Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by coolfoolmoon
The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve by Stephen Greenblatt
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
"There is no progess in evolution, no march toward perfection."
I love that this book starts off with a brief summary of the history of Jewish people and the Torah. I would've loved if it stayed focused on Jewish people, but then that wouldn't've been accurate. In the section where we learn about Augustine, you really get the sense of "Oh yeah, now I get why Christianity is the way it is, how it devolved or spiraled into an extreme fanaticism that still plagues many people to this day." And because of that, that's why the author stuck with Christian interpretations and how Adam and Eve as concepts / mythos / people evolved. I'm not sure how Jewish people, or even Muslims (but they're barely mentioned), view the story, whether they see it as absolute historical fact or an allegory, but I know for a fact Adam and Eve can't have evolved in their communities the same way it has in Christianity.
This book really has every thing I love / am interested in. Or I should say, elements of history I'm very familiar with, whether they apply to me directly or I've learned a lot about them. From the history of misogyny to the history and religious justifications for slavery to the conquest of the New World to how Santa Monica, California got its name. Even how witch hunts became a thing. This book has everything!!! Even things you don't think are connected. The author is amazing with weaving history together whether it was how one man's abuse of power 1600 years ago lead to how we think and interact with the world now to the then mind bending idea of pterodactyls, he makes all the history feel present and certainly alive.
I love that this book starts off with a brief summary of the history of Jewish people and the Torah. I would've loved if it stayed focused on Jewish people, but then that wouldn't've been accurate. In the section where we learn about Augustine, you really get the sense of "Oh yeah, now I get why Christianity is the way it is, how it devolved or spiraled into an extreme fanaticism that still plagues many people to this day." And because of that, that's why the author stuck with Christian interpretations and how Adam and Eve as concepts / mythos / people evolved. I'm not sure how Jewish people, or even Muslims (but they're barely mentioned), view the story, whether they see it as absolute historical fact or an allegory, but I know for a fact Adam and Eve can't have evolved in their communities the same way it has in Christianity.
This book really has every thing I love / am interested in. Or I should say, elements of history I'm very familiar with, whether they apply to me directly or I've learned a lot about them. From the history of misogyny to the history and religious justifications for slavery to the conquest of the New World to how Santa Monica, California got its name. Even how witch hunts became a thing. This book has everything!!! Even things you don't think are connected. The author is amazing with weaving history together whether it was how one man's abuse of power 1600 years ago lead to how we think and interact with the world now to the then mind bending idea of pterodactyls, he makes all the history feel present and certainly alive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, Classism
Minor: Genocide, Violence
I tagged Cultural appropriation because... that's kinda what Christianity as a whole is... :/ If you mad fight ya mama