A new and major contribution to the field; Women in European Culture and Society is a transnational history of women in Europe from the beginning of the eighteenth century that pushes women’s history beyond national studies to create an integrated view of three hundred years of women in Europe. Using a longue durée; the book disentangles the accounts of industrialisation and bourgeois femininity which tend to dominate women’s studies; and questions the dominant narratives of history. Drawing on women’s own writing and cultural production; it presents women as agents of change as well as exploring cultural perceptions of women and the ways in which women have been represented by these discourses. It explicitly engages with how women contributed as practitioners to shaping the culture and society of western Europe. The geographical range and generational breadth of this study provides a cohesive vision of women’s lives up to the present day. Women in European Culture and Society is an invaluable and essential guide to the conditions; circumstances and understandings of how women lived throughout Europe.
#1966207 in Books 1989-07-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .83 x 5.42 x 8.41l; #File Name: 0415025370336 pages
Review
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Very clear writing style - great!By Melinda McAdamsAfter a few years of practicing Buddhism and reading Dharma books; I am reading this as my first scholarly text; and I'm very impressed by it. It certainly is NOT an introduction for beginners; but Williams is careful to include just enough explanation to keep me reading without feeling a need to resort to Wikipedia (heh!).His footnotes (endnotes) are amazing -- the book proper is only 266 pages; followed by 121 pages of endnotes. I'm skipping most of these; but when I do dip into them; I'm even more impressed by Williams's unusual ability to stick to a central idea and successfully separate out the interesting surrounding ideas (which need not muddy up the main text).I also appreciate his ability to steer clear of Western philosophy. He is presenting the history; central texts and teachings; and disputes of the Mahayana with well-focused discipline. He does this with clarity; occasional stunning insights; and sometimes even a touch of humor! (I especially like it when he refers to "old and basic" ideas of Buddhism; he seems to have a particularly good sense of his audience for this book.)It's very nice to get a sense of how certain issues were divisive (or not) without being lost in excessive detail about each and every school's (or lineage's) take on the matter. That is not to say Williams is treating the subject superficially but rather another indication of his clear focus.Don't consider this book if you know very little about Buddhism at present. But if you are well-grounded in the teachings and have some idea of the "place" of Mahayana; and you want to experience an academic approach to the subject; this book will not disappoint you.P.S. I'm reading (more than halfway through) the new second edition.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Nice reference bookBy Chris BI would recommend this book mainly to practitioners who already have an understanding of Buddhism. However; if you have practiced for a while and you are looking for a book that explains and summarizes different aspects and traditions within Mahayana; this might be for you. Specifically this book addresses (divided into wisdom / compassion):Prajnaparamita SutrasMadhyamakaCittamatraBuddha-natureHua-yen (Flower Garland tradition)Lotus SutraBodies of Buddhas and path of the bodhisattvasFaith and devotionMost of the segments are about 10 to 30 pages long: long enough to give me a sense where to direct my studies or search when I am attempting to expand on a teaching. It is not necessarily an easy read; but worthwhile.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. I would recommend this book for all those who are willing to ...By FranciscoI would recommend this book for all those who are willing to have a deep knowledge about Buddhism. After reading many books about meditation; and comments about sutras by people like D.Lama and T.Deshimaru; M. Ricard; J Kornfied I thought that it was mandatory to look for the history that was behind those texts that many buddhism's writers talk about. This book was the right answer for my inquietud.
