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Faraones: Un análisis histórico y antropológico del poder absoluto en el antiguo Egipto
Written in the tradition of historians like Mary Beard and Stacy Schiff who find modern lessons in ancient history, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today.
In a new era when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, best-selling author Kara Cooney turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs--Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa--to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future.
As the first centralized political power on earth, the pharaohs and their process of divine kingship can tell us a lot about the world's politics, past and present. Every animal-headed god, every monumental temple, every pyramid, every tomb, offers extraordinary insight into a culture that combined deeply held religious beliefs with uniquely human schemes to justify a system in which one ruled over many.
From Khufu, the man who built the Great Pyramid at Giza as testament to his authoritarian reign, and Taharqa, the last true pharaoh who worked to make Egypt great again, we discover a clear lens into understanding how power was earned, controlled, and manipulated in ancient times. And in mining the past, Cooney uncovers the reason why societies have so willingly chosen a dictator over democracy, time and time again.
In a new era when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, best-selling author Kara Cooney turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs--Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa--to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future.
As the first centralized political power on earth, the pharaohs and their process of divine kingship can tell us a lot about the world's politics, past and present. Every animal-headed god, every monumental temple, every pyramid, every tomb, offers extraordinary insight into a culture that combined deeply held religious beliefs with uniquely human schemes to justify a system in which one ruled over many.
From Khufu, the man who built the Great Pyramid at Giza as testament to his authoritarian reign, and Taharqa, the last true pharaoh who worked to make Egypt great again, we discover a clear lens into understanding how power was earned, controlled, and manipulated in ancient times. And in mining the past, Cooney uncovers the reason why societies have so willingly chosen a dictator over democracy, time and time again.
368 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2021
71 people are currently reading
3393 people want to read
About the author
Kara Cooney
8 books481 followersDr. Kathlyn M. Cooney, aka Dr. Kara Cooney, is an Egyptologist and Assistant Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA. She was awarded a PhD in 2002 by Johns Hopkins University for Near Eastern Studies. She was part of an archaeological team excavating at the artisans' village of Deir el Medina in Egypt, as well as Dahshur and various tombs at Thebes.
In 2002 she was Kress Fellow at the National Gallery of Art and worked on the preparation of the Cairo Museum exhibition Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt. She was a member of the teaching staff at Stanford and Howard University. In 2005, she acted as fellow curator for Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Raised in Houston, she obtained her B.A. from the University of Texas.
She worked on two Discovery Channel documentary series: Out of Egypt, first aired in August 2009, and Egypt's Lost Queen, which also featured Dr. Zahi Hawass.
In 2002 she was Kress Fellow at the National Gallery of Art and worked on the preparation of the Cairo Museum exhibition Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt. She was a member of the teaching staff at Stanford and Howard University. In 2005, she acted as fellow curator for Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Raised in Houston, she obtained her B.A. from the University of Texas.
She worked on two Discovery Channel documentary series: Out of Egypt, first aired in August 2009, and Egypt's Lost Queen, which also featured Dr. Zahi Hawass.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
December 7, 2021
Skip the first and last chapter, if you bother with this at all. The first is a literal HOUR of soapboxing about American Conservatives and Trump which reads like Twitter without the character limit. Also Tumblr, with constant cries against the Patriarchy (there's only a positive take on female tyrants, of course).
The author also can't keep her pants on when talking about "sexy" maniacal Pharaohs, and is completely certain you share this fetish, commenting on how we all love the cruel, slaver Pharaoh from the Ten Commandments movie (seriously... what?). That undertone continues throughout the work, despite her claiming to be broken up with the concept.
If you're looking for dark, cringey humour, this might be the book for you, with a couple of the best lines being about the terrors of, _"the unwanted unborn are guaranteed birth,"_ and specifically that, "Evangelical and Catholic Christianity has been mobilized to *_fight for the lives of the unborn by focusing on the baby, claiming that only perverse people would happily rip the child, limb from limb,_* from the body of a mother who doesn’t understand her place of service to her impregnator. Her body must be sacrificed to serve society’s innocence."
As far as I can see, her only qualifications to comment on politics is watching CNN and being a psychopath, because this is parody-of-feminism bad. I didn't think any abortion advocate would be stupid or honest enough to openly advocate for "MOTHERS" to disenfranchise "babies/children", and "rip them limb from limb".... Then again, she openly admires villains who throw babies to crocodiles.
Summary: I was hoping for something akin to the Dictator's Handbook, with an actual academic analysis on the Pharaohs' systems of government compared to today, but what I got was LOADS of purple prose and thirst for the bad-boy, with constant virtue signalling in a desperate attempt to make a shallow history of Egypt "relevant" to the modern age. It was funny enough to keep listening to at a high speed, and served as a refresher of general Egyptian history. She even made an interesting point from time to time--but then was incapable of exploring it, resorting to some hair-brained comparison to the modern day.
For example, the book is specifically stated to be about opposing tyranny (unless it's a Matriarchy), so when she tried to bring up the Second Amendment at random as an opposition to an authoritarian state, she had to qualify this as wrong because they want to oppose the state with "actual weapons of war that compete with the national military power." ...Compete with NATIONAL military power?!? I didn't know people were stocking up on TANKS and MISSILES. Then again, if rebels were allowed to use real weapons against tyrannical "pharaohs"... her boyfriend might get hurt.
And on a final note, her grand conclusion on how to oppose the tyranny of modern pharaohs is... "It's working itself out, no need to do anything," stretched over an hour.
The author also can't keep her pants on when talking about "sexy" maniacal Pharaohs, and is completely certain you share this fetish, commenting on how we all love the cruel, slaver Pharaoh from the Ten Commandments movie (seriously... what?). That undertone continues throughout the work, despite her claiming to be broken up with the concept.
If you're looking for dark, cringey humour, this might be the book for you, with a couple of the best lines being about the terrors of, _"the unwanted unborn are guaranteed birth,"_ and specifically that, "Evangelical and Catholic Christianity has been mobilized to *_fight for the lives of the unborn by focusing on the baby, claiming that only perverse people would happily rip the child, limb from limb,_* from the body of a mother who doesn’t understand her place of service to her impregnator. Her body must be sacrificed to serve society’s innocence."
As far as I can see, her only qualifications to comment on politics is watching CNN and being a psychopath, because this is parody-of-feminism bad. I didn't think any abortion advocate would be stupid or honest enough to openly advocate for "MOTHERS" to disenfranchise "babies/children", and "rip them limb from limb".... Then again, she openly admires villains who throw babies to crocodiles.
Summary: I was hoping for something akin to the Dictator's Handbook, with an actual academic analysis on the Pharaohs' systems of government compared to today, but what I got was LOADS of purple prose and thirst for the bad-boy, with constant virtue signalling in a desperate attempt to make a shallow history of Egypt "relevant" to the modern age. It was funny enough to keep listening to at a high speed, and served as a refresher of general Egyptian history. She even made an interesting point from time to time--but then was incapable of exploring it, resorting to some hair-brained comparison to the modern day.
For example, the book is specifically stated to be about opposing tyranny (unless it's a Matriarchy), so when she tried to bring up the Second Amendment at random as an opposition to an authoritarian state, she had to qualify this as wrong because they want to oppose the state with "actual weapons of war that compete with the national military power." ...Compete with NATIONAL military power?!? I didn't know people were stocking up on TANKS and MISSILES. Then again, if rebels were allowed to use real weapons against tyrannical "pharaohs"... her boyfriend might get hurt.
And on a final note, her grand conclusion on how to oppose the tyranny of modern pharaohs is... "It's working itself out, no need to do anything," stretched over an hour.
December 5, 2021
FALSE ADVERTISING. Like me, you probably saw the cover and thought, "Ooh! Cool Egyptian history stuff!" Then you read the blurb and it seemed to confirm your interest, so you bought the book...and then, reading the first chapter, you realized you'd been had.
Hate to break it to you, but this is little more than a hyper-feminist screed against the "systemic patriarchy" and all that victimhood nonsense. If you're into that kinda thing, by all means read this book and confirm your beliefs. You just wanted to explore some good history, you'll get a heavy dose of brow-beating. Good luck.
Hate to break it to you, but this is little more than a hyper-feminist screed against the "systemic patriarchy" and all that victimhood nonsense. If you're into that kinda thing, by all means read this book and confirm your beliefs. You just wanted to explore some good history, you'll get a heavy dose of brow-beating. Good luck.
January 6, 2022
If the author cannot get the most basic of facts right regarding a major, nationally televised event, what else does she get wrong?
"...consider Kyle Rittenhouse, who used his semiautomatic weapon to kill two Black men in Kenosha, Wisconsin while waging a glorious war on behalf of his inherited White power."
I'm sorry, I recall him killing two white men, who were these black men that have somehow missed national coverage?
"...consider Kyle Rittenhouse, who used his semiautomatic weapon to kill two Black men in Kenosha, Wisconsin while waging a glorious war on behalf of his inherited White power."
I'm sorry, I recall him killing two white men, who were these black men that have somehow missed national coverage?
January 5, 2022
Still trying to lie on Kyle Rittenhouse.. she claims he killed two "Black men." Good grief, a little glance at an unbiased website could have fixed that glaring error! Instead she "stands by" this slander. If this one thing is so poorly researched, can you trust the rest? Nope.
December 19, 2021
This is NOT “in the tradition of historians like Mary Beard.” Not even close!
Given Cooney’s second-most-recent previous book was ultimately about claims that Hatshepsut was really a king, the basic premise of this book smacks as “hypocrisy alert.”
What changed since she wrote it? Donald J. Trump. Nothing else.
With that, I need to “identify” politically myself. I’m a non-Democrat actual leftist of some sort, so review readers understand it’s not just Trump Train riders who think this book is dreck AND that, up front, they know that it’s dreck because of factual errors, not just politics. And, I’ve got the receipts below.
Most of her parallels from ancient Egypt to today are thin and stretched and smack of modern political revisionism. I often laugh at Trump Trainers and other conservatives attacking books; in this case, they have every right to do so. I don’t reject all “wokeness,” but I do reject wrongful wokeness, and it abounds in this book.
As for that Hatshepsut book and Cooney's rants about the "patriarchy"? Nowhere in this book, not even in the epilogue, does she apologize for "patriarchializing" Hatshepsut, or for, presumingly willingly, letting herself be co-opted by the patriarchy in so doing.
Plus, the errors? Or conjectures even more extreme than in her Hatshepsut book?
First, I’d never heard that Rameses II was Hyksos. (Speaking of, as an Egyptologist, why does she use the older spelling Ramses, rather than Rameses or Ramesses? Also, why does she still use BC and AD?)
Second, no, Akhenaten did not influence Yahwism, which arose from Midian in today’s northwest Saudi Arabia, in all likelihood, and did not move from henotheism to monotheism, in all likelihood, until after the end of the Exile.
Third, not all Roman Imperial history was bloody. With the exception of Gaius (still, 4 years), 68 CE, Domitian (still 15 years) and Commodus (still 12 years) and thereafter, Rome’s imperium was relatively tranquil until the Crisis of the Third Century. After Diocletian stabilized it, it was relatively quiescent until battles over Christianity. When Constantine then triumphed, it was quiescent again, for the most part, for the rest of the century. And, most of the murders of previous emperors were by the Praetorians or else by provincial generals; they were NOT by city of Rome Senatorial elites, so, she’s wrong there, too.
And, while we’re here, Augustus was Julius’ grandnephew, not nephew, and that whole sentence was so confusing I first thought she meant Julius.
Fourth, you can’t claim that Rameses was the first pharaoh to thrust his kids into the spotlight when you’ve already talked about an image of Akhenaten kissing his daughter. That's not the only inconsistency.
Fifth, re the bad parallels? The post-Civil War South didn’t have to look to ancient Egypt for obelisks, since the Washington Monument work had started before the Civil War. Towns like Memphis, Tennessee and Cairo, Illinois, predated the war, too. She cites Taharqa's "surgical strikes" but won't admit that at least part of Ramses' warfare might have been the same. An academic inconsistency is using both "Hebrew Bible" and "Hebrew Old Testament"; in reality, no such critter exists.
Six? The Torah offers no name for the pharaoh of the Exodus. Purely conjecture that is was Rameses. (Reality is there was no “Exodus.”)
Seven? Mao did NOT start China’s one-child policy, it was Deng. And, it was for population control concerns, not to “break” old elite families.
Given that my four-starring of the Hatshepsut book was a bit of a gentleman’s four-star, even though this book has some actually informative items in it, I couldn’t give it three, and my two-star rating may itself be gentlemanly. And, I ultimately decided to drop to one.
Finally, it’s time for one of those comments. I won’t read any other books of hers, and “anti-recommend” her in general.
So, why WON'T she apologize for being part of the partriarchy, for being willingly co-opted, etc.? Why WON'T Cooney quit teaching Egyptology if this is that serious? Maybe she likes the "patriarchy" of capitalism and a tenured university professorship?
Given Cooney’s second-most-recent previous book was ultimately about claims that Hatshepsut was really a king, the basic premise of this book smacks as “hypocrisy alert.”
What changed since she wrote it? Donald J. Trump. Nothing else.
With that, I need to “identify” politically myself. I’m a non-Democrat actual leftist of some sort, so review readers understand it’s not just Trump Train riders who think this book is dreck AND that, up front, they know that it’s dreck because of factual errors, not just politics. And, I’ve got the receipts below.
Most of her parallels from ancient Egypt to today are thin and stretched and smack of modern political revisionism. I often laugh at Trump Trainers and other conservatives attacking books; in this case, they have every right to do so. I don’t reject all “wokeness,” but I do reject wrongful wokeness, and it abounds in this book.
As for that Hatshepsut book and Cooney's rants about the "patriarchy"? Nowhere in this book, not even in the epilogue, does she apologize for "patriarchializing" Hatshepsut, or for, presumingly willingly, letting herself be co-opted by the patriarchy in so doing.
Plus, the errors? Or conjectures even more extreme than in her Hatshepsut book?
First, I’d never heard that Rameses II was Hyksos. (Speaking of, as an Egyptologist, why does she use the older spelling Ramses, rather than Rameses or Ramesses? Also, why does she still use BC and AD?)
Second, no, Akhenaten did not influence Yahwism, which arose from Midian in today’s northwest Saudi Arabia, in all likelihood, and did not move from henotheism to monotheism, in all likelihood, until after the end of the Exile.
Third, not all Roman Imperial history was bloody. With the exception of Gaius (still, 4 years), 68 CE, Domitian (still 15 years) and Commodus (still 12 years) and thereafter, Rome’s imperium was relatively tranquil until the Crisis of the Third Century. After Diocletian stabilized it, it was relatively quiescent until battles over Christianity. When Constantine then triumphed, it was quiescent again, for the most part, for the rest of the century. And, most of the murders of previous emperors were by the Praetorians or else by provincial generals; they were NOT by city of Rome Senatorial elites, so, she’s wrong there, too.
And, while we’re here, Augustus was Julius’ grandnephew, not nephew, and that whole sentence was so confusing I first thought she meant Julius.
Fourth, you can’t claim that Rameses was the first pharaoh to thrust his kids into the spotlight when you’ve already talked about an image of Akhenaten kissing his daughter. That's not the only inconsistency.
Fifth, re the bad parallels? The post-Civil War South didn’t have to look to ancient Egypt for obelisks, since the Washington Monument work had started before the Civil War. Towns like Memphis, Tennessee and Cairo, Illinois, predated the war, too. She cites Taharqa's "surgical strikes" but won't admit that at least part of Ramses' warfare might have been the same. An academic inconsistency is using both "Hebrew Bible" and "Hebrew Old Testament"; in reality, no such critter exists.
Six? The Torah offers no name for the pharaoh of the Exodus. Purely conjecture that is was Rameses. (Reality is there was no “Exodus.”)
Seven? Mao did NOT start China’s one-child policy, it was Deng. And, it was for population control concerns, not to “break” old elite families.
Given that my four-starring of the Hatshepsut book was a bit of a gentleman’s four-star, even though this book has some actually informative items in it, I couldn’t give it three, and my two-star rating may itself be gentlemanly. And, I ultimately decided to drop to one.
Finally, it’s time for one of those comments. I won’t read any other books of hers, and “anti-recommend” her in general.
So, why WON'T she apologize for being part of the partriarchy, for being willingly co-opted, etc.? Why WON'T Cooney quit teaching Egyptology if this is that serious? Maybe she likes the "patriarchy" of capitalism and a tenured university professorship?
January 6, 2022
It’s rare for me not to finish a book on ancient Egypt but I just couldn’t take it anymore, though I hung in there until page 210.
I have read both of Cooney’s prior books. Liked Hatshepsut and tolerated When Women Ruled but I just can’t appreciate this book.
As before, there is a lot of speculation, a lot of favorite, repeated words (wish I had kept count on reified for one) that took me out of the narrative.
It seems as if she has such an axe to grind that I can’t see through the polemics to the Egyptology.
I appreciate reading various points of view on a subject. I read FoxNews and CNN in an effort to get both sides of a story so I don’t think I can be classed as a Never-Trumper or Trump lover but I can say that her flagrant hate of Trump is very off putting. I wanted a book on Egypt, not Trump. I also wonder why her hatred of Christianity must come into a book about Egypt.
In many ways her description of Akhenaten seemed to describe the author, with all of the paranoia and twisting of things to suit an agenda.
I highly doubt I’ll read another of her books. I certainly won’t be buying one.
I have read both of Cooney’s prior books. Liked Hatshepsut and tolerated When Women Ruled but I just can’t appreciate this book.
As before, there is a lot of speculation, a lot of favorite, repeated words (wish I had kept count on reified for one) that took me out of the narrative.
It seems as if she has such an axe to grind that I can’t see through the polemics to the Egyptology.
I appreciate reading various points of view on a subject. I read FoxNews and CNN in an effort to get both sides of a story so I don’t think I can be classed as a Never-Trumper or Trump lover but I can say that her flagrant hate of Trump is very off putting. I wanted a book on Egypt, not Trump. I also wonder why her hatred of Christianity must come into a book about Egypt.
In many ways her description of Akhenaten seemed to describe the author, with all of the paranoia and twisting of things to suit an agenda.
I highly doubt I’ll read another of her books. I certainly won’t be buying one.
January 6, 2022
What a heap of crap, the author is clearly suffering from TDS. This is not about neat Egyptian stuff and the author's claims are based on options and not facts. She even goes so far as to say Kyle Rittenhouse killed two black men. How did this even get published?
December 16, 2021
*Updated review*
From my experiences reading Cooney's other works, the history she writes is eminently readable and I would recommend her works to anyone who is interested in ancient history. - Still true -
I see other negative reviews on Goodreads and cringe at the puffed-up hostility on display. Kind of makes the point for her, no? In any case, her first and last chapters do tend to hammer home her own political feelings, and while they include very timely comparisons, they could have been edited down to a tighter preface and epilogue. She does a good enough job making those comparisons to modern authoritarians in her chapters about the kings themselves, no need to elaborate further.
From my experiences reading Cooney's other works, the history she writes is eminently readable and I would recommend her works to anyone who is interested in ancient history. - Still true -
I see other negative reviews on Goodreads and cringe at the puffed-up hostility on display. Kind of makes the point for her, no? In any case, her first and last chapters do tend to hammer home her own political feelings, and while they include very timely comparisons, they could have been edited down to a tighter preface and epilogue. She does a good enough job making those comparisons to modern authoritarians in her chapters about the kings themselves, no need to elaborate further.
January 6, 2022
A bunch of B.S.!
"... consider Kyle Rittenhouse, who used his semiautomatic weapon to kill two Black men in Kenosha, Wisconsin, while waging a glorious war on behalf of his inherited White power."
They were white!
"... consider Kyle Rittenhouse, who used his semiautomatic weapon to kill two Black men in Kenosha, Wisconsin, while waging a glorious war on behalf of his inherited White power."
They were white!
January 6, 2022
This woke white professor at UCLA plays the race card, thinking she's as Sharp as Al. May she be sued for libel for mentioning Rittenhouse shot black men. How is she a professor? A little fact-checking would help before publishing this piece of garbage. Instead, she probably stays glued to CNN and MSNBC triple masked and quadruple vaxxed. Nice try on the race hustle. It's people like you who remain the true rot to society. You're no Cleopatra, and this book is a work of fiction. Stay in Commiefornia Woke Comrade. Take the L.
January 6, 2022
This book contains blatantly false information... Public information that can be found in five minutes via an internet search.
Research doesn't seem to be the author's forte. Not good for someone who writes about history.
Research doesn't seem to be the author's forte. Not good for someone who writes about history.
December 10, 2021
This entire book focuses on gender roles, suppression and what that will lead to our destruction, oh and her fetishized fantasies of how she views the ancient pharaoh personality she claims is taking over the world currently *coughs* hypocrite
Tried to give a voice to feminism and undermine the patriarchy.
Romanticizing Egypt is showing appreciation to the art, the culture, the methods used and created by them.
No one anywhere is saying “yeah we need to go back to living how they did in Egypt where only men rule and women serve.”
Granted, some Middle Eastern countries still live like that, however, in the United States women do not.
Women in the US have the utmost power and privilege.
EVERYTHING, compared to the very limited ability they were given in Ancient Egypt.
She’s claims the “Egyptian narrative” which is put down, disrespected and belittled, is what we’re living today of authoritarian governing bodies.
Then she brings up climate change…? Correlating the drying up of the Nile to the icebergs melting? A river….versus every polar ice cap…..
I get what she was “attempting” to do, but she failed, stupendously.
The opinion of one historian in how claiming Egyptians abused power under a misogynist fist is today’s world is a very brave statement.
Was she there?
Back in Ancient Egypt?
Did she see this actually happening? All we know is word of mouth which we all know how wonderful and unmistakeable carrying words THOUSANDS of years to and from ears to mouth can all be transferred exactly how it was said?
Give me a break.
Were women so put down by the patriarchy, why were there female gods and goddesses?
Why are there handfuls of females, one being the center of all energy and life, Ma’at?
Would there be room for them?
Were the women only allowed certain practices while the men had more, better, closer relationships with these goddesses?
Were those gods and goddess of divine feminine seen as less then the male counterparts?
WE DON’T KNOW.
AND NEITHER DOES KARA COONEY.
Take this book with a grain of salt.
Cooney really does stretch and push HER narrative on something harmless like appreciating Egypt and it’s culture. Which if you didn’t catch on by this point is VERY different than today’s world
Capitalism is the culprit. Money is the motive. Men are the idiots allowing it, if not forced. Don’t attack a gender, attack human morals, attack human choices and question human rights. Climate change everyone’s fault, not just males.
Cooney, your take of the modern world is dripping with absurdity, biases, endless whining and irrelevant opinions. Fancy words doesn’t make for good literature, and neither does a personal agenda.
Tried to give a voice to feminism and undermine the patriarchy.
Romanticizing Egypt is showing appreciation to the art, the culture, the methods used and created by them.
No one anywhere is saying “yeah we need to go back to living how they did in Egypt where only men rule and women serve.”
Granted, some Middle Eastern countries still live like that, however, in the United States women do not.
Women in the US have the utmost power and privilege.
EVERYTHING, compared to the very limited ability they were given in Ancient Egypt.
She’s claims the “Egyptian narrative” which is put down, disrespected and belittled, is what we’re living today of authoritarian governing bodies.
Then she brings up climate change…? Correlating the drying up of the Nile to the icebergs melting? A river….versus every polar ice cap…..
I get what she was “attempting” to do, but she failed, stupendously.
The opinion of one historian in how claiming Egyptians abused power under a misogynist fist is today’s world is a very brave statement.
Was she there?
Back in Ancient Egypt?
Did she see this actually happening? All we know is word of mouth which we all know how wonderful and unmistakeable carrying words THOUSANDS of years to and from ears to mouth can all be transferred exactly how it was said?
Give me a break.
Were women so put down by the patriarchy, why were there female gods and goddesses?
Why are there handfuls of females, one being the center of all energy and life, Ma’at?
Would there be room for them?
Were the women only allowed certain practices while the men had more, better, closer relationships with these goddesses?
Were those gods and goddess of divine feminine seen as less then the male counterparts?
WE DON’T KNOW.
AND NEITHER DOES KARA COONEY.
Take this book with a grain of salt.
Cooney really does stretch and push HER narrative on something harmless like appreciating Egypt and it’s culture. Which if you didn’t catch on by this point is VERY different than today’s world
Capitalism is the culprit. Money is the motive. Men are the idiots allowing it, if not forced. Don’t attack a gender, attack human morals, attack human choices and question human rights. Climate change everyone’s fault, not just males.
Cooney, your take of the modern world is dripping with absurdity, biases, endless whining and irrelevant opinions. Fancy words doesn’t make for good literature, and neither does a personal agenda.
January 5, 2022
When venturing out to write a book, especially one that aims to tackle and portray factual/historical events, it is important to get said facts organized correctly.
The author erroneously claims that, Kyle Rittenhouse "used a semiautomatic rifle to kill two black men in Kenosha".
Not only is that wholly inaccurate and laughably written, it is unacceptable for someone that holds as prestigious a rank within National Geographic to espouse such fallacy.
And to have not apologized for this shortcoming is equally as deplorable.
There are a plethora of other grammatical errors within this "book" also.
1/5
The author erroneously claims that, Kyle Rittenhouse "used a semiautomatic rifle to kill two black men in Kenosha".
Not only is that wholly inaccurate and laughably written, it is unacceptable for someone that holds as prestigious a rank within National Geographic to espouse such fallacy.
And to have not apologized for this shortcoming is equally as deplorable.
There are a plethora of other grammatical errors within this "book" also.
1/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2021
The Good Kings examines the rule of five Egyptian pharaohs- Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa- to understand what made their rule so absolute and memorable today. In addition, Egyptologist Kara Cooney compares these Egyptian rulers to our world leaders today to see how our obsession with these ancient pharaohs has led to the rise of the modern politician. As Kara states:
This book presents an analysis of how we make ourselves easy marks for the next charismatic authoritarian to come along. It's high time we see how fetishism of ancient cultures is used to prop up modern power grabs.
Cooney accomplishes this through a careful reframing of how we look at these pharaohs and the monuments that they left behind. Reading about these rulers in harsher terms is enlightening and different. Usually, I read about these rulers being put up on a pedestal, literally. Most of these rulers' actions, however, were precise moves done for power, authority and absolute rule making sure that their family stayed on top.
It was very interesting to see how Khufu built the Great Pyramid, the only wonder of the ancient world still standing. The technology used to build the pyramid was advanced and the view is amazing. How exactly Khufu's engineers accomplished building the Great Pyramid is a secret taken to the grave. Khufu's reign was most likely one of a tyrant, with little respect for the people of Egypt. The fact that he built such a large temple to himself shows an insecurity in his rule and created himself as a god to his people. Senwosret III created an image of himself as a tired leader while being a master strategist. Senwosret III churned out propaganda and took hold of Egypt's elite to establish supremacy only to have everything fall apart shortly after his rule was over. Akhenaten, who we might know better by his wife, Nefertiti used his rule to create a new political-religious agenda and threw Egypt into a series of destabilizing changes. The ideas seemed to create equality, but Akhenaten used them to control those who did not choose his way. Ramses the Great used his rule to create an image that most people still know today, a celebrity kingship. He publicized himself throughout Egypt during his long reign so that many people today still believe everything he told about himself. Taharqa wanted to unify Egypt, but used religious zeal showing his piety publicly. Taharqa used his religion to try to justify his actions and show that he was just and moral
The comparisons to some of today's leaders showed that while we have made great strides, we still have a long way to go in dismantling the patriarchy.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
This book presents an analysis of how we make ourselves easy marks for the next charismatic authoritarian to come along. It's high time we see how fetishism of ancient cultures is used to prop up modern power grabs.
Cooney accomplishes this through a careful reframing of how we look at these pharaohs and the monuments that they left behind. Reading about these rulers in harsher terms is enlightening and different. Usually, I read about these rulers being put up on a pedestal, literally. Most of these rulers' actions, however, were precise moves done for power, authority and absolute rule making sure that their family stayed on top.
It was very interesting to see how Khufu built the Great Pyramid, the only wonder of the ancient world still standing. The technology used to build the pyramid was advanced and the view is amazing. How exactly Khufu's engineers accomplished building the Great Pyramid is a secret taken to the grave. Khufu's reign was most likely one of a tyrant, with little respect for the people of Egypt. The fact that he built such a large temple to himself shows an insecurity in his rule and created himself as a god to his people. Senwosret III created an image of himself as a tired leader while being a master strategist. Senwosret III churned out propaganda and took hold of Egypt's elite to establish supremacy only to have everything fall apart shortly after his rule was over. Akhenaten, who we might know better by his wife, Nefertiti used his rule to create a new political-religious agenda and threw Egypt into a series of destabilizing changes. The ideas seemed to create equality, but Akhenaten used them to control those who did not choose his way. Ramses the Great used his rule to create an image that most people still know today, a celebrity kingship. He publicized himself throughout Egypt during his long reign so that many people today still believe everything he told about himself. Taharqa wanted to unify Egypt, but used religious zeal showing his piety publicly. Taharqa used his religion to try to justify his actions and show that he was just and moral
The comparisons to some of today's leaders showed that while we have made great strides, we still have a long way to go in dismantling the patriarchy.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
November 19, 2021
Dive into comparing Egypt’s history while paralleling today’s political landscape.
Many of us love the lure of Ancient Egypt, but why are we drawn to it? Is it the artifacts? The civilization? Or is it the absolute power of the Pharoah’s that actually draws us in? Join Kara Cooney, an Egyptologist herself, as she examines the rule of five Egyptian Pharaohs: Khufu, Senwosret III, Akhenaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa. Cooney goes onto to explain why we are drawn not only to these Pharaohs, but also to those in today’s society who exemplify power. She does this in such a way that she deconstructs their reign and brings them down to the human level whereas history often teaches us to refer to them almost as godly beings.
Needless to say, this was not what I anticipated when I picked it up. I thought it was going to be more based on describing their reigns rather than problems with a patriarchal society. Even so, it was an interesting read to get a different take and make me look at things differently, both in the past as well as present day.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Many of us love the lure of Ancient Egypt, but why are we drawn to it? Is it the artifacts? The civilization? Or is it the absolute power of the Pharoah’s that actually draws us in? Join Kara Cooney, an Egyptologist herself, as she examines the rule of five Egyptian Pharaohs: Khufu, Senwosret III, Akhenaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa. Cooney goes onto to explain why we are drawn not only to these Pharaohs, but also to those in today’s society who exemplify power. She does this in such a way that she deconstructs their reign and brings them down to the human level whereas history often teaches us to refer to them almost as godly beings.
Needless to say, this was not what I anticipated when I picked it up. I thought it was going to be more based on describing their reigns rather than problems with a patriarchal society. Even so, it was an interesting read to get a different take and make me look at things differently, both in the past as well as present day.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
November 9, 2021
I have long had a fascination with ancient times and Egypt in particular. There is something about this period in history that just pulls me in. In this new book Ms. Cooney dives into the lives of five great leaders during the reign of the Pharaohs. Often times, as my mother always told me, absolute power corrupts absolutely, but there are times when you get a ruler who truly wants what is best for his (or her) people.
This is a world so very different from the one we currently inhabit so be prepared to immerse yourself in the lives of beings who thought themselves to be gods. Just look at what they had built for their burial chambers – not exactly a small, discreet memorial stone, eh?
The stories are both mundane and fascinating as they were gods and men all at the same time. Ms. Cooney’s writing style is smooth and easy so that you do not feel as if you are deep in a history book but rather you are being told a story by someone who truly loves their subject matter.
This is the best kind of reading.
This is a world so very different from the one we currently inhabit so be prepared to immerse yourself in the lives of beings who thought themselves to be gods. Just look at what they had built for their burial chambers – not exactly a small, discreet memorial stone, eh?
The stories are both mundane and fascinating as they were gods and men all at the same time. Ms. Cooney’s writing style is smooth and easy so that you do not feel as if you are deep in a history book but rather you are being told a story by someone who truly loves their subject matter.
This is the best kind of reading.
January 7, 2022
The author makes multiple libel worthy statements and Nat Geo published it. If this isn't a mirror image of everything that is the political left, I don't know what is. This book is the left.
She said Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed “two Black men in Kenosha, Wisconsin,” which Cooney wrote occurred while Rittenhouse was “waging a glorious race war on behalf of his inherited White power.”
She also said Rosa Parks sat in the white section of bus, she did not. She refused to give up seat to a white passenger when the white section filled up. Again, rewriting history as fact.
Apparently having a PHD from Johnny Hopkins, does not mean you know what you're talking about; fake news.
She said Kyle Rittenhouse shot and killed “two Black men in Kenosha, Wisconsin,” which Cooney wrote occurred while Rittenhouse was “waging a glorious race war on behalf of his inherited White power.”
She also said Rosa Parks sat in the white section of bus, she did not. She refused to give up seat to a white passenger when the white section filled up. Again, rewriting history as fact.
Apparently having a PHD from Johnny Hopkins, does not mean you know what you're talking about; fake news.
January 5, 2022
Is this a joke?
November 24, 2021
Cooney's book is extremely well-written and timely. She explores 3 well-known pharaohs (Khufu, Akhenaten, and Ramses II) and two lesser known ones (Senwosret III and Taharq) and compares their authoritarian rule with the authoritarian and patriarchal practices of today. It is a scathing indictment of the status quo and the destructiveness of this thinking. And yet, it is overall a book of hopefulness in the long overdue coming of change. A small criticism is the overuse of such words as "reified" and "hegemony" which are both used dozens of times in the book. But her research and thoughtfulness are impeccable. Books such as this are enlightening and invaluable as our society struggles to overcome the anger and violence of the white patriarchy.
November 23, 2021
Eye opening and inspiring
Brilliantly researched and even more brilliantly argued that the magnificence and majesty of the “good kings” of ancient Egypt should be seen instead as evidence of brutal oppression and resource hoarding and self dealing by a patriarchal system of society and governance that was fundamentally weak and that repeatedly failed. The last chapter balances the otherwise depressing litany of repeated failures of the “good kings” described in the preceding chapters with a fresh perspective and evidence of lasting changes and the adoption of better, often ancient, models of society and governance.
Brilliantly researched and even more brilliantly argued that the magnificence and majesty of the “good kings” of ancient Egypt should be seen instead as evidence of brutal oppression and resource hoarding and self dealing by a patriarchal system of society and governance that was fundamentally weak and that repeatedly failed. The last chapter balances the otherwise depressing litany of repeated failures of the “good kings” described in the preceding chapters with a fresh perspective and evidence of lasting changes and the adoption of better, often ancient, models of society and governance.
December 30, 2024
The author is a “recovering Egyptologist.” The first step necessary in solving a problem is to admit you have a problem and that you don’t need a higher power to solve it. The monsters that we’ve created is of our own making and it is the myth that we ourselves enable.
The monsters need our worship to exist. Patriarchy, absolutism, racism, vaccine denialism and nationalism don’t exist in vacuums. The author relates all those ideologies to the “Great” Egyptian Pharaohs.
Monotheism leads to an us verse them mentality and quickly enables a Shibboleth, the Pharaohs use the superstitious nonsense to control and create their preferred realities thus falsely empowering the people while really enslaving them to the will of oligarchies and false prophets.
Mary Beard (who is mentioned in the blurb on this book) mentioned in “SPQR” that she finally realized that Roman History is only justified because it was fun to study and that we really don’t know why Caesar Augustus did what he did and we just act like we do. Edward Said in “Orientalism” showed how everything most of the experts think they know about is crap and becomes nothing more than self-reinforcing subjective non-sense. Kara Cooney in this book knows the trap and warns the reader that our myth makers of history worship the monster-makers and they are at their best when they see the history through the lens that created them.
The modern world is not immune from the propaganda that enslaves us while pretending to empower us. Vaccine deniers are denying science as they search Qanon conspiracies on their Iphones. Patriarchy is threatened as women realize their inherent worth, LBGT humans no longer need deny their own identity because the self-appointed privileged class thinks theirs is the only identity, and thankfully, it is only a few Christian apologists who are only talking among themselves defending biblical slavery as reasonable. Nationalism needs hate of evil imaginary others to thrive and is entwined in evangelical certainty that becomes less certain as the internet quickly shows that evolution by natural selection is a damn good theory, and those biblical prophecies about a coming messiah don’t align with Jesus. A rump of people still ‘lay hands on to’ Trump, but they scare me for their idiocy, they worshipped the Pharoah in 1250 BC, today they worship Trump and the oligarchs.
Kara Cooney writes a book that connects the old to the modern and that only a ‘recovering Egyptologist’ would be capable of writing. History is the story we provide to the anecdotes of the past while creating a meta-narrative that we pretend must be true. There is no story about the story, just the stories we pretend to believe in. This book warns us of our present by connecting the past to today.
The monsters need our worship to exist. Patriarchy, absolutism, racism, vaccine denialism and nationalism don’t exist in vacuums. The author relates all those ideologies to the “Great” Egyptian Pharaohs.
Monotheism leads to an us verse them mentality and quickly enables a Shibboleth, the Pharaohs use the superstitious nonsense to control and create their preferred realities thus falsely empowering the people while really enslaving them to the will of oligarchies and false prophets.
Mary Beard (who is mentioned in the blurb on this book) mentioned in “SPQR” that she finally realized that Roman History is only justified because it was fun to study and that we really don’t know why Caesar Augustus did what he did and we just act like we do. Edward Said in “Orientalism” showed how everything most of the experts think they know about is crap and becomes nothing more than self-reinforcing subjective non-sense. Kara Cooney in this book knows the trap and warns the reader that our myth makers of history worship the monster-makers and they are at their best when they see the history through the lens that created them.
The modern world is not immune from the propaganda that enslaves us while pretending to empower us. Vaccine deniers are denying science as they search Qanon conspiracies on their Iphones. Patriarchy is threatened as women realize their inherent worth, LBGT humans no longer need deny their own identity because the self-appointed privileged class thinks theirs is the only identity, and thankfully, it is only a few Christian apologists who are only talking among themselves defending biblical slavery as reasonable. Nationalism needs hate of evil imaginary others to thrive and is entwined in evangelical certainty that becomes less certain as the internet quickly shows that evolution by natural selection is a damn good theory, and those biblical prophecies about a coming messiah don’t align with Jesus. A rump of people still ‘lay hands on to’ Trump, but they scare me for their idiocy, they worshipped the Pharoah in 1250 BC, today they worship Trump and the oligarchs.
Kara Cooney writes a book that connects the old to the modern and that only a ‘recovering Egyptologist’ would be capable of writing. History is the story we provide to the anecdotes of the past while creating a meta-narrative that we pretend must be true. There is no story about the story, just the stories we pretend to believe in. This book warns us of our present by connecting the past to today.
January 6, 2022
SO BAD.... honestly I don't recommend this book to anyone. This was my first read of 2022 and the first mistake of the year for me. I wanted to read it because I love Egyptian history and culture. But good lord. The heavy liberal political nature and inaccuracies of this book are ridiculous and sometimes sickening. The author uses straight up lies and false or misleading information to push the narrative she wanted to push and I think that is one of the most disgusting and unethical ways to write a book. I mean the first and last chapters are absolute garbage. I've never been so upset with a book in my life. Had high hopes I would learn more about Egyptian government/history/culture and how aspects of their systems influenced us today. Ended up with a book that made me want to puke that I now use for fire starter paper to light my grill. I have no idea how this author ended up as a writer for National Geographic but this seriously made me rethink how I view NG. And I have no idea how they were able to publish this the way it is.
January 6, 2022
It's an insult to compare this book to anything written by Mary Beard or Stacy Schiff. This writer makes a huge error in reporting the facts of the most publicized trials of the last year. Either she intentionally misrepresented this fact, or gets her facts on modern day America exclusively from MSNBC. Either way, no reason to trust her insights on ancient Egypt.
December 17, 2021
We’ve all been told that we study history to better understand today. The vast majority of histories rarely show how their subject relates to today, and the few who do, it is a small aside. Dr. Cooney has cast this truism aside, and written about ancient Egypt, and its power structures which we see today in our everyday life. Many will find this disquieting as many long-held beliefs are not merely cast aside, but shattered. That her conclusions are controversial goes without saying.
Do I fully agree with her? Mainly yes, but in a few areas, I feel she slightly missed the mark. For example, she shows how religion was used to maintain power for the rules and the elites. Very true (Marx had a point there), but what that was the result, many of the rules and elites also truly believed. That fact is even scarier than the charlatans.
She writes at length about the patriarchy. Its malevolence cannot be overstated. However, she gives too much credit to men in their support of the patriarchy. Mainly they are just following the ways they grew up with and are too dumb to see the results. This does not excuse them, just explains it a tad differently.
She also writes of regime collapses drawing especially on the Bronze Age Collapse. Again, while I agree with her, I think the collapse of the Roman Republic from the Gracchi to the civil wars might be a better guide to what is happening in America today.
I recommend this book highly and I will guarantee if you read it, you will dislike portions. Often we learn the most by plowing through what we dislike.
Do I fully agree with her? Mainly yes, but in a few areas, I feel she slightly missed the mark. For example, she shows how religion was used to maintain power for the rules and the elites. Very true (Marx had a point there), but what that was the result, many of the rules and elites also truly believed. That fact is even scarier than the charlatans.
She writes at length about the patriarchy. Its malevolence cannot be overstated. However, she gives too much credit to men in their support of the patriarchy. Mainly they are just following the ways they grew up with and are too dumb to see the results. This does not excuse them, just explains it a tad differently.
She also writes of regime collapses drawing especially on the Bronze Age Collapse. Again, while I agree with her, I think the collapse of the Roman Republic from the Gracchi to the civil wars might be a better guide to what is happening in America today.
I recommend this book highly and I will guarantee if you read it, you will dislike portions. Often we learn the most by plowing through what we dislike.
January 6, 2022
Just ignorant like anyone truly interested in history or anything this has to say would see the blind ignorance spewed by this butt demon that a sensible person couldn't even trust her word in her fields of expertise if you are dumb enough to take any of what she says as a grain of truth I applaud you for to stay so ignorant in times where we have a literal computer on us 24/7 is truly admirable and daring. But if you actually wanted history I wouldn't trust her perspective of it and just I don't think there's truly a word to describe some of the stupid statements she made they were just wow she's an actual professor just wow.
January 7, 2022
This entire book is the epitome of misinformation. She makes baseless claims without any evidence. She claims Kyle Rittenhouse shot two black men. This has been debunked numerous times. The two men who were shot are WHITE. The book barely talks about Ancient Egypt and mostly focuses on current American politics. The cover is misleading and fools readers into believing that this is a book about Ancient Egypt. Instead this book is a just an unorganized giant rant about how much the author hates America, Christianity, and men. She cites zero sources and backs her argument with her feelings. This is not a history book. It is a propaganda book.
November 16, 2021
This book is so hot off the presses it nearly singed my fingers.
What I thought would be another history of ancient Egypt, a topic I never tire of, is actually a political polemic on authoritarianism, from a feminist perspective. And I enjoyed it! Kara Cooney and I see eye-to-eye on much of the current miasma that is our present condition.
Read this book!
What I thought would be another history of ancient Egypt, a topic I never tire of, is actually a political polemic on authoritarianism, from a feminist perspective. And I enjoyed it! Kara Cooney and I see eye-to-eye on much of the current miasma that is our present condition.
Read this book!
November 29, 2021
Using the pharaohs to makes us see how the authoritarian system is still here ruining our society was just brilliant. It took me long than usual to finish because this is the kind of book you stop many times to think of what you just read. I highly recommend, even if you’re not into ancient Egypt. The core message of The Good Kings is too important and necessary.
Read
January 7, 2022Just an FYI that this book is full of factual errors, such as Kyle Rittenhouse killing two 'black men.' The men he shot in self defense were all white. If she cannot get a recent, easily verifiably, detail like that correct, I wouldn't trust much else.
January 6, 2022
Anyone who can't get recent history right, can't be trusted to keep her wokeness out of historical research
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