Patriarchy as a Conceptual Trap

The author skillfully corrects popular misconceptions about the history of human interaction divided by gender. Her correction is educated by archaeological and anthropological evidence.The thesis: Cultural focus has not moved from female to male. Instead, finding themselves unable to bear and nurse children (the most important abilities in a group), men created culture to console themselves (and then used culture to devalue women's exclusive abilities).The evidence: Read the book.As I do, you may find that the idea is dubious that anyone is dominant on the basis of their gender. Power has always seemed like a problem to me, equality an impossibile ideal, and goddess-worship reactionary, if not beside the point.I can forgive the author's simplistic tone when I consider her probable primary audience: budding Betty Friedan fans and Women's Studies dévotées.However, the author's argument blew my mind to the point that I quit work as a technical writer, spent the summer taking care of my three children fulltime, and revalued my world putting childbearing and caring for humans at the top.A landmark piece of work in healing the division of the sexes.