Woman as Healer

by Jeanne Achterberg

This groundbreaking work examines the role of women in the Western healing traditions. Drawing on the disciplines of history, anthropology, botany, archaeology, and the behavioral sciences, Jeanne Achterberg discusses the ancient cultures in which women worked as independent and honored healers; the persecution of women healers in the witch hunts of the Middle Ages; the development of midwifery and nursing as women's professions in the nineteenth century; and the current role of women and the state of the healing arts, as a time of crisis in the health-care professions coincides with the reemergence of feminine values.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Feminism, Womens, Health, Science, Medicine

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Cynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great descriptions:
1. How Goddess holds power in Human imagination, how it loses it, how God gains and holds ascendancy.
2. What God'so ascendancy means for Worldview and Medicine.
3. How human spirit benefit when Goddess and God merge to create a whole, androgynous worldview, Medicine benefits.

This book was published in 1999. I first read it about 2005. Reading this book again in 2017, I am glad to know that Medicine is becoming more adronynous, more balanced. For many years, I only liked having female doctors because we can generally understand each other at various levels. In 2017, I have some male doctors that I love, such as my caring ENT and caring dermatologist.
I have seen more and more Nurse Practioners who are usually, not always, female who bring the traditional care to their medical practice.

The traditional care of nursing becomes incorporated in primary care providers. (In US, nurse practioners can provide primary care.)

I am grateful for the changes that are being made in Medicine.

[Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are having issues where western medicine seems myopic and are interested in a more complete picture of what it is that is going on around here but you aren't quite sure what it is then this is as good a place as any for you to start.

[Leesa Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my book shelf for so long! It is one I refer to often. There are penciled in notes on almost every page.

[Ipek · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm almost completely sure that the cause of my disappointment is the quality of the translation because the subject is interesting enough. At some point, I started to think that perusing a manual from IKEA would be more stimulating. I'd love to find a copy of the original text but it seems like nowhere restocks this book anymore.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, and well-researched historical survey of women as healers in various European cultures to their modern (1990s) role in medicine.

[Carly Wages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Capitalism really killing healthcare and it’s not even new

[Brontë · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't​ my type of book, but it seemed comprehensive.

[Debbie Teashon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book twice. First time was years ago, but I lost it during a move. I ended up buying it again, and marked it up with highlighter, underlined it with pencil, covered it in post-it-notes, and broke its spine. Lets just say it is well-used and well-read.

This book illustrates the hardships that women have faced over the centuries. I think about all that the human race has lost because of human constructs that kept women from being brilliant. Actually, women were brilliant, but society hamstrung them. I wonder how much further our society could progress if half the population weren't left behind.

The book focuses on women. However, if you count race, orientation, and other groups left out of society, and all the talent, and minds we lost because some of the population has a weird need to feel superior.

The atrocities against women over the eons are horrendous. As I read this book, I experienced a gamut of emotions from one chapter to the next. This should be well-studied by everyone.

[ADelicate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book looks historically at how the elimination of women in healing positions and practices as well as the eradication of feminine goddesses in a variety of cultures has resulted in greater war and greater restrictions on women in general, which has in turn impacted societies in a negative way. Her argument is that when female goddesses were worshiped and women were valued as healers, than those societies generally were more peaceful and prosperous.

[Milena · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful and empowering