Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years : Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times | 
|  | | | Title: | Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years : Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times | | Author: | Elizabeth Wayland Barber | | Publisher: | W. W. Norton & Company | | Type: | Book / Paperback | | Publication Date: | September, 1995 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0393313484 / 9780393313482 | | List Price: | $18.95 | | You Save: | $6.06 | | Amazon Price: | $12.89 | |
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Product Description
New discoveries about the textile arts reveal women's unexpectedly influential role in ancient societies. Barber "weaves the strands of mythology and literature, archaeology, ethnology, and documented history into a rich tapestry" says John Noble Wilford, New York Times Book Review. Photos and drawings. Author lectures.
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Customer Reviews:
• Excellent 13 March, 2004
Interesting history of some parts of women's work. I enjoyed it very much. Whether you are interested in fabric or not, I think you'll enjoy this book. It is scholarly but still a good read that keeps your interest.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A34LFRRQP1I6A4
• One Of The Best Books I've Ever Read 25 August, 2005
Anyone interested in so-called gender studies, textiles, prehistory, or just in regular people ought to read this book. The authoress, in incredibly simple language (she can't REALLY be an academic, can she?), tells the story of women and the textile work that has (pre-) historically been theirs. Bringing the insight that only a practicing weaver or spinner could have to the dusty world of archeology, she sweeps the reader into the homes of real people. Lots of metaphors, but honestly, it's that kind of book: rich. I only wish I could read it again for the first time.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AJSPPR99F3ZBF
• A Textile Lover's Delight, And Great For History Buffs As Well. 21 June, 2006
I bought this book on the recomendation of my spinning instructor. I was expecting the documentation of early spinning and weaving techniques, and the discussion of preserved textiles. I wasnt expecting to be inspired to go out and buy a copy of the Iliad and the Odyssey to read about the textile and history references that she brings up! I had no idea that Greek mythologies mention items of clothing that have been found in the area and dated to pre-Greco times....and were stil identifiable items of clothing in the last century.
Basically this book is a textile and history junkies best fix.
If you are a re-creationist,(such as the SCA) or particpating in Lving History demonstrations, you will definately want this book for its discussions of documented cloth finds,
If you like this book, you may also enjoy reading "Salt, a World History" as they mention several of the same places, and historical finds.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A28PWZA7ENH43X
• Fascinating Story, Gifted Storyteller 19 December, 2007
I ran across this book almost by accident. I was feeling rather glum one day, and I asked my wife to recommend a book for me - something that was out of the ordinary and would cheer me up. She recommended "Women's Work". I was a little skeptical that it would appeal to a techie guy like myself, but soon I was absorbed in Elizabeth Wayland Barber's storytelling.
"Women's Work" tells the story of textiles in human history. In nearly every society, spinning, weaving, and sewing have been done almost exclusively by women, so the history of textiles is also a history of women's work - or one important part of it. That's still reflected in our language, for example, when we refer to the "distaff side" - a distaff being a stick used to hold fiber for spinning.
Wayland Barber tells her story with with wit and clarity. And more than that, she tells the story of the story - that is, she traces not only what we know about textiles in ancient times, but describes how we know it. So, this is not only a fine history, but it's a fine, readable treatise on historiography as well.
I can warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in textiles, or women's history, or how history is written, or who has the blues and just wants to read a darn good book.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AJNN9JCIQUEPE
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