The Root of All Evil is not bedside reading. It will provoke every one of its readers and will infuriate many of them. It takes on patriarchal societies, governments, and religions, documenting the malevolence of prejudice and gender imbalance from the Hindu caste system to the excesses of the Taliban. However, the book ends on a hopeful note, allowing the authors to tell their stories, accounts of how they transcended their cultural conditioning to bring love, harmony, and egalitarianism into their corners of this tattered, male-dominated, world. Stanley Krippner, PhD, co-editor, The Psychological Effects of War Trauma on Civilians: An International Perspective.

Perfect timing for a book that carries us to the realm of heart, while exposing the root causes that separate us, as one human family. This highly informative text is masterfully blended between feminine perspective and cultural prejudice; patriarchy and politics; faith and fundamentalism; spirituality and science. The uniqueness of the book is manifested through its epilogue which offers a forum to the authors of diverse cultures and faiths to honestly reflect on their personal selves and upbringings that shaped their world views. Their agreement to disagree with each other on critical issues of concern has added a fascinating and healing dimension. Sharmin Ahmad (Reepi), Author: The Rainbow in a Heart, Consultant: Peace Education, and Interfaith Dialogue.

The Root of All Evil is a profound exploration of how the repression of the feminine has caused great imbalances in our world. In most ancient cultures there was equal veneration for the masculine and feminine principles. This manifested as a deep respect for nature as well as for the nurturing and caring qualities inherent in the human psyche. The balance of the masculine and feminine, of the yin and yang or shiva and shakti energies, is essential for the health and wellbeing of the planet, the human community and for the entire chain of life. The slow erosion of this balance is artfully portrayed in the Root of All Evil. This decline accompanied the development of the patriarchal religious traditions, which established the social and religious structures that we still see today. It is these very structures that must now evolve to embrace what they have long suppressed.

Few contemporary narratives have showcased with such clarity the conscious denial of the feminine over the course of time, and portrayed how urgent is the need to rediscover, draw out and strengthen the feminine in our world today. As we seek to address the critical problems facing the world community, a key factor will be our ability to reclaim the feminine energies that have long been repressed. As the authors of this important book have shown, this feminine power, present in both men and women, is essential for helping us progress toward a more balanced, loving and compassionate world community. Dena Merriam, Founder and Convener The Global Peace Initiative of Women.