Systems of Peace

Since it was published in 1987, Riane Eisler’s groundbreaking international bestseller The Chalice And The Blade has launched a full frontal challenge to the conventional story of our cultural origins - and has given us a brand new way to think about our ancient past, our present and how we shape our future. It upended the major religions we take for granted, the idea of eternal patriarchy and eternal war, and brought into focus the historical events that turned our human cultures from peaceful partnership systems that held women in respectful regard - to that of brutal, exploitative dominator cultures that venerate men and violence.

More than 30 years hence, Riane reflects on the impact of Chalice, which is often compared to that of Darwin’s Origin of Species - and her body of work that followed - works like The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics; the award-winning Tomorrow's Children and her latest work Nurturing Our Humanity: How Domination and Partnership Shape Our Brains, Lives & Future. 

A celebrated cultural historian and evolutionary theorist, as well as founder of Center for Partnership Studies, Riane’s research has influenced fields including history, philosophy, economics, psychology, sociology, education, human rights, social and political science, and healthcare. Now in her 90s, Riane is still honing her super-power: synthesizing wildly disparate disciplines and weaving them all into a cohesive worldview full of hope and useful instructions for a better future.