concept of how women deal with knowledge.

The small size of the sample of women interviewed may be looked upon by some as a weak point of the study, but there are some strong motives behind this conscious choice the authors made. Belenky and her colleagues wished to get to know each woman personally, and to conduct a full, comprehensive interview with each one so that they could provide examples to accompany their theories, rather than simply quizzing an overwhelmingly large study group and giving their supporting evidence only in the form of numbers and statistics.

The authors have identified five different "ways of knowing" that women utilize. The first one addressed is give the name of silence. By "silence" the authors do not mean an absence of speech, but rather a state of being intellectually voiceless. They do not see themselves as beings capable of receiving or retaining knowledge, and are therefore subject to the control of those around them.

The second way of knowing discussed is termed "received knowledge." Received knowers believe themselves able to learn from others, and even to pass on what they have learned, but they do not see themselves as capable of independent, original thought. The authors identify both silent women and received knowers as dualists. They see things in terms of black and white, right and wrong, and one of the two is always seen as superior to the other.

"Subjective knowers" do realize that they have the ability to formulate knowledge for themselves, and rely on a strong inner voice with which they develop their thoughts. They believe all knowledge to be subjective, and every person's opinion to be equally valid, though applicable only to that person. In this sense, subjective knowers are multiplists rather than dualists. They recognize that there are shades of grey and that one answer to a problem may not be better than another.

"Procedural knowers," which might also be called objective knowers, base their development of knowledge solely on objective, scientific procedures. They distrust as fallible any sort of "gut instinct" that the subjective knowers realy so heavily on. Procedural knowers are also multiplists, however, in that they recognize that there may be more than one "right" answer in a particular situation. This way of knowing is identified as more masculine, and that which tends to be advocated in traditional educational institutions.

The last way of knowing is referred to as "constructed knowing." These women see all knowledge as contextual, and rely on both subjective and objective methods to arrive at "truth."

I would like to point out that, while one can get the impression from the text that these five ways of knowing are a sequence that one progresses through in the order they are discussed, this is not always the case. Any given woman may shift between any particular ways of knowing in any order, and over any period of time, and they may not ever experience every single one of them. In fact, I would venture to say that most women do not experience each one. A woman may also fall between two different ways of knowing, or may, at any given point in her life, utilize one way of knowing in one aspect of her life, and a different one in another. For example, a woman may be silent in her home environment, but act procedurally in her workplace.

Belenky and her co-authors go on to look at how these ways of knowing appear within family structures, and what the consequences of each on both parents and children are. They conclude by evaluating modern academic institutions and proposing a method of education that would be more suited to women.

The authors do not compare and contrast male and female ways of knowing in this study - male ways of knowing really aren't looked at at all, except to point out the influence traditional male thought has had on women. Neither do the authors hold one or the other up as being superior. They simply recognize that men and women tend to approach knowledge differently, and that ways of knowing that work for men may not work for women. This is certainly not any sort of final word in female psychology, any even the authors make note of the fact that others may interpret the results of their study differently, but it is a very worthwhile and thought-provoking read and I would highly recommend it.

Nothing here about Knowing
If this book represents the level of academic excellence women bring to social studies, the feminist movement has just been set back a generation. Basing their analysis [if it can be called that] on but 135 women, all of them from the United States, they come to the conclusion that wimmen have a special way of knowing. Knowing what? Oppressive parents, demanding management, demands for academic competence? Where do these four get the idea that these experiences are unique to women? Men in their various endeavours experience identical fears from identical sources. Parents have different values than your generation? Welcome to the club. Your boss demands that you accomplish tasks in an unreasonable amount of time? How much midnight oil have any of us burned to complete an irrational deadline?

This type of book has led to the diversion of uncountable resources from areas sadly in need of support. We now have 'wimmen's studies' in universities. What have they contributed to a better understanding between genders? Since they only seem to study each other, what are we gaining? Are we learning more about people? Suggest to women that many of their urges are biologically based [see E.O. Wilson's 'Sociobiology'] and may be as much a product of their genes as the other animals, and the lynch mob response is truly alarming.

It would be interesting to know just what the differences and similarities between males and females are. We won't find out, however, so long as these quasi-cultural studies continue to sop up needed research funding. Even if the cultural aspect is more valid than the genetic, we aren't going to find out what women 'know' until a much greater scope of research is applied. Let these four travel to New Zealand, India, Australia, or other countries, even with a [female] translator and ask their questions. In the meantime, please don't foist off any more of these studies about how terrible men are until they are based on a solid foundation of research. This is a book on women's ways of thinking, not Knowing. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A refreshing point of view
Starting from the awareness that much of the way education (both formal and informal) is carried out in society is very male-dominated and the voice and experience of women is largely absent, Belenky and her co-authors make a case for examining ways of knowing and learning that is unique to women. The authors recognise early differences in studies that have included women as a primary or central focus, such as those of Carol Gilligan. One strong tendency of women's ways of knowing in these early studies is the presence of responsibility and connectedness that significantly exceeds those of men. After exploring different aspects of knowledge and how women come to acquire, use, produce, and disseminate this knowledge, the authors work to put these insights in context for the family and academia. The authors work largely in the area of developing for women a means of gaining a greater sense of self (also see Howard Gardner's section on personal intelligence in his book, Frames of Mind). This sense of self enables women to construct meaning for themselves, and find their own voices for both teaching and learning.

Perhaps one criticism I would hold is that, while this work looks at women's experience, it still seems to remain very Euro-centric. I am reminded of the arguments of black women against feminist theological processes, which led to the development of womanist theological discourse.

Recently I received an email from a friend with a link to an on-line quiz, which was attempting in a Turing-machine sort of way to be able to determine one's gender from the answers given to a set of questions. As I was taking the test, I thought about it in the context of women's ways of knowing and learning, and realised that this test was very objective, non-connected, largely non-feeling, and very masculine in approach. Certainly this test did not have the kind of objectivity called for in the text. 'Objectivity in connected teaching, as in connected knowing, means seeing the other, the student, in the student's own terms.' (p. 224) This test was seeing everyone in terms of a standard model, a model derived from male-dominant considerations.

For the sake of liturgy and learning, which is my particular field of study, and the purpose behind reading this book, the kinds of issues raised here are important. The authors begin with the idea of silence. This is not a silence like monastic silence or the silence between prayers, hymns and readings, but rather a silence of voices from the shaping and practice of the community. Too often liturgy is viewed, by laity and clergy, as something handed to them from 'authority' with little or no room for adaptation or adjustment to context. When liturgical practice becomes this rigid or this 'unlistening', it can cease to have any many or validity for the community of worshippers.

The authors also develop ideas of received, subjective and procedural knowledge, all of which can be used in liturgical practice. There can be, particularly in my prayer-book-heavy tradition, a tendency to emphasise received knowledge and some aspects of procedural knowledge, while confining other types of knowledge to secondary or tertiary roles in the liturgy. Dialogue sermons and opening up the participation to others can enhance the service, broadening it to other forms of learning styles.

Applying the principles of connected teaching to liturgy can have important results. 'Connected teachers try to discern the truth inside the students.' (p. 223) Perhaps this same kind of constructed style of shaping the liturgy to be more inclusive, more sensitive to the voices of the members of the community while still paying respect to the overall shape and intention of the community, can lead to greater connectivity of the community amongst itself, and of the community members to the experience of the liturgy.

Overall, this book can yield insights into many types of practices, learning, and knowledge. While it does not constitute the final word on intelligence by any means, it is a valuable conversation partner.

Women's Ways of Knowing
As a grad student exploring women and adult education, this book provided a great jumping off point!It does not compare and contrast male and female learning, which would suggest one is superior. Rather, it thoroughly explores different styles in which women acquire knowledge, and the value they place on learning. It also gives adult educators of women many ideas for enhancing the learning environment, whether single or mixed gender.I recommend Hayes & Flannery's Women as Learners as follow-up reading!

An interesting and thought-provoking text.
The four authors present five epistemologies compiled from a detailed analysis of interviews conducted with 135 women over the course of several years. The interview subjects varied in their educational experience, age, ethnicity, and economic background. The authors present their findings in succinct chapters with numerous subheadings for easy reading. Citations include works by Jean Piaget, Carol Gilligan, William Perry, L. Kohlberg and many other well-known names in educational research. ... Read more

Reviews (102)

An Insight into a Man's Mind
I am a 26 year old woman who has been married for 8 years. My sister recommended this book to me and I have to say that I was absolutely engrossed in what it had to say. You can say that this book teaches ignorance or racism or sexist remarks, but it does nothing of the sort. You have to read this with an open mind. This book explains men inside and out. Every test that this author mentions, worked like a charm each and every time. I have saved my husband and I many many arguments by being able to understand how he feels. Men are just as complex as women and understanding men is simply a gift. This book tells women to love honor and cherish their husbands. Is it not true that women want the same thing. Haven't you ever heard the phrase "what goes around comes around." That's what this book is about. Treat your man with respect and honor and he will return the feeling with an honest heart. That's all there is to it.

It tells me why my husband says and does the things that he does and helps me to help him. Women want to be treated with respect and honor and dignity and this book shows you how to achieve this on a kind and honorable level. It is not a book about being a doormat and it does not say that you have to give sex on demand as one of the reviewers mentioned. It simply says that when we are kind and loving to others, they will be kind and loving to us.

The only thing I found difficult was the part about not being employed. I agree that there is no more noble a career than being a homemaker, but in todays expensive world, there are often times, no way around it and if you're going to have to work, it might as well be something that you enjoy and if you have to go to school for that then so be it. This book does NOT say to train your daughters to not think for themselves, it simply tells you to teach them the beauty in domestication and femininity.

This book made me feel proud to be a woman and helped me understand the importance of my role in my family and in society. This book teaches that women have the power and gift to make a happy home and raise God fearing, respectible girls and boys.

Take pride in your femeninity and love unselfishly.

Religious extremisms at its best
If you firmly believe that woman are meant to be controlled by men and that you must do everything you can to please them (no matter how much it goes against your sense of right and wrong) then by all means, read this book.

If you are living in the 21st Century and are able to see that every person in this world is an individual as well as being equal, you will get nothing from this book but giggles.

Times have changed, and this book is for those that are stuck in the past and for people who married their fathers.

Fascinating, no, Amazing, yes
I have read this book several times over, for other reasons, and have determined that it's teachings mainly facilitate abuse in male-female relationships (especially marriage) and does not empower anyone to adequately address problem issues with any degree of maturity, responsibility, liberty, rationality, etc. Upon reviewing the book, I am marveled by how wonderfully people, who claim to be of character depth and intellectual maturity, can stuff themselves in short sighted ideologies, as suggested in our very own "Fascinating Womanhood". Although Andelin claims that women ought not reduce themselves to the level of doormat or "Severe" abuse, she does not empower them with the necessary tools to avoid such happenings. Indeed, the broadly educated or uneducated, careerless woman with no "masculine skill" is encouraged to escape the confines of "Severe" mental and physical abuse by removing herself and the children. The suggestions in this well respected reading are, at best, surface and pacifying. They are insulting to men and women. I have read all of the reviews and noted a peculiar pattern of thinking among those in support and those in opposition. Clearly, there is intellectual and character disparity in favor of the cons. Has anyone noticed?

If we are to simulate, as many believe, the role of the man in the home to the love that Christ has for the church, then his role, as head, is a service oriented and sacrificial one. He is there to take a leadership and initiating role of service and sacrifice. A role such as this requires utmost care, detail, emotional intelligence, spiritual vigor, maturity, sensitivity, etc, all of which most men are not properly reared to exhibit. If men were being reared with these engrained qualities, they would not be overly dependent on women to placate serious inward character deficiencies as adults. The woman is the man's helpmeet, his equal, not his "fascinating...childlike" helper. It is time people are rightly measured against the bible teachings we claim to support.

Fascinated, no, Amazed, yes.
I have read this book several times over, for other reasons, and have determined that it's teachings mainly facilitate abuse in male-female relationships (especially marriage) and does not empower anyone to adequately address problem issues with any degree of maturity, responsibility, liberty, rationality, etc. Upon reviewing the book, I am marveled by how wonderfully people, who claim to be of character depth and intellectual maturity, can stuff themselves in short sighted ideologies, as suggested in our very own "Fascinating Womanhood". Although Andelin claims that women ought not reduce themselves to the level of doormat or "Severe" abuse, she does not empower them with the necessary tools to avoid such happenings. Indeed, the broadly educated or uneducated, careerless woman with no "masculine skill" is encouraged to escape the confines of "Severe" mental and physical abuse by removing herself and the children. The suggestions in this well respected reading are, at best, surface and pacifying. They are insulting to men and women. I have read all of the reviews and noted a peculiar pattern of thinking among those in support and those in opposition. Clearly, there is intellectual and character disparity in favor of the cons. Has anyone noticed?

If we are to simulate, as many believe, the role of the man in the home to the love that Christ has for the church, then his role, as head, is a service oriented and sacrificial one. He is there to take a leadership and initiating role of service and sacrifice. A role such as this requires utmost care, detail, emotional intelligence, spiritual vigor, maturity, sensitivity, etc, all of which most men are not properly reared to exhibit. If men were being reared with these qualities engrained, they would not be overly dependent on women to train them as adults. The woman is the man's helpmeet, his equal, not is "fascinating" trainer or parent. It is time people are rightly measured against the bible teachings we claim to support.

This is a must read for all women!
This book really works. Don't pay attention to the negative reviews up here. One can expect a topic like this to be blasted by those who feel threatened by what this book says. Just give it a read. ... Read more

Book Description

This book shows women how to create an enduring document that expresses who they are, what they value, and how they want to be remembered. Women can use the book to reclaim the legacies their ancestors have given them; clarify and refine their own dreams and goals; and communicate their blessings, wisdom, and love to future generations.

An ideal gift for any woman documenting her family’s history and stories, or finding her place in an ever-changing world. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Women's Lives, Women's Legacies by Rachael Freed
What a magnificent volume! Not only is it filled to brimming with meaty quotes and wonderful examples of women searching their souls for wisdom to share, but it exhorts us all to reach into every corner of our lives to leave similarly meaningful morsels to our descendants.

The author has covered all bases. She shares her own thinking with her audience, bringing her personal warmth and insights into our work. With great compassion, she gives us permission to look at, accept or reject each piece of the puzzle, preparing us for the range of feelings which may arise within us as we put into words the miracles that are our lives.

I am a medical social worker specializing in bereavement work, a daughter, a sister of sisters, a mother of daughters, a Jewish woman who serves in a leadership capacity. This book will resonate too, with men and women of many circumstances.

I look forward to savoring this book again, word for word, in quiet moments down the road, as I use it to prepare my own spiritual-ethical will. In the meantime, I plan to make a gift of Women's Lives, Women's Legacies to all the women I love.

Women's Lives, Women's Legacies - a radiant guidebook
I'm a woman who's been blessed with a long and varied life. I've always wanted to share my experiences with my nieces, and to offer them my hard-earned wisdom so that they might move into womanhood a little better informed than I was. I've also had an inner desire to be seen and valued by them.
The beautifully written and accessible WOMEN'S LIVES, WOMEN'S LEGACIES offers encouragement and serves as a guide so that I may begin to write my life and in the process, come to love and appreciate myself more fully. I love the personal stories and poetry in the book. As I read, I find myself moving to that spiritual place inside myself of loving my own being as well as all the women who've lived before me and those who will come after. This book is a celebration of and addition to the heritage of women.

Women's Lives, Women's Legacies - Bravo
Women's Lives, Women's Legacies is a powerful tool to jump-start your own story and to share it with others. I found it thought provocing - answering questions about oneself, one's history, and future a wonderful communication tool. I enjoyed thinking about my naming process, secrets, values, and spirituality. The format of the book could be used in ways most suited to how I saw my own legacy. Being newly married I answered the questions for myself and then asked my husband about himself and his family-I learned new things about both. Whether you are married or single, have children or none, you will find your place is this beautifully written soul-searching book.

Brings forth women's wisdom
I am a writer, counselor, and teacher in my 60's, married for over 40 years, with grown children and one grandchild. So I can recommend this book especially to midlife and older women. This book can help us harvest the fruits of our abundant life experience and share them with a wisdom-starved world.

Through stories, commentary, and especially "reflection and writing" suggestions, this book guides us to contemplate aspects and details of our lives we may tend to take for granted, plumbing the rich depths of their meaning to us, our families, and the world. To name just a few examples: pregnancy, miscarriage, and birth; hanging clothes on a clothesline, specific childhood memories, family relationships, friendships, personal rituals, illness and healing experiences, personal response to world events.

Motivating and inspiring!
I must admit, I've read the personal stories, poems and quotes found throughout the book, but haven't finished the writing exercises; my spiritual ethical will is a work-in-progress! This book has inspired me to learn more about my roots, particularly my Jewish heritage. Since beginning the book I have contacted my great-aunt and have arranged to spend time with her next month, to better understand my genealogical and spiritual roots before moving ahead with the writing process.

As a social worker in long-term care and senior housing, I am acutely aware of how many women's stories go untold. I would love to use this book as a guide for a writing group; just think of all the stories and pearls of wisdom that could be saved! ... Read more

Book Description

Restores to the forefront of the Christian tradition the importanceof the divine feminine.
* The first complete English-language translation of the original Coptic Gospel of Mary, with line-by-line commentary.
* Reveals the eminence of the divine feminine in Christian thought.
* Offers a new perspective on the life of one of the most controversial figures in the Western spiritual tradition.

Perhaps no figure in biblical scholarship has been the subject of more controversy and debate than Mary Magdalene. Also known as Miriam of Magdala, Mary Magdalene was considered by the apostle John to be the founder of Christianity because she was the first witness to the Resurrection. In most theological studies she has been depicted as a reformed prostitute, the redeemed sinner who exemplifies Christ's mercy. Today's reader can ponder her role in the gospels of Philip, Thomas, Peter, and Bartholomew--the collection of what have come to be known as the Gnostic gospels rejected by the early Christian church. Mary's own gospel is among these, but until now it has remained unknown to the public at large.

Orthodox theologian Jean-Yves Leloup's translation of the Gospel of Mary from the Coptic and his thorough and profound commentary on this text are presented here for the first time in English. The gospel text and the spiritual exegesis of Leloup together reveal unique teachings that emphasize the eminence of the divine feminine and an abiding love of nature over the dualistic and ascetic interpretations of Christianity presented elsewhere. What emerges from this important source text and commentary is a renewal of the sacred feminine in the Western spiritual tradition and a new vision for Christian thought and faith throughout the world. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A clear look at a sometimes confusing text
Jean-Yves Leloup has written a stunning commentary on the ancient Gnostic text, The Gospel of Mary. Discovered in the late 1800's and published with the more recently discovered Nag Hammadi Library, The Gospel of Mary has puzzled many readers because of its missing pages and esoteric language. This book will take much of the mystery out of this text for general readers and scholars alike.

Most notable, I think, is the translation of "anthropos" as "human" rather than "man." This was a problem with the Gospel of Thomas as well; Jesus and the disciples make comments about women turning into men before they can find the Kingdom of God. At best, these comments were mystifying, and more than a few women found them to be shocking. With this translation, however, Leloup encourages us to think of the comments as meaning that women (and men) must become more spiritually aware before understanding the mysteries of Jesus' teachings.

There is a little bit for everyone in this book, ranging from the original Coptic with facing English translation to an in-depth line by line commentary. It's more than enough to stimulate debate about Christianity's early developments, particularly relating to the authority of women.

One of the Nag Hammadi discoveries

This is one of the scrolls found in the Nag Hammadi desert, in Egypt, in 1945, and is of more importance, from a religious standpoint, than the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls, which dealt more with legal and more mundane affairs and gave an insight into living conditions in the early centuries before the present era.

There is much information about the Nag Hammadi find in Professor Elaine Pagel's book, The Gnostic Gospels. I met her briefly several years ago, in New York.

Only fragments of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene were found, of the total 19 pages. Pages 1-6 are missing, as are 11-14. However, the pages that were found and translated from the coptic are of great interest since they primarily purport to be quotations of Yeshua (better known by his Greek name, Jesus) and conversations between his disciples.

A tension between Mary Magdalene, who is described as being closer to Yeshua than the others, and Peter, is evident: "How is it possible that the Teacher talked in this manner with a woman about secrets with which we ourselves are ignorant? Must we change our customs and listen to this woman? Did he really choose her, and prefer her to us?" Then Mary wept and answered him: "My brother Peter, what can you be thinking? Do you believe that this is just my own imagination, that I invented this vision? Or do you believe that I would lie about our Teacher?"

Is his reaction only male chauvinism, or pure jealousy?

The scrolls found in the Nag Hammadi are important because the Gnostics were opposed by the dominant Constantinians, who tried to stamp them and their writings out, and refused to allow them into the canon of the New Testament. I once heard that Constantine's scholars went into a room, and when they came out, said that the books included in the canon were chosen because they "jumped up on the table" of their own accord, and the ones that did not were not included.

I can't verify the statement's truth, but it is no more far-fetched than some others.

The antiquity of the Nag Hammadi books alone, as well as the subject matter, should make them as valuable as any of the other gospels.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of The Road to Damascus: Our Journey Through Eternity
and other books

Sorry "scholar mystics" she belongs to us
I give this work two stars for existing at all - I had not seen this early pre-gnostic treasure and am pleased indeed to read it.

It seems to be a good idea to revisit her most famous scene - it pops in and out of the canon and two different gospels but reads like an eye-witness account - here let me translate it for you and add a few questions.

Magdalena

And all went to their homes,
Jesus to the Olive Mount,
At dawn to be seen once more in the Temple,
The people all around Him,
He seated and teaching them,

She dragged in
By the writers and nit-pickers.
'Rabbi - we took her red-handed,
By Moses' Law she must be stoned!
What say you to that? Teacher.'

Jesus bent to the earth and with his finger Wrote
She before him.

They hard hassling for his answer.
'That man among you who has no error:
He will now be first to stone her'

He again to the ground inscribing dirt.
First the eldest - shamed - went
Then the rest of them.
Only Jesus remained
The woman standing.

He then with straight back, softly:
'Where are they? Is there no soul left to Damn you?'
'Not one sir'

'Nor I woman. Go now be free of fault.'

_______________________________

What sign, phrase or Signature of All Things did He write?
Who was she? Some whore, a girl as you or me, Pallas Athene?
Later, did she softly touch him, promise to be there for him:
At the eventual opening of Death's Oven?
In that garden.
Was she very beautiful indeed?

Where where the essenes, gnostics and other anorexic flesh-despising scholar mystics (diagrams in pocket)? That's right - concealing their hardness in their robes "exeunt omnes". "Sawnterelles" all.

Download the web version like the man says

A Hidden Rose on the Cross+++
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene as transilated, interpeted and expanded by Jean-Yves Laloup seems to be a Crossroads whereon "Christian", "Gnostic", "Exoteric", "Esoteric", "Masciline", "Feminine" and "Personal" Traditions Meet. The Gospel of Mary Magdaline would seem to NOT be a formal part of any particular Tradition having been found "in Cairo by C. Reinhardt and preserved since 1896 in the Egyptology section of the National Museum of Berlin". And in Coptic [not Greek or Aramaic] and apparently hard to date altho likely an "early text". Also I greatly enjoy the Skill and Style of Jean-Yves Laloup--especially the way the text was in digestable portions enhanced by expanded interpetations aided by wonderful charts and diagrams. A Hidden Rose on the Cross+++

A Good Way to Whet your Appetite
This book contains a reasonable description of what the Gospel of Mary is, where and how it was found, and what it implies for early Christianity. It is not the last work on the subject, but it is written in a fairly accessible way, and avoids the conspiracy theories that are so common when discussing the early history of Christianity. Jean-Yves Leloup's translation of the Gospel does show a feminist bias. This is not nessesarily a bad thing considering that the Biblical gospels show a strong patriarchal bias, but it is distracting and I found myself translating the translation at times. My only other concern with this book is that it is not always made clear that the Gospel of Mary was not written until at least a generation after the death of Jesus, and was probably not written by anyone who had first-hand knowledge of the what the Apostles did in the days after the Crucifixion. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about the Gospel of Mary, and about Gnostism, but this should not be the only book that you read on the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

Despite popular belief, American boys tag behind girls in reading and writing ability, and they are less likely to go to college. Our young men are greatly at risk, yet the best-known studies and experts insist that it's girls who are in need of our attention. The highly publicized "girl crisis" has led to many changes in American schools, politics, and parenting...but at what cost?

In this provocative book, Christina Hoff Sommers argues that our society has continued to overemphasize the troubles of girls while our boys suffer from the same self-esteem and academic problems. Boys need help, but not the sort of help they've been getting. ... Read more

Reviews (102)

Just Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale
Are young girls at risk in American schools? Are girls getting short-changed and left out in the field of academia? Do teachers favor boys and view them as more intelligent than they do the opposite sex?

Author Christina Hoff- Sommers wrote this book, "The War Against Boys" as a warning to all Americans about the plight of boys at the hands of unruly feminists. Feminist leaders are constantly trying to convince the world that girls get the short end of the stick when it comes to academic opportunities and that the educational system in the U.S. is biased in favor of men. They also feel that violence is inherent in all men and that the only solution is to get men in touch with their feminine side, to expel the threat of violence.

Sommers, and most other professionals, know that these claims and solutions are complete hogwash. As she points out in her book, it is actually boys, not girls, who fare more poorly in school. It is boys, not girls, who are in need of additional guidance. You would never know this by listening to the outcries from feminist leaders who still want you to believe that girls are not getting a fair deal in the world of education.

Sommers did a pretty good job in writing this book, but I wish she had made an extra effort to propose possible solutions to the problem. Political leaders usually avoid the issue of boys and the possibility of spending public funds to help them because they fear being attacked by feminists and labeled as being sexist. So, without the help of political leaders, who can we count on to find a remedy to the problem that boys face in America's schools? Feminists try to say that the solution is to make boys more like girls by encouraging them to play with dolls, wear girl's clothing, etc. We all know this is crazy and so does Sommers. But she doesn't offer any concrete solutions to the problem in her book.

Sommers spends a lot of time countering the absurd views of feminist Carol Gilligan, a woman with a distinct political and social agenda. Gilligan wants to eliminate the desire among boys to be competitive, and part of her reasons for this include a political belief that we should abandon capitalism as our economic system in the United States and embrace a more socialistic/Marxist system. Her reason for targeting young boys is simple: get them while their young, when they are the most impressionable and the easiest to influence.

I don't feel that this threat from feminists is as strong as the author does. But it's nice that she took the time to write this book, exposing some of the wild and wacky proposals from feminists to re-engineer young boys and make them more like girls. Sommers has a lot of courage, and she has undoubtedly added some more names to her professional enemies list by writing this book. She does a good service to everyone in exposing these outrageous feminist agendas.

Lie Revealed; Reality is ... Boys need our attention!
As a social worker that works with at-risk teens (98% of them are boys), I have found Sommers reporting to be accurate and concurs with issues I find each day I come into contact with a male teen. It is egregious to think that a well-respected feminist such as Carol Gilligan has used her status to write unfounded, unsubstantiated facts about the lives of boys and girls. According to Sommers, Gilligan has failed to use empirical data in her writing; has refused to publish her findings; and, continues to write more and more about what and who boys are and need without a shred of evidence from well documented studies. The facts revealed in this book will undoubtedly anger many people who have put their trust in Gilligan. More to the point, Sommers has revealed the reality that boys do need our attention. Many teachers, from my perspective, fail to recognize the power they have in their role as teachers and the influence they have on the lives of boys, in general. Sommers is correct to state we need to begin to have REAL equality in education (which has been sorely missing) and begin to teach and treat boys and girls as people who have individual and collective goals, who express and experience life sometimes the same, but often in different ways. We need to appreciate the special natures of both boys and girls, and allow them to develop in a way that is true to themselves. Some will refute Sommers for her lack of self-studies on the issue, but she has certainly given substantial food for thought from those who have done studies that support her thesis while failing to support the purported findings of Gilligan and others. It does seem a simple solution that Sommers would suggest that boys just need moral guidance and discipline to help them navigate their lives; it's nothing new, but it does speak to the fact that we've thrown out the baby with the bath water when it comes to certain things that have worked in the lives of boys. I was disappointed, however, to note that Sommers didn't come to realize that boys need to learn interpesonal and intrapersonal nurturing skills, as well. Sommers would do well to do an expose of the reality that the lack of good father role models in the lives of boys has had a greater degree of damaging impact on their son's (and daughter's)lives. Revolving substitute boy friends as fathers in the lives of so many boys hasn't been working; men (fathers) need to work on their interpersonal and intrapersonal nurturing, communication, and problem solving skills that they might "stay" in the lives of their children where the greater "fatherly love" can affect the lives of their sons (and daughters). Thank Christian Hoff Sommers for a great book, it speaks with a thunderous roar!

Sommers perpetuates inequalities in her trumped-up "war"
Sommers might feel a tad differently if by chance she was 'socially constructed' as a non-caucasian non-well-to-do little lady. She has every reason to attempt to reconstitute past inequalities, as her well-being depends upon perpetuating inequalities.

Her research has been easily disproven (and thus dismissed) by leading feminists and sociologists--those who do good work of attempting to redress inequalities, rather than attempting through numbers-jockeying to perpetuate them. Sommers is a backlash babe; she's paranoid that contemporary feminists' work might take away the priviledge she and her kind (waspy fems and the men and boys they love) enjoy daily.

Let's worry about our young men going to war--at least the young men of color as well as hired (at discounted cost) mercenaries from poor countries...while little white boys are protected and coddled and princed-up, are prepared to inherit the throne of capital.

Given current data which shows the gap between rich and poor is wider than ever, even accelerated, due to the out-of-control spending habits of the carte-blanche granted to--you guessed it (!) white men in control (who once were white boys), high capitalism is speeding into its demise. Meanwhile, earning disparities between men and women are quite unchanged. And we think worrying about lil' boys is worth our while?

Little miss conservative boy-o-phile Sommers works not for equality, but actively conspires against it so as to protect her lilly-ness, as well as high-capitalism which overfeeds her already bloated bank account, and ensure the have-nots will not only continue to have-not, but have-not while feeling guilty for taking so very much from whitey.

In my alternate universe, Sommers spends a year as a humanitarian worker in the South Bronx to actually begin to understand disparity. Her work is cruel, as it perpetuates grotesque myths of disparity. Poor white boys!

Time well spent? Read Barbara Ehrenreich, read bell hooks, read Jonathan Kozol.

This book is not making these things up
This book is not making these things up. Major educator textbooks are teaching teachers that they should make boys more feminine and that too much masculinity is not only a bad thing but dangerous! "Of special concern are adolescent boys who adopt a strong masculine role," Educational Psychology, Santrock (isbn 0072855878) They literally advocate androgyny as the most desireable state of being. This is just one book, and should not be singled out, it is simply representative of the problem. I refer to that book to show that the professional reviewers who say this work is just alarmist are sticking their head in the sand.

Sommers is reporting the actual state of the art in education. If you have school age children, are a teacher rebelling against the system, or are just concerned about the future, you should carry this book as a source of information to fight the ivory towers. Because they will cite a tautological litany of researchers with straw men criticism. The Sommers book can be an intellectual shield against this form of what I find to be child abuse.

compelling,disturbing and frightening
Its sad how boys and young men have been shortchanged because of feminist hate.These misandrists have continued to perpetuate the misconception that boys have been favored over girls in the educational system,when in fact its the reverse.Boys are also frequently labeled "disturbed" or "unteachable" and they are often removed from class or segregated and given a modified curriculum befitting their "inferior" learning capability.I didnt want to believe this was happening,but I`ve witnessed it first hand.My colleague and I installed hidden video cameras in several local and private schools and later reviewed them.We were dismayed to say the least.It is appalling that in this day and age we cant achieve equity for all instead of "punishing" the entire male gender.This "war" against boys is not only immoral and unethical,it is in many cases illegal and its also just downright stupid. ... Read more

Book Description

Millie Acevedo bore her first child before the age of 16 and dropped out of high school to care for her newborn. Now 27, she is the unmarried mother of three and is raising her kids in one of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods. Would she and her children be better off if she had waited to have them and had married their father first? Why do so many poor American youth like Millie continue to have children before they can afford to take care of them?
Over a span of five years, sociologists Kathryn Edin and Maria Kefalas talked in-depth with 162 low-income single moms like Millie to learn how they think about marriage and family. Promises I Can Keep offers an intimate look at what marriage and motherhood mean to these women and provides the most extensive on-the-ground study to date of why they put children before marriage despite the daunting challenges they know lie ahead. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

On Target
A few moths ago I was in court as an attorney representing a teen-aged client mother losing her infant daughter to the foster care (DCFS) system because of parental neglect.While in court, the client excitedly announced to the judge that she was expecting her second child.She brimmed with pride.The judge dryly replied, "Oh."After court, my client cried because the judge didn't share her enthusiasm for her new bundle of joy. At another court appearance I represented one of five fathers who impregnated a single mother losing her nine children to the foster care system.The fathers were "high-fiving" each other and carrying on while waiting for the judge.Like the judges, I just didn't get it.I didn't understand what was going on. Did I miss something? Why?I guess we couldn't bridge the cultural gap between the urban poor biological parents (White and Black) and the middleclass.

Edin is an excellent cultural broker and explains some of the striking cultural attitudes and differences between poor urban unmarried parents and middleclass.She gets into the thought process of a teenaged impoverished mother.She takes us into the world of the teenaged father---in many cases an older father.Edin elicits the cooperation of a difficult and closed population.Many of these parents are pushed around by society and the system, and are not trusting.A Social Worker might get a facil response: "Because she's my baby."As an attorney and advocate I can't ask some of the "Why's."Edin did and was able to get deeply insightful answers.Overall, a darn good book---one that you just can't put down. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

College women look nowhere else!
As someone who is considering the college experience for the first time in this country, I have to admit that investing in this book was one of the best decisions I've recently made. Written by two Barnard College graduates, it is the only and most excellent reference book out there for young women who are considering college right after high school. This should not, by any means, serve as an indication of its uselessness for older women. Being myself at my early thirtys I found, to my surprise, an innumerable amount of handy information that I first thought I wouldn't, the problem being that I was letting myself be convinced of the book's usefulness judging by the table of contents. Titles such as "Managing your personal finances", "Staying healthy: prevention and remedies", "Contraception and safer sex" and "Community and Identity: finding your place" can have misdirecting interpretation for the women who've "been there, done that". All these issues - and others directly implicated with college are, however, discussed from the collegiate point of view. Make that the collegiate woman's point of view. And here the book sets a standard all its own, starting with the basic aspects; such as how to apply both for admission to your favorite college and for financial aid, how to register for classes and deal with professors, etc. It even gives suggestions on how to study more productively for the time management challenged. There are also important chapters on mental and physical health (including eating disorders and the use of both legal and illegal drugs, both so common among today's students), how to develop a sense of community, how to forge new relationships and keep established ones and, one of my personal favorites, sexual education and sexually transmitted diseases. Even at my age and having been married for over 4 years, until I read the latter, I couldn't believe how much ignorance there still is in fact about sex and all its implications when it is practiced irresponsibly. On another line, who can resist but to read the chapter on "Housing how-to's" with a complete check list for an apartment being considered for rent. Try it and watch your prospective landlord awe in astonishment. When applying for a job, go over "Working women: jobs, internships and careers". The excellent suggestions for résumé writing and the pre-interview checklist will make you feel more comfortable than ever in order to be relaxed and 'get that job'. At the end of each chapter there are ideas for activism and long lists of resources covering from quality and affordable healthcare to places to look for jobs or even obtain public information directly from the government on grants, scholarships and so on.

Because this guide was published six years ago, some of the resources are indeed a bit outdated; which calls for a very loud claim to the publishers asking them: when will we have an updated version? A further addition for future editions should also include a more thorough explanation geared toward foreign students of the English College System, which is very different from the one used, for instance, in Latin America.

I found the most important message throughout is the way the book empowers women. There are many things that we never even thought of questioning just because no one ever dared to, places we don't dare to go or even look at for fear of being stereotyped. "The College Woman's Handbook" shows you how to open your mind to new ideas and it exudes assertiveness. Even if at times it might seem a bit towards the feminist side, it will definitely give any woman who reads it the courage and strength to fight for what she really wants to accomplish during her life. Needless to say, this is a book that you will keep coming back to for reference during the rest of your life.

The College Woman's Handbook
Six years after I first received this book as a High School graduation present, I am still constantly pulling it off the shelf for answers to many of my health, career, and life questions. This is an excellent gift for any woman who is entering adulthood for the first time. It is very engaging, practical and informative. We are giving it to our high school senior intern as a parting gift.

Very pleased
This book is very thick like a handbook! It is very informative and fun! I enjoyed reading it. I suggest it to any girl on her way to college.

Excellent and Informative
The title to this book is quite misleading - it contains good advice and information not only for women attending college, but for any woman from the age of 15 up! I bought my copy nearly a year ago and have consulted it numerous times, and I will not be attending college until the fall. If you buy one guide to college, this should be it. Packed with info about school (majors, grad school, finding money), as well as personal life (relationships, health, safe sex), it is an indispensible reference book for any young woman.

Wonderful!
This book has been really amazingly helpful to me. I'm a junior in college and I've had this book since my first day of school. It's not only informative about almost every subject, but it's fun to read. I also like how it's written by people who are our age and who don't condesend. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (14)

Read it with a grain of salt...
This book offers an insightful perspective on some of the "male" behaviors that are complexing to many women. In general, the author's assertions ring very true. I will certainly approach my relationships with men differently having read this book. However, the author makes strong suggestions that women avoid certain sexual activities when dating. This goes back to the old adage that a woman is solely responsible for chastity and I think that's archaic and demeaning to women and men. It implies that men have no control over their sexual urges and are not part of the process of deciding when and if they want to become intimate with someone. So, read this book with a grain of salt. It's always beneficial to relationships when you attempt to understand someone and respect their differences. This book gives some pointers on beginning that process.

Enlightening and Informative
I heard the author speak on a radio talk show a few months ago, and his book sounded good. I found it quite informative. Maybe I've missed something in my long marriage, but some of his revelations were new to me. I suspected many of the differences were true but didn't have the supported facts until now.

I particularly enjoyed such topics as intimate separateness, "earn this", the heart vs life journey, "wouldn't have war" remark (pg. 61), the current decades long dominance of the woman's view, and stages of marriage, among many others. One could quibble with the stages, but it is nevertheless food for thought and gives some good insight into most marriages. Don't miss chapter 7 on the male at home.

... Martin Gardner, a science writer of some considerable note and talent, put together something of a quack detection list of 10 or so items. I don't think the term quack has any place here. Gurian does at least give very specific material that one can go to for additional information on sex difference research. This or Gurian's interpretation of it doesn't look like quack information to me. If one can question something about the sex difference argument, it is some educators' views (I think female organiaztion driven) that girl's are equivalent of boys and should be treated as such. There seems to a view that nearly two million years of evolution has not produced brain and other differences between the sexes. That view comes a lot closer to quackery than anything else on this subject.

My biggest beef about the books is about some of the organization. Some of the last few chapters seem out of place, but still useful. I did find myself skimming a few sections of the book, since they really do not apply to me. Rearing children, for example. For some reason, he did not include any index. There are plenty of times when I wanted to refer back to info and an index would have been valuable--also for future reference. One saving point on this is that thankfully Amazon has a facility to search the entire book. There's also an abundance of brain terminology that would be served well in an appendix. I finally resorted to taking notes and found a good web site to get additional info ...

I'd suggest this book be required reading for men and women.

What could he be thinking
This book is not P/C. But even Newsweek says men and women are different so it must be okay to read heretical books like this.

If you are a feminist, or male in denial about what testosterone does to your brain when in utero, you will not enjoy the time reading this book. As a husband I am now at peace with myself on many issues, including why I can't ever load the dishwasher correctly.

As a father I am now far more able to parent my teenage sons because I realize how we are the same. Further, as a result of my confidence from this book, and insights from "Every Mans Battle' (stoker and arterburn) I am intervening and helping shape my teeneage sons lives on on issues of sexuality, pornography and other behaviour traps that face them daily.

As a husband I have better understanding of my wifes view of work, the home, and what she values in a elationship. There are countless communication and value styles, and day to day, head to head issues in our relationship where this book has helped me. This proves you are never too old, or too married to learn.

This book is chock full of "aha's" as you realize why things work the way they do, either in a male to female or female to male manner. Here are a few of mine. Why I seem to go blank, look for a quick summary or resolution, or am unable to concentrate and get frustrated when discussing complex relationship topics after 30-45 minutes (women have more parts of their brains dedicated to speech and cache information more quickly). Why my wife can remember staggering deatils about the times she's been hurt or happy (its not because I'm stupid its because of how womens memory is structured).

If you are a guy and thinking about reading this, buy it and quit wasting time.

If you are a women in a "relationship" buy it for your man and tell him it is only one of three books you'll ever ask him to read, even if you have to use sex to get it read. You already know the chances are slim he'll never buy a book like this (self help books are like directions - you don't buy them and you don't ask for them).

What could Gurian be thinking?
What could Gurian be thinking? The back cover begins with a list of cultural stereotypes about men, beginning with "Why do men have to control the TV remote and channel-surf?" Some men do, and some women do, but many men don't. Throughout the book Gurian uses contemporary psychobabble to justify and reinforce all the men-negative stereotypes that a female dominated culture has promoted over the past 50 years. Despite the title he continually digresses to talking about women and women's brains frequently throughout the book. Occasionally Gurian approaches toward some real insight about men, but each time quickly backs away into a morass of jargon and the same old stuff in a new wrapper. He describes himself as a "bridge" man, which he defines as a man who thinks much like a woman. If you're a woman wanting to have your stereotypes reinforced, this is the book for you. If you're a man wanting to learn more about men, or a woman who really wants to know what a man might be thinking, you may think twice.

doctors criticizing doctors...
I am not a doctor, but I did stay in a holiday inn express last night, so I guess that qualifies me to be an expert on EVERYTHING - just like all doctors are...right. But seriously, here is the two cents of a major league skeptic who thinks this book has a lot of value.

I think it is fine to be skeptical about some of this science, as the doctor from San Jose points out, but it doesn't logically follow that just because the science isn't perfect that the ideas in this book are wrong (which seems to be the implication). In fact, I would say that empirical evidence tends to support the author's ideas, and that the idea that men and women think totally differently is not a particularly wild one. Focusing only on the science misses the point, and I couldn't disagree more with the statement, "If you want a healthy relationship you don't need to read a book to learn how." EVERYONE struggles with relationships, and if reading books or talking to friends or, god forbid, even talking to a shrink doctor, helps you, then that is great and you should go for it. Books can provide perspective, advice and understanding, and, in this particular case they can shed light on behaviours, and it is easier to tolerate a behavior if you understand why.

Now I agree with the good doctor's opinion that it is easy to use "that's just the way I am" as an excuse for bad behavior, but the differences in memory, emotional tendencies and other things discussed in this book are not all behaviors, but in many cases really are "just the way we are." I would go further to argue that communication styles are also "just the way we are," because even if they are learned behaviors, they are totally ingrained by adulthood, so you have to learn to translate what people say from their way of thinking to yours in order to respond properly and have a meaningful dialog.

And this does filter into such everyday things as channel flipping and a host of other things that women don't understand about men. I think it filters into everything. My wife is finally understanding that when it takes me 10 or 20 seconds to process what she says when I am watching something interesting on TV, it is not because I am purposely ignoring her or am not interested in what she has to say. It's just that I can only concentrate on one thing at a time, and it takes a bit to change gears.

On a final note, the doctor closes by saying nobody changes and that you need to find someone rational, good and loving. OK, I believe that to be true, but in my limited experience, on the rationality front, women have the same capacity for rationality as men, but they are 100 times more likely to throw it by the wayside if it conflicts with their emotions. Most women I know don't make personal decisions after a rational thought process weighing all the factors. But because I know and accept that, it doesn't bother me that my wife is so irrational sometimes, and I don't try to solve all her problems with reason, like I try to do for myself. I do try to separate out the emotional issues from the logical ones sometimes, but most of the time she just needs someone to stand by her, listen, care and suppport her. My best advice to men is that to learn how to do that, and to women, is to learn how to forgive and understand us when we don't, because this isn't our natural tendency. ... Read more

Book Description

The first generation of women to have tasted social, political, and economicempowerment-some thirty-seven million strong-has reached a new frontier that isunexpected and unexplored. Nearing their fifties and entering their sixties, they havefulfilled all the prescribed roles-daughter, wife, mother, employee; yet with longer lifeexpectancy and better health they do not intend to retire from the world. They want toexperience more. Inventing the Rest of Our Lives is an evocative and eye- opening road map across this uncharted terrain.

Suzanne Braun Levine, the first editor of Ms. magazine and a long-time journalist, hasbeen reporting on the lives of women like herself throughout their tumultuous firstadulthood. Here she draws on personal stories, cutting-edge science, up-to-date trendanalysis, and her own struggles to show that Second Adulthood women are simply notthe same people they were, only older; they are changing-both inside and out. The latestresearch she has uncovered proves it: Certain areas of their brains are undergoing agrowth spurt very similar to that in adolescence, their sexual and emotional rhythms arereadjusting along with their hormones, and their priorities are shifting dramatically.

From work to love, self-discovery to civic duty, health to economics, Inventing theRest of Our Lives examines every aspect of their lives, offers solutions, and sharesstories-sometimes touching, sometimes joyous-of women who have found insights andanswers to the three crucial questions that each confronts: What matters? What works?What’s next?

Inventing the Rest of Our Lives is a bold, honest, and sharp-witted guidebook,companion, and source of inspiration for every woman entering these uncharted waters. ... Read more

Book Description

A poignant and hilarious tour of the last frontier, the ultimate forbidden zone, The Vagina Monologues is a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. Hailed as the bible for a new generation of women, it has been performed in cities all across America and at hundreds of college campuses, and has inspired a dynamic grassroots movement--V-Day--to stop violence against women. Witty and irreverent, compassionate and wise, Eve Ensler's Obie Award-winning masterpiece gives voice to real women's deepest fantasies and fears, guaranteeing that no one who reads it will ever look at a woman's body, or think of sex, in quite the same way again. ... Read more

Reviews (90)

REALLY GREAT BOOK
This book was given to me as a gift from a dear friend. She had already it and wanted me to read it. I did and I was really pleased with it.

Ensler explains that she is worried about the state of a world that cannot say VAGINA without blushing, but has hundreds of slang words for penis. This book is a collection of stories that were told to Ensler by hundreds of women from all walks of life who she interviewed. Some of the stories are verbatim what the women had to say about their vaginas, while Ensler takes more artistic licence with some.

There are stories about masturbation, sex, childbirth, rape, and many other things. Every way that our vaginas affect our lives, as women, are covered with a humorous or touching story. A great deal of this book is filled with humorous stories about nicknames for out vaginas and how women think about their own vaginas, but there is a disturbing rape scene in one of the stories. Although this story was incredibly disturbing, it is totally understandable why it was included: Rape, whether it is spoken of or not, is a tangible part of many women's vaginas. All in all, The Vagina Monologues is an excellent book for any woman or any man who loves vaginas. Vaginas are one of the most underappreciated entities in our lives. Vaginas provide pleasure for our mates, pleasure for ourselves, the means for conception, and most importantly-birth. Most of us came into this world through a vagina. While this isn't a self-help book and it won't help you deal with specific problems with your vagina, it can help you learn to see your vagina in a whole new light.

Vagina! Vagina! Vagina!
If Eve Ensler's vagina got dressed, it would wear a sign shouting "I Have Empowered Women Around the World and Started a New Wave of Feminism!"
I couldn't put the VM down: There were several outstanding monologues in it, including a collection of women's stories about getting their period for the first time, and one with a grandmother who shyed away from her vagina most of her life. I also enjoyed reading Ensler's commentary on the pieces. To be sure, the book made me more conscious of my feminist side and I felt a sheer sense of pride in being a woman after reading it. However, the content wasn't top-notch. There were surprisingly few segments and not each of them was great. I thought Ensler definitely could have expanded on the pieces themselves and done a lot more with her subject matter.
If one wants to judge the book by its actual writing and content, I wouldn't recommend it in particular. But I think that Ensler's real goal was to get women to understand about their femininity, their sexual sides, and, above all, their vaginas. And if that was what Ensler was aiming to accomplish, I would readily say that she achieved it in me and many others.
(I would love to see it performed live, too, whether by Ensler or others.)

Learn about the beauty between your legs!
This is a cry from women to find their spiritual, sexual, and beautiful power that is within them. There are stories that will make you laugh, stories that will make you think, stories that will make you open your eyes to the world. I have not had the privelige of seeing the performance on stage, which I imagine is fabulous and moving, but the book is good. I recommend it to women because it speaks of the taboo that women don't (or can't) want to talk about because they are afraid or embarrassed. It is witty and emotional. V-Day is a great idea. It promotes stopping violence against women. I recommend this book to women!

LAUGH AND LEARN WITH THIS READING
Words and thoughts once taboo are now mainstream due in large part to "The Vagina Monologues," a funny, moving exploration of women's thoughts, dreams, hopes and fears by the dynamic Eve Ensler. Released to coincide with February's V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls, the audio version brings Ensler's words to wise and witty life once more.

Of course, no one is better suited to read these words than the author herself. Winner of the Obie Award for this play, Ensler is also the author of other plays including Lemonade, The Depot, and Necessary Targets, which has had benefit performances on Broadway, at the National Theatre in Sarajevo, and at the Kennedy Center.

Hailed throughout the world Ensler's uninhibited masterpiece has become a rallying cry for women.

Listen, laugh, and learn.

Brilliant!
Eve's courage and strength shine through the stores of women she interviewed about their bodies, their thoughts and their lives. Many people have told me that the book/play would do much better if it had a different title. THAT'S THE POINT!! No one talks about vaginas and sometimes very little attention is paid to the women attached to them. Eve devotes such care and precision to telling the stories of all kinds of women that everyone should be able to relate to something. It is true that many of the monologues are quite "edgy" and some might even call them offensive, but the fact of the matter is that they are all true and real. Such a work, one that allows women to be true to themselves, and real in their wishes, desires and longings is so rare that this one is to be savored and treasured. ... Read more

Book Description

Nancy Friday's phenomenal bestsellers My Secret Garden and Forbidden Flowers broke new ground, revealing for the first time the complexity of women's secret sexual fantasies. In Women on Top, she returns to the subject that made her famous, examining the erotic fantasy lives of more than one hundred and fifty modern women. Drawn from Friday's personal interviews and letters, Women on Top contains transcripts of real sexual fantasies that will change your mind-set about women and sex. A revolutionary exploration of female eroticism, Women on Top reveals the powerful and astounding sexual attitudes that are forever changing our intimate lives. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Not as great as it could be
Buyer beware: there is a LOT of sex with animals in this book, and you're never warned ahead of time: the dogs just come out of nowhere and the average reader gets caught. I felt very guilty when I loaned this book to someone without warning her first and she was not pleased. I mean, don't get me wrong, fantasize about whatever you want...but this is not something I enjoyed reading about. While I admire and respect the concept of this book, it is also marred by Nancy Friday's hamhanded psychoanalysis. I frequently disagree with her theories and find that the best way to read this is to skip all that and jump right into the women's fantasies, some of which are really amazing. While the writers don't stand as representative of women in general (is such a thing possible?), I think the overall scope of the book is such that anyone- whatever sexuality, gender-identity, race, religion, or class- will find something of interest here, be it for education or arousal...and that's what a good book in this field should be, as far as I'm concerned. Negatives aside, I'd like to see a lot more of this out there. If Nerve.com and other such sites would focus less on commerce and big name authors we might start to see a change in the way Americans view sex...but I digress. Take a look at this one, but don't get your hopes too high.

A great book, but some of the fantasies -- YUCK!
I applaud Friday's guts to stand up to the prudish Prunellas and false feminists and write/publish this book. Her take on women's fantasies is on the mark.

That having been said: if you find the idea of sex with animals as utterly revolting and disgusting as I do, there are entire sections of this book you may wish to avoid. Many of her correspondents discuss not just fantasies about bestiality but actual experiences with it. These women seem to have no conscience, no guilt about committing what is nothing less than a form of rape. Would these women be so accepting of pedophilia? Or rape of the mentally disabled?

However, as Friday is writing about women's sexuality and fantasies, I think she has a right if not an obligation to tell the entire story. If women are fantasising about raping defenseless animals, that is part of the story, and she shouldn't leave it out.

Again, another top-notch piece of research by Friday, but not one the average person can read wit! h unmitigated pleasure.

A study that is both informative, and seductive
Nancy Friday has long written about women's sexuality, and here in _Women on Top_, she continues that tradition. Published in 1991, Friday discusses how the women's movement has affected the way women think and feel about sex, and goes into the relationship between how women think of themselves, and how they think about sex.

Drawing from many transcribed fantasies, written in each woman's own words, Friday breaks through cultural taboos unflinchingly, and offers a frank discussion. This book will please both academic and prurient interestt, and it may help readers feel more comfortable with their own sexuality and fantasies.

Disappointed
Extremely boring. Each letter is all basically the same (middle class ladies, brought up in strict environment, most of them Catholics with very sick twisted imagination)
There is a LOT of sex with animals in this book; dogs just jump out of nowhere and do weird stuff. I had 3 dogs in my life and non-of them made any attempt to do any of the things those ladies are talking about.
I also got an impression that lots of those ladies are just trying to get back at their parents (look, mom, what I got them published in the book - recognize that family? Nah-nah-nah-
nah!)
What was the point of that book again? I didn't get it!

And what is with those constant references to her other two books? If I want to read them - I would - no reason constantly tell me about them. It is just such a cheap trick to fill-up the space in third book by talking about number one and number two!
The author is by far not the best sexologist I came across and letters she published not any different from other porn stories one can find in any monthly issue of Cosmopolitan.

Go Nancy!
I've owned this book for years, and it hasn't left my beside in all that time. When I bought it, I was in my twenties, and it made me realize that fantasy lives were not restricted to men. And that my fantasies were normal--even (gasp) healthy! Did I learn that from Friday? Nope. I ignored her introductions, as I'm sure most of us did. I figure it out from the numerous women who wrote her and shared their intimate moments. Although our fantasies may differ, they reaffirm that we have every right to relish our own sexuality.

On a side note: the Editorial review really ticked me off. Why is it just fine for men to fantasize using "dirty" words but if we use them, we're no longer feminine? Who declares we must be "dainty" in order to be evolved? Just know when you buy this book that it's not the flowery language you'll find in your drug store romance novel. It's real (sometimes a little out there, but real nonetheless).

I'm not embarrassed to admit that Nancy Friday's books come very close to being a woman's equivalent to Penthouse. We love the words--the men love the pictures. (okay, so I'm not embarrassed unless my mother-in-law reads this) It's all healthy. Go Nancy! ... Read more

Book Description

The Emotionally Unavailable Man is two books in one — one side is for the emotionally unavailable man and the other is for his partner. It details why men become emotionally unavailable and specifies the actions that can be taken by both men and women torealize improvement.MEN, do you ever feel like a little boy in a grown-up body? Like you have no personal power? Flip to the men’s side of this book and let expert psychotherapist Patti Henry help you

• Get your "power"
• Stop avoiding difficult situations
• Calm your partner’s anger
• Learn how to say "No"
• Set and maintain appropriate boundaries
• Be more effective at work
• Increase and enhance the sex in your relationship
• Feel personal freedom and happiness

WOMEN, do you want your husband to be emotionally available to you? Flip to the women’s side of this book and let expert marriage counselorPatti Henry help you

• Determine if your partner is capable of being emotionally available
• Decide what you can — and cannot — do to help
• Discover how to lose your anger
• Exercise mutuality and safety
• Learn how to recognize and confront your own resistances
• Restore hope about long-term change
• Gain clarity about your future ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling reader on men and masculinity, edited by two of the most prominent researchers on men, contains the most current articles on masculinity available. Organized around themes that define masculinity, this reader takes the position that men (as well as women) are "gendered" and that this gendering process is a central experience for men. The authors explore how working class men, men of color, gay men, older men, and younger men construct different versions of masculinity. One reviewer says, "This reader does a remarkable job of showing the interconnectedness of race, class, and gender ... It also makes clear that any discussion of `men's lives' of necessity involves an understanding of the social roles of both men and women, and of gender inequality." For anyone interested in gender studies, sociology, or men's studies. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

hmm
Kimmel and Messner are acomplished researchers, yet I find no reason for the "cute" little additions such as average male size charts and sarcastic quizes revolving around the "gay or straight" issues.We are saturated with sexuality in our day and age, we don't need it from our scholars as well.

An engaging and diverse anthology of forefront scholarship.
The fourth edition of Kimmel and Messner's Men's Lives is an engaging anthology accessing the forefront of scholarship about diverse men and masculinities.Going beyond earlier texts and collections, Men's Lives now reflects the development of greater theoretical sophistication and coherence in a field once often represented as anecdote and generalization.It is not simply "good men's studies," it is good gender studies.An instructor's resource manual is available and provides relevant summaries, experiential learning exercises, and examination questions, plus key terms, films, and internet resources. ... Read more

Book Description

How are women transforming the practice of leadership in the 21^st century?  Enlightened Power is a first-of-a-kind book that answers this question--and forever changes the traditional notions involving women in leadership. The book features the accumulated wisdom of 40 influential men and women who represent the most compelling voices in the field, including:

•  Dynamic business leaders such as Eileen Fisher (founder, Eileen Fisher, Inc.), Barbara Corcoran (founder and chairman, The Corcoran Group), and Pat Mitchell (president and CEO, PBS)
• Trailblazing women from other arenas such as politics (Ambassador Swanee Hunt), the military (Rear Admiral Deborah A. Loewer, USN), and sports (U.S. Olympian Marilyn King)
• Renowned thought leaders such as Riane Eisler, Rayona Sharpnack, Sally Helgesen, Peggy Klaus, Bruce Patton, Nancy J. Adler, and Gail Evans
• Leading-edge academics, activists, executives, entrepreneurs, and practitioners

  ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Wide variety means relevant content
From David Gergen's foreward through Pat Mitchell's afterward, Enlightened Power forces us to contemplate the many traits that women bring to leadership positions and how they relate to our own roles as leaders.Whether you're working in corporate America or as an entrepreneur, you'll find guidance, insight and inspiration from the many contributers to this tome on women and leadership.Of particular interest to me were Kira Hower's chapter on "Influencing for Impact," and Karen Stephenson's chapter on "The Art and Science of Human Knowledge Networks."But, with such a wide variety of voices, I'm sure no matter where you are in your career, you will find articles that address your issues - that's the beauty of pulling together a number of different voices and viewpoints.

The Comprehensive Manual On Women and Leadership
This book is a wonderful addition to anyone's personal or professional library, advancing the timely discussion on women, leadership and achievement with essays from David Gergen, Pat Mitchell, Peggy Klaus, Karen Stephenson, Pat Schaffer, Eileen Fisher...all with kernels of wisdom on women, leadership, and the effects that women have had on leaders.

Take a look at the introduction by Lin Coughlin, Chief Administrative Office at Cendant, and the essay by Ellen Winguard, Executive Coach...for a good overview of the messages in the book.

But the most wonderful thing about Enlightened Power is its very personalized stories and words of wisdom from each contributor. This is the perfect gift, and an inspiration to all.

A comprehensive, must-have for every woman leader
Enlightened Power feels like the most comprehensive book ever written on women and leadership. It provides perspective on leadership from over 40 successful women, allowing the reader to find infinite ways to reinforce their leadership behaviors or learn new ways to accelerate their skill level. Each of the chapters is unique, so as to allow for multiple learnings and reference points.

This lifts the paradigm of Women and Leadership!
I have been looking for an answer to the question of how women have influenced leadership for such a long time and this book is it! You learn how to lead without power and control, dominance, and just to be a more effective, and influential leader...from people like David Gergen, Peggy Klaus, Rayona Sharpnack, Barbara Corcoran, Eileen Fisher (the designer).

Enlightened Power: How Women are Transforming the Practice o
The breadth and depth of the material is exhilarating."Enlightened Power" is a superb collection of well written essays and eminently useful and inspiring thoughts on leadership from some of the most engaging women leaders of our time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The only constants in nature are change and death. Terry Tempest Williams, a naturalist and writer from northern Utah, has seen her share of both. The pages of Refuge resound with the deaths of her mother and grandmother and other women from cancer, the result of the American government's ongoing nuclear-weapons tests in the nearby Nevada desert. You won't find the episode in the standard history textbooks; the Feds wouldn't admit to conducting the tests until women and men in Utah, Nevada, and northwestern Arizona took the matter to court in the mid-1980s, and by then thousands of Americans had fallen victim to official technology. Parallel to her account of this devastation, Williams describes changes in bird life at the sanctuaries dotting the shores of the Great Salt Lake as water levels rose during the unusually wet early 1980s and threatened the nesting grounds of dozens of species. In this world of shattered eggs and drowned shorebirds, Williams reckons with the meaning of life, alternating despair and joy. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Excellent weaving together of place and heart
Now that I have read Terry Tempest Williams' excellent book on finding refuge in the areas around the Great Salt Lake, I find I want to visit, to see for myself the stunning landscape and myriad of birdlife. I also find myself drawn to this courageous woman who lets us into this difficult part of her life, as her mother passes into the shadow of cancer. Not for the first time, we learn, and not such a rare occurrence in her family, we discover; a discovery that, for me, evoked anger at the unfairness of exposing human beings to atomic bomb test fallout. There is so much in this book: the detailed descriptions of the birds and their habits, the extraordinary unfolding of the progression of cancer and its effect on the family, the interplay of three women -- grandmother, mother, daughter -- and through it all, the gentle and exquisite writing carried me nearly effortlessly, yet with great strength. I can find no fault with the writing, the evocative images, the revelation of relationships, and the treatment of this undoubtedly amazing place. Thank you, Terry, for writing this book.

A refuge becomes a sanctuary
As the Great Salt Lake rose to submerge and destroy the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, grief rose and submerged Terry Tempest William's spirit with the destruction of her mother and grandmother by cancer. The gradual regeneration of the Refuge with the subsiding of the lake parallels the regeneration of her spirit and the subsiding of her grief. But the pain and the scars remain and transform. Terry is no longer an accepting trusting Mormon daughter but a searching questioning activist after her tumultuous emotional experience. One wonders if the gifts of awareness and sensitivity are worth the price of the pain endured. The Refuge becomes a sanctuary for the returning birds and Terry's returning spirit. No more moving piece has been written about the folly and ultimate tragedy of human intervention in the environment. From the nuclear testing of the 1950s to the manipulation of the level of the Great Salt Lake, there is much to learn about the long term consquences of our short sighted acts. Everyone should read and reread and pass on this book.

admirable
I give Ms. Williams points for her honesty. The book is at times insightful. Her relationship to the environment is admirable and her use of the Great Salt Lake as metaphor is quite poetic. Ms. William's ideas on solitude and our place in the landscape are something that I can relate to and appreciate. I too lost my mother to breast cancer in Utah. There is much about Ms. Williams that I admire.

I believe that this was her first book and it is often pretentious which is excusable in a first work. She over uses simile, as new writers often do, which only trivializes the piece. It is often disjointed which I am certain is how life felt to Ms. Williams as she lived through these simultaneous life changing events.

I recommend it as a loving tribute to Ms Williams's mother and the Utah landscape and as an honest portrayal of her personal growth in relationship.

I tried to like this book, but just couldn't -and here's why
Living in Utah, having a Master's Degree in Aquatic Ecology from BYU, being a physician, and LDS, I get given a copy of this book every year or so from someone who admires this book. Having read this book several times (There are well-written and interesting parts), I usually then ask them what they think about some aspect of the book like the anti-male stance of the author. Most people look puzzled and then admit they have never really read the book, they just heard from someone else that it was really good.

Since this book deals with Utah, aquatic ecology, medicine, and Mormonism and most of the reviewers of this book gloss over the nuts and bolts of this book, I thought I would share my impressions of this book since I have some expertise in all these areas.

First of all, it really isn't that interesting. It took me several aborted attempts before I actually finished the thing and I love reading. Yes, portions of it are good prose, but I would usually finish 10 pages or so and be unable to say what exactly it was that I had just read. The writing reminds me of Annie Dillard - confusing and over-rated in general. There are other writers who have joined personal and family travails with nature much better. Read Norman Maclean's "A River Runs Through It" after reading "Refuge" and you will see that there is really no comparison; Maclean is so obviously superior that you wonder why anyone ever told you "Refuge" was that good.

Williams attempts to tie together her mother's and grandmother's breast cancer possibly caused by radiation exposure to 1950's nuclear tests to the flooding of a bird refuge in the 1980's. She really doesn't do this that well and this lack of similarity makes the whole book choppy at best and disjointed and irrelevant at worst. Throwing in a little tiresome male-bashing, church-bashing, and anyone-that-doesn't-think-like-me-bashing really grates on the reader after a while and you finish the book feeling like you need to take a long shower to remove the grime from your mind.

That said, the strength of this book is the account of how the female family members cope with breast cancer that runs through the generations. This is also the weakness of the book because the author has such a glaring lack of insight of the male members of the family and their feelings. Yes, Ms. Williams, men have feelings too!

The last portions of this book are laughable with some mystical feminist eco-worshippers sneaking onto some government test range. Apparently because these women chant and sway and have uteri, there is some mystical significance to this act of pointless civil disobedience. Well anyway, I don't recommend reading this book for anything other than the accounts of breast cancer coping. The anti-Utah, anti-Male, anti-Mormon aspects, and the real lack of anything meaningful regarding ecology makes this book not worth the effort, in my opinion.

read Edward Abbey instead
This book is overrated and self-indulgent. If you do read it, don't feel compelled to like it just because you've heard so many good things about it. ... Read more