Feminism and feminist theory Books

Book Synopsis*#GIRLBOSS NETFLIX ORIGINAL OUT NOW*In this New York Times bestselling sensation, founder and Executive Chairman of Nasty Gal Sophia Amoruso shares her story and inspires women everywhere to join the #GIRLBOSS movement.''#GIRLBOSS is more than a book . . . #GIRLBOSS is a movement'' Lena Dunham''A millennial alternative to Lean In'' New York Magazine''A compellingly motivational read'' The Telegraph''The book you need in your life'' Marie Claire *Winner of the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Business Book*In the space of ten years, Sophia Amoruso has gone from high-school dropout to founder and Executive Chairman of Nasty Gal, one of the fastest-growing retailers in the world. Sophia''s never been a typical executive, or a typical anything, and she''s written #GIRLBOSS for other girls like her: outsiders (and insiders) seeking a unique path to success.Filled with brazen wake-up calls, cunning and frank observations, and behind-the-scenes stories from Nasty Gal''s meteoric rise, #GIRLBOSS covers a lot of ground. It proves that success doesn''t come from where you went to college or how popular you were in school. Success is about trusting your instincts and following your gut, knowing which rules to follow and which to break.Inspiring, motivating and empowering, #GIRLBOSS will give you the kick up the ass you need to reach your potential.Trade Review#GIRLBOSS is more than a book and Sophia Amoruso is more than a purveyor of (fine and fly) garments. #GIRLBOSS is a movement - a philosophy for making your work life as fun, fresh and raunchy as your personal adventures. Sophia encourages us to own the qualities we've previously been ashamed of (bossiness, crudeness, petty thievery) in order to become the masters of our own destiny, financially independent and radically ourselves. I'm so in -- Lena DunhamA great book about starting a business from scratch. I [love] her story of ambition and hard work! Check it out -- Reese WitherspoonThe Cinderella of tech * New York Times *Bold and honest... #Girlboss is a gift * Forbes *Starkly brilliant * Huffington Post *A millennial alternative to Lean In -- The Cut * New York Magazine *The book you need in your life ... a simultaneously funny, warm, inspiring and straight-talking guide on how to go about getting shit done * Marie Claire *A compellingly motivational read * The Telegraph *Deeply personal and filled with brazen, hilarious moments and cunning and frank observations, don't be surprised if you laugh out loud * SheerLuxe *Amoruso's voice is accessible and charmingly self-deprecating without losing the effortless cool that characterizes her clothes...Being anti-establishment is teh old cool. The new cool is playing by your own rules and still winning by their standards * New York Times Book Review *Part memoir, part management guide and part girl-power manifesto. A sort of Lean In for misfits, it offers young women a candid guide to starting a business and going after what they want * Washington Post *A power manifesto for strong, ambitious young women ... Amoruso teaches the innovative and entrepreneurial among us to play to our strengths, learn from our mistakes, and know when to break a few of the traditional rules * Vanity Fair *If you read one book with a hashtag for a title this year, make it #GIRLBOSS * TechCrunch *It's easy to get the sense, reading Lean In, that Sandberg is writing for women who've already made it. #GIRLBOSS is for those who haven't, which means it is aimed at people who have nothing to lose, which makes it a much riskier and more enjoyable manifesto * New York Magazine *Filled with great advice for all millennial women ready to take over the world * Cosmopolitan *Offers empowering but unapologetic mantras about taking control of your life, making the choices you want to make and knowing which rules to stick to - and which to break ... #GIRLBOSS [is] giving Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In a run for its money * Grazia *

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Book SynopsisFrom the self-described ''black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet'', these soaring, urgent essays on the power of women, poetry and anger are filled with darkness and light. Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

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Book SynopsisIn Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory Patricia Hill Collins offers a set of analytical tools for those wishing to develop intersectionality''s capability to theorize social inequality in ways that would facilitate social change. While intersectionality helps shed light on contemporary social issues, Collins notes that it has yet to reach its full potential as a critical social theory. She contends that for intersectionality to fully realize its power, its practitioners must critically reflect on its assumptions, epistemologies, and methods. She places intersectionality in dialog with several theoretical traditions—from the Frankfurt school to black feminist thought—to sharpen its definition and foreground its singular critical purchase, thereby providing a capacious interrogation into intersectionality''s potential to reshape the world.Trade Review“With remarkable brilliance and breadth, Patricia Hill Collins examines the theoretical dimensions of intersectionality in new ways and in dialogue with other influential social theories and resistant knowledges. Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory explains why critical social theory matters in the real world and how intersectionality can achieve its potential as a tool for social action needed to transform the world for the better. Once again, Patricia Hill Collins shines as a masterful scholar of critical inquiry, politics, and social change.” -- Dorothy Roberts, author of * Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty *“Anyone who claims the mantle of Black feminist theorist is standing in the house Patricia Hill Collins built. She is one of our most important intellectual architects. Here she continues to be at her very best, asking the thorny questions that those of us who are scholars and practitioners of intersectionality often avoid. Collins reminds us what it looks like to use ideas in service of freedom projects, demanding at every turn that we do it with integrity, rigor, and a critical attention to the high stakes nature of social justice work. This book resets our freedom compass, reminding us both of what our work is and for whom we do it.” -- Brittney Cooper, author of * Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower *"This remarkable monograph expresses the most important facets of the critical lens. . . [and] gives hope that collective social action has the potential to affect democratic change even under conditions of multiple oppressions." -- Anna Amelina & Jana Schäfer * Ethnic and Racial Studies *"Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals." -- I. Ken * Choice *“This book constitutes an extremely valuable resource for students, activists, and scholars who, while having already engaged with foundational texts on the topic, seek to deepen their understanding of intersectionality. Further, Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory also opens a door for those who wish to continue the intellectual journey of theorizing intersectionality that Collins eloquently embarks on. -- Miriam Yosef * KULT_online *“This book is more than a mere investigation of the theoretical of methodological aspects of intersectionality.... Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory is a book that cannot be missed by scholars, activists, and students of all disciplines.” -- C. Laura Lovin * Feminist Encounters *“Intersectionality as Critical SocialTheory is required reading for academics, activists and educators working across and between disciplines including feminist studies, philosophy, critical race theory, sociology, and education. Now more than ever, Professor Hill Collins is essential.” -- Adina Giannelli * Gender and Education *“Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory is a dense and exceedingly thoughtful book. Collins is careful and focused, asking hard questions about the nature of social theory and theorizing.” -- Rose M. Brewer * American Journal of Sociology *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Part I. Framing the Issues: Intersectionality and Critical Social Theory 1. Intersectionality as Critical Inquiry 21 2. What's Critical about Critical Social Theory? 54 Part II. How Power Matters: Intersectionality and Intellectual Resistance 3. Intersectionality and Resistant Knowledge Projects 87 4. Intersectionality and Epistemic Resistance 121 Part III. Theorizing Intersectionality: Social Action as a Way of Knowing 5. Intersectionality, Experience, and Community 157 6. Intersectionality and the Question of Freedom 189 Part IV. Sharpening Intersectionality's Critical Edge 7. Relationality within Intersectionality 225 8. Intersectionality without Social Justice? 253 Epilogue. Intersectionality and Social Change 286 Appendix 291 Notes 295 References 331 Notes 353

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Book SynopsisAdam Smith, the founder of modern economics, believed that our actions stem from self-interest and the world turns because of financial gain. But every night Adam Smith's mother served him his dinner, not out of self-interest but out of love.Today, economics focuses on self-interest and excludes our other motivations. It disregards the unpaid work of mothering, caring, cleaning and cooking and its influence has spread from the market to how we shop, think and date. In this engaging takedown of the economics that has failed us, Katrine Marçal journeys from Adam Smith's dinner table to the recent financial crisis and shows us how different, how much better, things could be.Trade Review[A] spirited and witty manifesto... In commanding rhetoric punctuated with spiky wit... Marçal does not seek to yoke every last aspect of our lives to the tyranny of Homo economicus. Rather, she asks why we have fetishised the myth, and suggests that man denuded of his humanity is not such a figure to aspire to after all -- Caroline Criado-Perez * New Statesman *Polemical and entertaining * Observer *Smart, funny and readable -- Margaret AtwoodA welcome addition to a canon dominated by men. With feminist incisiveness [Marçal] looks at the mess we're in. Witty and perceptive -- Vanessa Baird * New Internationalist *Economics through a wholly different prism - challenging and illuminating -- Will Hutton, author * Them and Us *Incisive and witty, Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner? seeks to restore a sense of humanity, empathy and care to our picture of economic and gender relations. Katrine Marçal's book is instructive, angry and funny: economic man has met his match -- Nina Power, author * One Dimensional Woman *[A] wise critique of current economics -- Lesley McDowell * Sunday Herald *Who cooked Adam Smith's dinner? His mother, of course. From this compelling insight, Katrine Marçal builds her critique of economic man, exposing him for the sham he really is. Erudite, furious, and eminently readable, this book will send a great many economists running for cover -- Philip Roscoe, author * I Spend Therefore I Am *Required reading for everyone on the left... buy it as a pledge to change the world -- Caroline Criado-Perez, author * Do It Like A Woman *Thought provoking -- Jessica Abrahams * Prospect *The book skewers "economic man" [...] with admirable wit and lightness of touch -- Nick Spencer * Tablet *

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Book SynopsisAntigone, the insurgent from Sophocles's Oedipus, has long been a feminist icon of defiance. This book redefines Antigone's legacy, recovering her significance and liberating it for a progressive feminism and sexual politics. It reconceptualizes the incest taboo in relation to kinship - and open up the concept of kinship to cultural change.Trade ReviewButler is interested in Antigone as a liminal figure between the family and the state, between life and death... but also as a figure, like all her kin, who represents the non-normative family, a set of kinship relations that seems to defy the standard model... one senses in Butler's interest... homage to those who have lived, or have tried to live, and to those who have died 'on the sexual margins.' -- Georgette Fleischer The Nation Antigone's Claim is a work of intricate and detailed analysis of enormously difficult material. Butler masterfully leads us to... a newfound theoretical activism within the political domain. -- Maria Cimitile Hypatia Brief but powerful and provocative nook. -- Shireen R. K. Patell, New York University Signs Thought-provoking and politically provocative... Bulter joins the great philosophical tradition which grapples with the ancient tragedy of Sophocles. -- Ido Geiger Hagar: Studies in Culture Polity IdentitiesTable of ContentsAntigone's Claim Unwritten Laws, Aberrant Transmissions Promiscuous Obedience

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Book Synopsis**By the presenter of the hit podcast EMPIRE**''Sophia is the sort of remarkable, almost unbelievable untold true story that every writer dreams of chancing upon. A wonderful debut, written with real spirit and gusto. Anita Anand has produced a winner'' William Dalrymple''A fascinating and elegantly written life of one of the unknown giants of women''s suffrage'' Katie Hickman, author of Daughters of BritanniaThe enthralling story of an extraordinary woman and her part in the defining moments of recent British Indian historyWinner of the Eastern Eye Alchemy Festival Award for LiteratureIn 1876 Sophia Duleep Singh was born into royalty. Her father, Maharajah Duleep Singh, was heir to the Kingdom of the Sikhs, a realm that stretched from the lush Kashmir Valley to the craggy foothills of the Khyber Pass and included the mighty cities of Lahore and Peshawar. It was a territory irresistible to the British, who plundered everything, inTrade ReviewSophia is the sort of remarkable, almost unbelievable untold true story that every writer dreams of chancing upon. A wonderful debut, written with real spirit and gusto. Anita Anand has produced a winner * William Dalrymple *Anita Anand’s gripping book is a sad story of dispossession and dislocation … The story is fast-paced and thrilling … A noble book **** * Daily Telegraph *A fascinating and elegantly written life of one of the unknown giants of women's suffrage * Katie Hickman, author of Daughters of Britannia *Vivid and compelling … Anand writes with the vigour and imaginative reach of a novelist. The many horrors of her enthralling narrative are lightened with judicious flashes of dry wit and a fine eye for detail … A gripping, emotionally powerful story * New Statesman *A groundbreaking work that at last tells the important story of Sophia Duleep Singh: unflinching princess-in-exile, doughty moderniser and tenacious suffragette. From the streets of India to the corridors of power, Sophia artfully examines the tensions between East and West; and one woman's choice between fighting for freedom and staying silent * Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire *Anita Anand has definitively restored to history one of the most important and charismatic figures in the suffragette movement. This thoroughly absorbing and deftly informative account instantly pulled me into the irresistible adventure and vitality of Sophia Duleep Singh’s defiant and innovative existence. Anand’s timely biography is a wonderful testament to Sophia’s lifetime of commitment to Indian independence and the advancement of women, and to the range and courage of her achievements * Rachel Holmes, author of Eleanor Marx *Anand is a strong, confident writer … A rollickingly enjoyable read: a comprehensively researched and zippy account of a profoundly unusual life * Evening Standard *Anand vividly paints the picture of a society girl turned revolutionary … With deftness and sensibility, Anand tells of the extraordinary contradictions at the heart of the relationship between the Queen and this family … Anand’s skill is to bring to life a character whose name does not figure in the annals of the suffragette movement * Observer *Sometimes you hear biographers complain that all the great figures have gone … In this book, her confident and compelling debut, the BBC journalist and presenter Anita Anand leaves that argument in shreds … Anand has triumphantly rescued Sophia from the pampered oblivion in which a fearful Raj sought to bury her. In doing so, she traces the excruciating double binds, emotional as much as political, that tied imperial Britain to the jewel in its crown * Boyd Tonkin, Independent Book of the Week *Anand in her latest book uncovers not just an intriguing female life, but also an important perspective on British-Indian colonial history … Fresh and well written … What a story, and what a successful telling of it * The Times *Sophia is so well researched that this is likely to remain a definitive account … Anand’s passion shines * Daily Express *Real entertainment. Shannon has continued to build on this imagined world with intricacy, and Paige’s voice comes through to deliver a suspenseful story * Washington Post *Fascinating biography-cum-history of a singular life * Independent *A terrifically absorbing read * Mslexia *Sophia and her family cannot be understood without understanding the context of developments in the British Empire in this period. Giving details on the development of Sikh traditions, revolutionary ferment in the Indian subcontinent, the British suffrage movement, the First World War, and the partition of India and Pakistan, Anand presents a comprehensive and valuable historical biography. Anand has gone into key archives at Windsor, the Museum of London and elsewhere to uncover the official records and surviving correspondence about Sophia, enriched by photographs and her own interviews. This is a necessary biography, drawing attention to the broader facets of the British suffragette movement and the depth of connections between the Indian subcontinent and Britain in the Victorian and Edwardian eras * The Times *Anita Anand’s Sophia: Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary unearths the extraordinary story of a forgotten British-Indian suffragette who went from Queen Victoria’s goddaughter to militant activist * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''A real hero looks like Nice Leng''ete . . . [An] elegant and inspiring memoir'' New York Times Nice Leng`ete was raised in a Maasai village in Kenya. In 1998, when Nice was six, her parents fell sick and died, and Nice and her sister Soila were taken in by their father''s brother, who had little interest in the girls beyond what their dowries might fetch. Fearing the cut (female genital mutilation, a painful and sometimes deadly ritualistic surgery), which was the fate of all Maasai women, Nice and Soila climbed a tree to hide.Nice hoped to find a way to avoid the cut forever, but Soila understood it would be impossible. But maybe if one of the sisters submitted, the other would be spared. After Soila chose to undergo the surgery, sacrificing herself to save Nice, their lives diverged. Soila married, dropped out of school, and had children -- all in her teenage years -- while Nice postponed receiving the cut, continued her education, and became the fiTrade ReviewA real hero looks like Nice Leng'ete, the Kenyan anti-female-genital-mutilation activist whose response to her childhood was to improve the experience for others . . . [An] elegant and inspiring memoir -- Sonia Faleiro * New York Times *An incredibly powerful story that offers real hope for the future * Kirkus *

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Book Synopsis"Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women, there remains to civic-minded, responsible, thrill-seeking females only to overthrow the government, eliminate the money system, institute complete automation and destroy the male sex."Outrageous and violent, SCUM Manifesto was widely lambasted when it first appeared in 1968. Valerie Solanas, the woman who shot Andy Warhol, self-published the book just before she became a notorious household name and was confined to a mental institution. But for all its vitriol, it is impossible to dismiss as the mere rantings of a lesbian lunatic. In fact, the work has proved prescient, not only as a radical feminist analysis light years ahead of its time-predicting artificial insemination, ATMs, a feminist uprising against underrepresentation in the arts-but also as a stunning testament to the rage of an abused and destitute woman.In this edition, philosopher Avital Ronell's introduction reconsiders the evocative exuberance of this infamous text.Trade ReviewThe SCUM Manifesto is a document of profound vulnerability, written in a voice of profound empowerment. It's a brutal call to arms, written by a woman in a world of hurt. This tension between powerlessness and power makes it an enduring piece of writing. Never have the personal and the political been so mercilessly zipped together, like little steel teeth. -- Claire Dederer * Nation *Solanas is as relevant today as she was in the 1960s, because nothing much has changed for women. -- Julie Bindel * Spectator *You either happen to think this is a work of unadulterated genius, or you dismiss it as the ravings of a loony psycho-bitch, not understanding that this is exactly what makes it so compelling and so charged with insight. -- Suzanne Moore * New Statesman *Valerie Solanas wrote a very angry and very precise portrait of what she considered the male to be: something between a human and an ape; an unresponsive blob only concerned with physical sensation and without the capacity for empathy or self-knowledge or intimacy, and at the same time full of hatred and jealously and shame and guilt. Her description is beautiful and on some level, I think, entirely accurate. -- Nick CaveIts nihilism is a form of utopia for Solanas, a pre-punk aesthete who fearlessly tossed out ideas that people are just now beginning to raise . As a mixture of social philosophy and fine shtick, her work has the rare virtue of seeming at the same time totally insane and totally right. * Los Angeles Times *As Solanas reminds us, revolutionary ideas don't emerge quietly from the elite stratum of a society; they often bloom from its scum. * Dissent *Articulate, angry and funny. * Guardian *Gleefully incoherent, crackling with energy. * Bookslut *

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller from the author of the bestselling book everyone is talking about, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k.How to stop worrying about what you should do, so you can finish what you need to do and start doing what you want to do.Ever find yourself snowed under at the office - or even just glued to the sofa - when you really want to get out (for once), get to the gym (at last), and get started on that daunting dream project you''re always putting off? Or if you are confined to barracks and that''s driving you nuts, then it''s time to get your sh*t together. In The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k, ''anti-guru'' Sarah Knight introduced the joys of mental decluttering. Get Your Sh*t Together takes you one stop further - organizing the f*cks you want and need to give to help you quit your day job and move abroad, balance

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Book SynopsisAccording to the Bible, Eve was the first to heed Satan''s advice to eat the forbidden fruit and thus responsible for all of humanity''s subsequent miseries. The notion of woman as the Devil''s accomplice is prominent throughout Christian history and has been used to legitimize the subordination of wives and daughters. In the nineteenth century, rebellious females performed counter-readings of this misogynist tradition. Lucifer was reconceptualized as a feminist liberator of womankind, and Eve became a heroine. In these reimaginings, Satan is an ally in the struggle against a tyrannical patriarchy supported by God the Father and his male priests. Per Faxneld shows how this Satanic feminism was expressed in a wide variety of nineteenth-century literary texts, autobiographies, pamphlets, newspaper articles, paintings, sculptures, and even artifacts of consumer culture like jewelry. He details how colorful figures like the suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton, gender-bending Theosophist H. P. Blavatsky, author Aino Kallas, actress Sarah Bernhardt, anti-clerical witch enthusiast Matilda Joslyn Gage, decadent marchioness Luisa Casati, and the Luciferian lesbian poetess Renée Vivien embraced these reimaginings. By exploring the connections between esotericism, literature, art and the political realm, Satanic Feminism sheds new light on neglected aspects of the intellectual history of feminism, Satanism, and revisionary mythmaking.Trade ReviewFaxneld's book is essential reading for anyone interested in biblical reception, the history of Christianity, Western esotericism, literature, the history of feminism, and history of art. It is also highly recommended for contemporary satanists, witches, and pagans—and those who want to understand them—as a clear exposition of the history of Satan that consequently sheds light on his relationship to these new religious movements. * Caroline Tully, Reading Religion *... the assemblage here is as provocative for scholarship as the original voices were to their cultures. Consider, for instance, Faxneld's observation that The Woman's Bible was "a project on which several female Theosophists were among the collaborators." This alone should motivate multiple future studies. Anyone interested in the history of feminist thought (and its villainization) should read this book. * Spencer Dew, Denison University / The Ohio State University, Religious Studies Review *an authoritative, wide-ranging analysis of a discourse long considered too outlandish to merit much scholarly attention. Bridging literary and religious studies, it reclaims legions of fascinating she-devils to argue persuasively for Satanic feminism as a daring and culturally significant rewriting of Christian myth. * Dawn Coleman, History of Religions *Satanic Feminism is strongly recommended to all those interested in understanding the crucial role of Satan in theWestern cultural imagination. ... The author does not restrict himself to a specific focus on Satanism, but interconnects several fields of study, including Western esoteric studies. ... Faxneld's volume goes far beyond prior works on the history of intellectual Satanism. * Michele Olzi, Aries *Table of ContentsI: Introduction II: Woman and the Devil: Some Recurring Motifs III: Romantic and Socialist Satanism IV: Theosophical Luciferianism and Feminist Celebrations of Eve V: Satan as the Emancipator of Woman in Gothic Literature VI: Witches as Rebels Against Patriarchy VII: Subversive Satanic Women in Decadent Literature and Art VIII: Lucifer and the Lesbians: Sapphic Satanism IX: Becoming the Demon Woman: Rebellious Role-play X: Mary MacLane's Autobiographic Satanic Feminism XI: Sylvia Townsend Warner's Liberating Devil XII: Conclusions Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA literary, thoughtful, provocative and intelligent look at sexual assault and the global discourse on rape from the viewpoint of a survivor, writer, counsellor and activist.

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Book SynopsisThe sister-in-law of Clyde Barrow chronicles the escapades of her famous brother-in-law and his paramour Bonnie Parker. For this book, Phillips supplements Blanche's memoir with notes and biographical information about Blanche and her accomplices. Illustrations. Maps.

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Book SynopsisI was supposed to be having the time of my life.When Esther Greenwood wins an internship on a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she is elated, believing she will finally realise her dream to become a writer. But in between the cocktail parties and piles of manuscripts, Esther''s life begins to slide out of control. She finds herself spiralling into depression and eventually a suicide attempt, as she grapples with difficult relationships and a society which refuses to take women''s aspirations seriously.The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath''s only novel, was originally published in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. The novel is partially based on Plath''s own life and descent into mental illness, and has become a modern classic. The Bell Jar has been celebrated for its darkly funny and razor sharp portrait of 1950s society and has sold millions of copies worldwide.

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Book SynopsisDiscover Wollstonecraft’s classic feminist text in an abridged, digestible form.WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ZOE WILLIAMS The term feminism did not yet exist when Mary Wollstonecraft wrote this book, but it was the first great piece of feminist writing. In these pages you will find the essence of her argument – for the education of women and for an increased female contribution to society. Her work made the first ripples of what would later become the tidal wave of the women’s rights movement. Rationalist but revolutionary, Wollstonecraft changed the world for women.Vintage Feminism: classic feminist texts in short formTrade ReviewMary Wollstonecraft's words ring as true today - and are as little heeded by government - as when she wrote them, 200 years ago, in her A Vindication of the Rights of Woman * Guardian *The first pebble in the later avalanche of the women's rights movement -- Melvyn Bragg * Guardian *The first great piece of feminist writing * Independent *Changed the world for generations of women to come * Sunday Times *A book that was bold in its time and is now considered the notable forerunner of the women's movement * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisIn just one generation, age-old ideas about women have been swept aside ...but what does that have to do with men? Authors Michael Kaufman and Michael Kimmel, two of the world's leading male advocates of gender equality, believe it has everything to do with them,and that it's crucial to educate men about feminism in order for them to fully understand just how important and positive these changes have been for them.Kaufman and Kimmel address these issues in The Guy's Guide to Feminism. Hip and accessible, it contains nearly a hundred entries,from Autonomy" to Zero Tolerance",written in varying tones (humorous, satirical, irreverent, thoughtful, and serious) and in many forms ( top ten" lists, comics, interviews, mini-stories, and more). Each topic celebrates the ongoing gains that are improving the lives of women and girls,and what that really means for men.Informal and fun yet substantive and intelligent, The Guy's Guide to Feminism illustrates how understanding and supporting feminism can help men live richer, fuller, and happier lives.Trade Review"From sexist ads to honor killings, there are seventy-plus feminist issues explained in The Guy's Guide to Feminism--a relevant, inclusive, funny, and straight-to-the-point explanation of how and why feminism improves life for the male half the the world, too." --Gloria Steinem "The Michael K's have created an admirably accessible guide for guys to understand and embrace the other (often more incendiary) F-word. And it's even funny. Quite remarkable. Everyone knows feminists have no sense of humor!" --Jian Ghomeshi, host of Q on CBC radio and TV "The Guy's Guide to Feminism is the book for guys on how to be more authentic and fight for a more just world." --Courtney Martin, editor of Feministing.com "Feminism touches everyone, everyday. Kaufman and Kimmel guide us through a conversation that is imperative in our society--and they do it with clarity and humor." --Don McPherson, College Football Hall of Fame Quarterback, now social educator

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Book SynopsisOn May 2, 1973, Black Panther Assata Shakur (aka JoAnne Chesimard) lay in a hospital, close to death, handcuffed to her bed, while local, state, and federal police attempted to question her about the shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that had claimed the life of a white state trooper. Long a target of J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to defame, infiltrate, and criminalize Black nationalist organizations and their leaders, Shakur was incarcerated for four years prior to her conviction on flimsy evidence in 1977 as an accomplice to murder. This intensely personal and political autobiography belies the fearsome image of JoAnne Chesimard long projected by the media and the state. With wit and candor, Assata Shakur recounts the experiences that led her to a life of activism and portrays the strengths, weaknesses, and eventual demise of Black and White revolutionary groups at the hand of government officials. The result is a signal contribution to the literature about growing up Black in America that has already taken its place alongside The Autobiography of Malcolm X and the works of Maya Angelou. Two years after her conviction, Assata Shakur escaped from prison. She was given political asylum by Cuba, where she now resides. Trade Review"A deftly written book . . . A spellbinding tale." -- The New York Times Book Review"A sober, restrained, but forceful recollection. . . . A must book for those interested in the 'revolutionaries' of the 1960s" -- Chioce"A compelling tale of the impact of white racism on a sensitive and powerful young black woman." -- Library Journal

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In a stirring and succinct examination of post-Roe America, “one of the most successful and visible feminists of her generation” (Washington Post) takes on what’s become the country’s most resonant political issue. A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEARIn her most urgent book yet, New York Times bestselling author Jessica Valenti shines a light on the conservative assault on women’s freedom, cutting through the misinformation and overwhelm to inform, engage, and enrage. From the attacks Americans know about to the ones anti-abortion lawmakers and groups are trying to hide, Valenti details the tactics and horrors that she’s been painstakingly tracking in her acclaimed newsletter, Abortion, Every Day. Abortion gives voice to women’s frustration and outrage in a moment when they’re fed up with being talked over and diminished. And in an election year when abortion is dominating the national conversation, Valenti provides the language, facts, and context readers need to feel confident when talking about the attacks on their bodies and freedom. Abortion is a handbook for the overwhelming majority of Americans who support abortion rights, whether they’re seasoned activists or those just starting to learn. With the wit, expertise, and blunt moral clarity that’s made her writing popular for decades, Valenti offers an essential manifesto in an urgent moment.

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Book SynopsisOn the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament, this book captures an important moment in contemporary history: how a grassroots women''s movement, harking back to the suffragettes and second wave feminists of the 1970s and 1980s, took on the political establishment - and changed the course of history.Through a collection of over thirty essays and photographs, some of the women involved tell the story of the five-year campaign to protect women''s sex-based rights. Author J.K. Rowling explains why she used her global reach to stand up for women. Leading SNP MP Joanna Cherry writes of how she risked her political career for her beliefs. Survivors of male violence who MSPs refused to meet are given the voice they were denied at Holyrood. Ash Regan MSP recounts what it was like to become the first government minister to resign on a question of principle since the SNP came to power in 2007. Former prison governor Rhona Hotchkiss charts how changes in prison policy in Scotlan

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Book SynopsisI was supposed to be having the time of my life.When Esther Greenwood wins an internship on a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she is elated, believing she will finally realise her dream to become a writer. But in between the cocktail parties and piles of manuscripts, Esther''s life begins to slide out of control. She finds herself spiralling into serious depression as she grapples with difficult relationships and a society which refuses to take her aspirations seriously.The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath''s only novel, was originally published in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. The novel is partially based on Plath''s own life and descent into mental illness, and has become a modern classic.Trade Review"'In looking at the madness of the world and the world of madness [this book] forces us to consider the great question posed by all truly realistic fiction: what is reality and how can it be confronted?' New York Times Book Review"

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Book SynopsisSara R. Farris examines the calls for gender equality from an unlikely collection of European right-wing nationalist political parties, neoliberals, and some feminist theorists and policymakers, showing how their exploitation of feminist ideals justifies anti-Islam and anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies.Trade Review"[Farris's] reading of 'femonationalism' as a symptom of neoliberal capitalism gives little hope that a quick or effective solution is possible for the crises at hand. So we are left without certain answers, and that’s as it should be." -- Joan W. Scott * The Nation *"The pertinence of Farris’s volume, especially in the development of immigration policies, is undeniable." -- Visnja Krstic * Cultural Sociology *"Brilliant. . . . Through [Farris's] careful analysis of the political economic dimensions of femonationalism, certain elements of our contemporary landscape are illuminated with startling and disturbing clarity." -- Catherine Rottenberg * Jadaliyya *"A brave monograph." -- Judith Whitehead * Monthly Review *"In the Name of Women’s Rights is a timely book with an impressive scope and rich theoretical diversity. . . . A must-read for anyone concerned with the appropriation of feminism or the operation of Islamophobia in contemporary Europe." -- Julie E. Dowsett * International Feminist Journal of Politics *"Welcome and invigorating." -- Peter Coviello * The Immanent Frame *“In the Name of Women’s Rights is an important and timely contribution to the fields of sociology, gender and women studies, and migration studies. Highly recommended." -- Maya El Helou * Refuge *"An incisive intervention in how we understand rescue narratives of Muslim and non-Western migrant men as perpetrators of violence against Muslim and non-Western migrant women. . . . An important contribution to a range of fields including but not limited to critical race theory, transnational studies, gender and sexuality studies, political science, and sociology." -- Sasha A. Khan * Feminist Formations *"A highly readable, insightful and alarming account of the deployment of a discourse of women’s rights by racist and nationalist movements in Europe. . . . This is a work that deserves to be widely read." -- Gargi Bhattacharyya * Ethnic and Racial Studies *"Farris’s book is comprehensive, thorough, and masterly in accomplishing her key objective, which is, to draw feminist attention toward a new political economic configuration in which neoliberal conditions, feminist politics of gender equality, and right-wing nationalism coalesce to sustain exploitative ideological and material relations between western and nonwestern women. It is indeed a timely and needed study of the political and ethical costs to feminism of the concurrence of civilizational politics and neoliberal economics and thus has applications beyond the European context." -- Amina Jamal * American Journal of Sociology *Table of ContentsAbbreviations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: In the Name of Women's Rights 1 1. Figures of Femonationalism 22 2. Femonationalism Is No Populism 57 3. Integration Policies and the Institutionalization of Femonationalism 78 4. Femonationalism, Neoliberalism, and Social Reproduction 115 5. The Political Economy of Femonationalism 146 Notes 183 Bibliography 229 Index 253

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Book SynopsisWell written and consistently provocative, Gender and the Musical Canon is a comprehensive and balanced study of women composers and their music. A classic in gender studies in music, it is nonetheless accessible for musically educated lay reader.Trade Review"I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be so interested in a scholarly book of this type. As a woman composer and a teacher of music, I felt so connected to the ideas in it and, more importantly, utterly empowered by them. I have recommended it to everyone I know!" -- Joan Tower"Important and timely. . . . Valuable to anyone from the high school student to the most accomplished academic." -- Renée Cox Lorraine, MLA Notes"[Citron] succeeds admirably in laying out the fundamental problems and the solutions thus far available. . . . [Her] book is well written and continuously provocative." -- Lydia Goehr, Music and Letters

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Book SynopsisSita, a revered princess of Mithila, chose acceptance and grace in her life filled with sacrifice. Her deep love for Rama and infinite patience reflect her divine yet human nature. Through Bhanumathi's narration, we see the world through Sita's eyes, feeling her emotions and understanding the true strength of a woman.

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Book SynopsisA provocative and inspiring book on the culture and politics of black women's rightsTrade Review'A fiery piece of polemic filled with merciless criticism of feminism and black activism alike for their neglect of black women's rights ... provocative and inspiring ... visionary' -- New Statesman'One of the twenty most influential women's books of the last twenty years' -- Publishers Weekly'Her commentary about the impact of racism and sexism on black women is still relevant today. The book reminds me that in order to fight for true equality for all women, we must take into account the movement's past injustices' -- Emma Watson

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO PRIZE 2023''A book that could not be more necessary'' Observer''Eloquent, clever and devastating'' The Times''Deftly illustrates how ageist misogyny remains an acceptable prejudice'' GuardianWhat is about women in middle-age and beyond that seems to enrage - almost everyone?In the last few years, as identity politics has taken hold, middle-aged women have found themselves talked and written about as morally inferior beings, the face of bigotry, entitlement and selfishness, to be ignored, pitied or abused.Hags asks the question why these women are treated with such active disdain. Each chapter takes a different theme - care work, beauty, violence, political organization, sex - and explores it in relation to middle-aged women''s beliefs, bodies and choices. Victoria Smith traces the attitudes she describes back to the same anxieties about older women that drove Early Modern witch hunts, and explores the very specific reasons why this type of misogyny is so powerful today. The demonisation of hags has never felt more now.Victoria Smith has decided in this book that she will be the Karen so nobody else has to be, and she ends on a positive note, exploring potential solutions which can benefit all women, hags and hags-in-waiting.Shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards announced 21 November 2023. Trade ReviewHer book traces the hatred and fear of the middle-aged woman back through history . . . The greatest joy of Hags is its lively erudition . . . This eloquent, clever and devastating book describes the last remaining acceptable prejudice, one that is now even posited as progress: the loathing of older women -- Janice Turner * The Times *My polemic of the year . . . a book that could not be more necessary (a sword and a shield) in the current climate -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Riveting, vital and impossible to read without rage -- Lissa Evans, author of Old BaggageHags is rich and complex and witty and cleverer than I am. (You'd never get a male reviewer saying that.) I hope it won't be read only in an echo chamber, by the women who are, as Smith was once called to her delight, 'a batshit Mumsnet thread made flesh'. I hope it will also be read by young women who think me and the author terrible Terfs and bigots for believing in single-sex spaces; by young anyones; by the middle-aged and the elderly; by any man born of a mother; and by all those who agree with Smith when she writes: 'I am not frightened of change. I am frightened of things staying the same.' -- Rose George * Spectator *Devastating and clever -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *Smith makes an impassioned, powerful case . . . Hags can't come soon enough' * Mail on Sunday *Deftly illustrates how ageist misogyny remains an acceptable prejudice and, in laying out the ignominies visited upon middle-aged women, feels justifiably livid -- Fiona Sturges * Guardian *A brilliantly witty, engaging and insightful book; a righteous polemic which examines and questions why so much hatred is directed towards middle-aged women - and, crucially, what this means for women today . . . a punchy, thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable read -- Eleanor Fleming * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisAn Instant New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller! A Next Avenue Influencer in Aging 2021#1 Canadian BestsellerJust as she did in her groundbreaking bestseller The Vagina Bible, Dr. Jen Gunter, the internet’s most fearless advocate for women’s health, brings you empowerment through knowledge by countering stubborn myths and misunderstandings about menopause with hard facts, real science, fascinating historical perspective, and expert advice.I feel more equipped to care for my patients, challenge the patriarchy, and empower & educate thanks to her work and advocacy.” —Dr. Danielle Jones (Mama Doctor Jones)“An exhilarating read and a comprehensive review of all things menopause.” —North American Menopause Society “Gynecologi

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Book SynopsisIn this tenth anniversary expanded edition of Jasbir K. Puar’s pathbreaking book—which features a new preface by Tavia Nyong’o and a new postscript by the author—Puar argues that configurations of sexuality, race, gender, nation, class, and ethnicity are realigning in relation to contemporary forces of securitization, counterterrorism, and nationalism.Trade Review“A profound and challenging book that should be read widely and repeatedly, Puar’s latest work contains revelations about contemporary power that offer avenues for transforming academic knowledge and our own subjectivities.” -- Liz Philipose * Signs *“Terrorist Assemblages is brilliant, hyperkinetic, and perhaps, most of all, ferocious. It is ferocious in its analysis and critique not only of networks of control over and unrelenting superpanopticism of queer, racialized bodies but also of queer, feminist, and critical race theory and activism.” -- Victor Román Mendoza * Journal of Asian American Studies *“Few points of identification, cherished political practices, or progressive claims are left unimplicated in Puar's analysis of the war on terror. . . . Terrorist Assemblages exemplifies the most difficult and yet most important work that critical theory can offer its readers and practitioners: a thoroughgoing interrogation of the inequalities, oppressions and injustices that shape the present, which refuses to leave its authors' and readers' own investments outside its critiques.” -- Elisabeth Anker * Theory & Event *“Puar provides compelling and convincing examples of the unwitting effects of homonormative discourse.” -- Celia Jameson * Parallax *“Jasbir Puar’s Terrorist Assemblages: Homonationalism in Queer Times is a powerful, energetic, and highly insightful read. The book absorbs a surprising amount of intellectual, political, and emotional labour. . . . [R]eaders can have that rare and golden experience of emerging from these pages transformed. Indeed, the demands that Puar places on her reader are substantial, but the rewards well worth it. Cutting, courageous, and prescient, Terrorist Assemblages is well worth the read.” -- Deborah Cowen * Antipode *"It is her ability to traverse the theoretical terrains between theories of affect and nonrepresentation as well as discourse and identity that exemplifies how these seemingly opposed poststructuralisms do, in fact, enrich each other and make Terrorist Assemblages a critically important work." -- Lauren L. Martin * Annals of the AAG *"Terrorist Assemblages is a challenging and urgent book that pushes studies of the sexual beyond their comfort zone. . . . The chapters offer a series of bold and creative readings that aim to rewrite emergent orthodoxies within both critical and not so critical discourses on the 'war on terror.' Where such discourses perpetuate separation and distance, Puar strikingly demonstrates connectivity and coincidence." -- Natalie Oswin * Social & Cultural Geography *"Terrorist Assemblages will appeal to scholars who wish to push the limits of interdisciplinary thinking and writing. In both form and content, this book energetically experiments with different theoretical frameworks and disparate sources to produce fresh insights on a variety of issues. For these and many other reasons, Terrorist Assemblages is bound to become a mainstay in graduate courses across a range of disciplines, and will certainly be cited as a key text in scholarship that examines how discourses surrounding sexuality are mobilized in the service of war, nation-building, and imperialism." -- Sean McCarthy * E3W Review of Books *"Terrorist Assemblages is a rich and textured read that lays bare the perniciousness of liberal politics while asking for the hard work it takes to build radical solidarity." -- Rupal Oza * Social & Cultural Geography *". . . I think it only appropriate that we succumb to this project’s velocity, that we explore Puar’s virtuosic, methodological interventions, while acknowledging the captivating intellectual performance at the heart of Terrorist Assemblages. . . . Puar importantly provides a salient and scathing political critique of nationalism in its hetero, homo, religious and racialized incarnations." -- Karen Tongson * Women & Performance *“Puar’s project brings what we might describe as a racial politics of tolerance to the production of queers. . . . In doing so, she challenges those of us engaged in human rights theory and advocacy for sexual minorities to a serious consideration of what it is that enables such advocacy to be effective in the first instance, and what the effectiveness of such campaigns means for the re-positioning of LGBT subjects in mainstream political economies. . . . Her examination of terrorist discourses foregrounds a dimension of Foucault’s characterization of contemporary power that has been largely ignored by theorists who take up this framework for speaking of power: namely, the instrumentality of death—that is, the extent to which the protection and management of some life/lives is contingent on letting others die.” -- Margaret Denike * Feminist Legal Studies * "Since the publication of Puar’s book, the presence of Islamophobic and openly gay politicians like Pim Fortuyn and Geert Wilders—who had seemed exceptional in the early 2000s—has become rather the norm. . . . Puar’s book has been extremely important in the effort to make sense of these phenomena." -- Sara R. Farris * Social Text *Table of ContentsForeword / Tavia Nyong'o xi Preface: Tactics, Strategies, Logistics xvii Introduction: Homonationalism and Biopolitics 1 1. The Sexuality of Terrorism 37 2. Abu Ghraib and U.S. Sexual Exceptionalism 79 3. Intimate Control, Infinite Direction: Rereading the Lawrence Case 114 4. "The Turban is Not a Hat": Queer Diaspora and the Practices for Profiling 166 Conclusion: Queer Times, Terrorist Assemblages 203 Postscript: Homonationalism in Trump Times 223 Acknowledgments 243 Notes 249 References 307 Index 342

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Book SynopsisYour period has power. Embrace your natural cycle, work with your hormones and connect to the innate feminine wisdom of your menstrual cycle.Your period is way more than PMS, carb cravings and lady rage - it's actually a 4-part lady code that, once cracked, will uncover a series of monthly superpowers that can be used to enhance your relationships with others, build a better business, have incredible sex and create a 'bloody' amazing life.Code Red, from the Creatrix of www.thesassyshe.com, Lisa Lister, is a call to action. A rallying cry that dares you to explore, navigate and most importantly, love your lady landscape.You'll learn how to live and work in complete alignment with the rhythms of nature, the moon and your menstrual cycle, be inspired by insights from Wise + Wild Women like Meggan Watterson, Alexandra Pope and Uma Dinsmore Tuli, and gain access to easy-to-follow strategies and SHE Flow yoga practices. You'll be invited to connect with your true nature as a woman, tap into the transformational power of your innate feminine wisdom and use your menstrual cycle as an ever-unfolding map to crack your lady code.

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Book SynopsisTHE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTIONSHORTLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE''A marvellous book . . . I just loved it all, and have a permanently marked-up, dog-eared copy on my shelf for the next generation'' Tom Hanks''Furious and fascinating'' The Times*****Looking for wonder and some reprieve from the everyday, Anna Funder slips into the pages of her hero George Orwell. As she watches him create his writing self, she tries to remember her own . . .When she uncovers his forgotten wife, it''s a revelation. Eileen O''Shaughnessy''s literary brilliance shaped Orwell''s work and her practical nous saved his life. But why - and how - was she written out of the story?Using newly discovered letters from Eileen to her best friend, Funder recreates the Orwells'' marriage, through the Spanish Civil War and WWII in London. As she rolls up the screenTrade ReviewA marvelous book . . . I just loved it all, and have a permanently marked-up, dog-eared copy on my shelf for the next generation. * Tom Hanks *Simply, a masterpiece. Here, Anna Funder not only re-makes the art of biography, she resurrects a woman in full. -- Geraldine Brooks, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for FictionTruly wonderful... Anna Funder has written another brilliant human portrait. -- Claire TomalinElectrifying... Daring in both form and content, Funder's book is a nuanced, sophisticated literary achievement * Kirkus *

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Book Synopsis''An exhilarating read'' New StatesmanIn Feminism Against Progress, Mary Harrington argues that the industrial-era faith in progress is turning against all but a tiny elite of women. Women's liberation was less the result of human moral progress than an effect of the material consequences of the Industrial Revolution. We've now left the industrial era for the age of AI, biotech and all-pervasive computing. As a result, technology is liberating us from natural limits and embodied sex differences. Although this shift benefits a small class of successful professional women, it also makes it easier to commodify women's bodies, human intimacy and female reproductive abilities.This is a stark warning against a dystopian future whereby poor women become little more than convenient sources of body parts to be harvested and wombs to be rented by the rich. Progress has now stopped benefiting the majority of women, and only a feminism that is sceptical of it can truly defend female interests in the 21st century.

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Book SynopsisNERO BOOK AWARDS WINNER 2023WINNER, NON FICTION BOOK 2023, BOOKS ARE MY BAG AWARDSSHORTLIST, BOOKSHOP.ORG INDIE CHAMPIONSSHORTLIST, AMAZON NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLIST, GOODREADS CHOICE BOOK OF THE YEARAudible Books of the Year 2023The Times Books of the Year 2023Apple Best Audiobooks of 2023BOOKSHOP.ORG Book of the Month January 2024THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'I tore through this hilarious, smart, sad, revealing book' - Bob Odenkirk'Funny, sharp and has incredible clarity' - Jon Ronson'An absolute riot. I'm literally going to read it again once I've finished, and I'm a miserable bastard...it's a belter' - FRANKIE BOYLE'Strong Female Character is a testament to the importance of self-knowledge.' - Rachael Healy, The GuardianA summary of my book:1. I'm diagnosed with autism 20 years after telling a doctor I had it.2. My terrible Catholic childhood: I hate my parents etc.3. My friendship with an elderly man who runs the corner shop and is definitely not trying to groom me. I get groomed.4. Homelessness.5. Stripping.6. More stripping but with more nervous breakdowns.7. I hate everyone at uni and live with a psycho etc.8. REDACTED as too spicy.9. After everyone tells me I don't look autistic, I try to cure my autism and get addicted to Xanax.10. REDACTED as too embarrassing.'Fern's book, like everything she does, is awesome. Incredibly funny, and so unapologetically frank that I feel genuinely sorry for her lawyers.' - PHIL WANG'Of course it's funny - it's Fern Brady - but this book is also deeply moving and eye-opening'- ADAM KAY'It made me laugh out loud and broke my heart and made me weep...I hope absolutely everyone reads this, and it makes them kinder and more curious about the way we all live' - DAISY BUCHANAN'Glorious. Frank but nuanced, a memoir that doesn't sacrifice voice or self-awareness. And it has brilliant things to say about being autistic and being funny' - ELLE MCNICOLL'A set text for all of us in 2023' - DEBORAH FRANCES-WHITE'Fern is a brilliant, beautiful writer with a unique voice and even more unique story. Astute, honest and very, very funny.' - LOU SANDERS'So funny and brilliant' - HOLLY SMALE'Witty, dry, and gimlet-eyed, Strong Female Character is a necessary corrective. Brady offers a compelling, messy, highly resonant portrait of what masked Autism feels like.' - Devon Price, author of Unmasking AutismTrade ReviewOf course it's funny - it's Fern Brady - but this book is also deeply moving and eye-opening -- ADAM KAYIt made me laugh out loud and broke my heart and made me weep...I hope absolutely everyone reads this, and it makes them kinder and more curious about the way we all live -- DAISY BUCHANANGlorious. Frank but nuanced, a memoir that doesn't sacrifice voice or self-awareness. And it has brilliant things to say about being autistic and being funny -- ELLE MCNICOLLFern is a brilliant, beautiful writer with a unique voice and even more unique story. Astute, honest and very, very funny. -- LOU SANDERSSo funny and brilliant -- HOLLY SMALEAn absolute riot. I'm literally going to read it again once I've finished, and I'm a miserable bastard...it's a belter -- FRANKIE BOYLEFern Brady's book is alive in your hands. Brave doesn't cover it and I'm not sure what will. Fizzing with intelligence, it will hit you in the heart, lungs and liver. You'll laugh, cry, be still and if you're not autistic - by god you'll learn. If you are autistic you'll be seen, heard, held, rocked and loved here. A set text for all of us in 2023 * DEBORAH FRANCES-WHITE *Strong Female Character is a testament to the importance of self-knowledge. Fern Brady is a natural and engaging writer, weaving bleak episodes with moments of pure comedy as she re-appraises crucial moments in her life through the lens of her autism diagnosis. Brutal honesty and a talent for storytelling combine to make an insightful memoir that's not only very funny, but will no doubt provide invaluable moments of recognition for many readers. * RACHAEL HEALY, The Guardian *Witty, dry, and gimlet-eyed, Strong Female Character is a necessary corrective. Brady offers a compelling, messy, highly resonant portrait of what masked Autism feels like * Devon Price, author of Unmasking Autism *This Bathgate girl has more jaw-dropping tales to share than your average comedian-cum-author could hope to harvest in a lifetime. Perhaps more of us ought to grapple with our own mortality if it births something so bold as Strong Female Character. * The List *Strong Female Character will reassure fellow autistic folk that they are not alone * Chortle *Shocking and incredibly moving - and it will make you laugh at subjects that you didn't think you possibly could * Scotland on Sunday *A brutal, funny and heartbreaking memoir. The pace is brisk and her deadpan humour makes the darkest material hilariously funny. -- Marianne Power * The Times *Brilliant! -- Sarah Atkinson, CEO Social Mobility Foundation * HR Magazine *This very personal account of bullying, stripping, homelessness and stand-up is shocking and incredibly moving - and will make you laugh at subjects that you didn't realise could be funny. -- Kirsty McLuckie * i Paper *[Brady] brings unsparing wit to a memoir that calls out the bulls--t in every culture she's experienced. -- Helen Brown * The Telegraph *Strong Female Character is a clear-eyed, deeply sane account of an at times tumultuous life; a life shaped by class and gender, but mostly, it's now clear to her, by her autism. * The Herald *

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Book SynopsisSarah Thornton is a sociologist who writes about art, design and people. Formerly the chief art market correspondent for The Economist, she is the author of three previous books. Her second, Seven Days in the Art World was an international bestseller, published in eighteen languages, and named one of the best art books of the year by the New York Times. Sarah has written for The Guardian, W, Art Basel, Cultured, among others. A skilled interviewer and engaging public speaker, Sarah has given hundreds of talks around the world and contributed to NPR, Netflix, ZDF and BBC radio and TV. A Canadian who went to the UK on a prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship, Thornton was hailed as Britain's hippest academic. Now based in San Francisco, Thornton is better known as the Jane Goodall of the art world. She is the author of Tits Up.

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Book Synopsis"Beautifully written, searingly honest, and deeply affecting ... when the book ended, I only wanted more" - Roxane Gay"Ford is a writer for the ages, and Somebody's Daughter will be a book of the year" - Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed"Truly a classic in the making" - John Green, author of The Fault in Our StarsAn Oprah bookThroughout her adolescence, Ashley Ford doesn't know how to deal with the worries that keep her up at night. If only she could turn to her father for his advice and support. But he's in prison, and she doesn't know what he did to end up there. After being raped by her ex-boyfriend, Ashley desperately searches for her sense of self. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father's incarceration... and Ashley's world is turned upside down.Ashley embarks on a powerful journey to find the connections between who she is and what she was born into, discovering that, however much we might try to untether ourselves from a painful past, the ties that bind families together are the strongest ones of all."Sure to be one of the best memoirs of 2021" - Kirkus Reviews"A heart-wrenching coming-of age story" - Time"Her coming-of-age story gets at how to both acknowledge and break away from what we're born into" - Cosmopolitan"A beautiful, delicate memoir... a journey toward true and powerful selfhood" - ElleTrade Review'Somebody's Daughter is the heart-wrenching yet equally witty and wondrous story of how Ford came through the fire and emerged triumphant, as her own unapologetic, Black-girl self.' - The New York Times'Somebody's Daughter stands out as one of the BEST memoirs of 2021.' - BookRiot'Perhaps the greatest contribution Ford makes is to offer her story ? written in the most lively and lucid prose ? in its most raw and unabridged form...By telling her truth so honestly and authentically, Ford invites us to tell ours, too.' - The Washington Post'Ford's vulnerability on the page is an extraordinary feat, as she masterfully traces how the yearning girl she once was became the empowered woman she is today.' - Esquire'Ford executes her task with both unstinting honesty and rare tenderness toward the deeply flawed, but steadfast, circle of adults who raised her. The resulting portraits, of her mother and grandmother, in particular, are remarkably vivid and humane, haunting the reader long after one has closed the book's pages...' - LA Review of Books'Gorgeous, profoundly moving, and historically important ? by a terrific writer.' - Min Jin Lee, author of the New York Times bestseller and National Book Award Finalist Pachinko'Armed with the insight and lessons from her youth, the author emerged as a bright young college student who learned to love herself for who she was and who she has yet to become.' - The New York Journal Review of Books'With a lucidity that is almost a superpower, [Ford] transports us into her singular experience of growing up poor and Black and female in Fort Wayne, Ind.' - People magazine, Book of the Week'A radiant coming-of-age memoir.' - Oprah Daily'Layering in the complexities of her relationship with her mother, her changing body and a boyfriend who grows abusive, Ford offers a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story' - Time

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How bitches, trainwrecks, shrews, and crazy women have taken over pop culture and liberated women from having to be nice.Female characters throughout history have been burdened by the moral trap that is likeability. Any woman who dares to reveal her messy side has been treated as a cautionary tale. Today, unlikeable female characters are everywhere in film, TV, and wider pop culture. For the first time ever, they are being accepted by audiences and even showered with industry awards. We are finally accepting that women are-gasp-fully fledged human beings. How did we get to this point?Unlikeable Female Characters traces the evolution of highly memorable female characters, from Samantha Jones as "The Slut" in Sex and the City to the iconic Mean Girl, Regina George, examining what exactly makes them popular, how audiences have reacted to them, and the ways in which pop culture is finally allowing us to celebrate the complexities of being a woman. Anna Bogutskaya, film programmer, broadcaster, and co-founder of the horror film collective and podcast The Final Girls, takes us on a journey through popular film, TV, and music, looking at the nuances of womanhood on and off-screen to reveal whether pop culture-and society-is finally ready to embrace complicated women.

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Book SynopsisPowerful, intelligent and vital one of the year's must-reads' Hannah Nathanson, Features Director, ELLEFeaturing contributions from Candice Carty-Williams, Jessica Horn, Ebele Okobi, Funmi Fetto and Freddie Harrel.In the vein of Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist, but wholly its own, Girl is a provocative, heartbreaking and frequently hilarious collection of original essays on what it means to be black, a woman, a mother and a global citizen in today's ever-changing world.Black women have never been more visible or more publicly celebrated. But for every new milestone, every magazine cover, every box office record smashed, the reality of everyday life remains a complex, nuanced, contradiction-laden experience.Award-winning journalist and American in London Kenya Hunt threads razor sharp cultural observation through evocative and relatable stories, both illuminating our current cultural moment and transcending it.Trade Review‘Powerful, intelligent and vital – one of this year’s must reads’ Elle ‘Enlightening, relatable, warm and witty, Girl is a must-read for 2020’ Sunday Times Style ‘Valuable’ Guardian ‘If any book should enrich – and disrupt – your life, let it be this.’ Harper’s Bazaar UK ‘very honest and intelligent’ Dina Asher-Smith ‘Put it on your reading list, pronto’ Dazed ‘Exceptional … This book genuinely changed the way I see the world’ Red ‘Essential reading’ Psychologies ‘Brilliant … if there’s any book you should read this year, it’s this one.’ Refinery29 ‘Funny, heartbreaking, and needed now more than ever.’ Cosmopolitan ‘[A] smart, sharp look at what it means to be a black woman’ i News ‘Powerful’ Prima ‘Important’ Woman & Home ‘GIRL is written with a tenderness and urgency that will stay with you long after you have finished reading’ Press Association ‘Insightful’ ES Magazine ‘A fundamental read … This varied and at times introspective anthology is pithy, humorous and incredibly moving. We couldn’t recommend it enough.’ Magic Radio ‘Both moving and motivating; informative and transformative. I could not put it down. A truly beautiful book.’ Emma Gannon, bestselling author of Olive ‘Beautifully fluent and readable … A book not just to read but to witness.’ Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish) ‘Girl speaks to the Black woman of today.’ Bethann Hardison, fashion model and activist ‘Girl is a radical and magical diasporic curation of love for Black dialect, Black freedom, Black cool, Black culture, Black joy, and mostly–and specifically–Black women.’Damon Young, author What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker

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Book SynopsisDo you think that Jesus only surrounded himself with men? Think again. Inspired by their popular Channel 4 documentary Jesus' Female Disciples, historians Helen Bond and Joan Taylor explore the way in which Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Martha and a whole host of other women - named and unnamed - have been remembered by posterity, noting how many were silenced, tamed or slurred by innuendo - though occasionally they get to slay dragons. Women Remembered looks at the representation of these women in art, and the way they have been remembered in inscriptions and archaeology. And of course they dig into the biblical texts, exposing misogyny and offering alternative and unexpected ways of appreciating these women as disciples, apostles, teachers, messengers and church-founders. At a time when both the church and society more widely are still grappling with the full inclusion and equality of women, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical and cultural origins of Christianity.Trade ReviewDrawing on fifty years of feminist scholarship, they now expand the story to include most of the women mentioned in Christian scripture. Importantly, they show that the movement that came to be called Christianity was fluid and unstable for its first three centuries, attracting a diversity of women whose leadership was excluded as roles became formalized. * Times Literary Supplement *Having excavated biblical texts, they expose deep-rooted misogyny and offer alternative accounts of women as apostles, teachers, messengers, and church founders. * Irish Examiner *The authors piece together the evidence that has survived about the named and unnamed women. They demonstrate the richness and range of female activity in the first-century churches... readable and engaging, opening up the complex and fluid state of women in the Early Church * The Church Times *This book nowhere seems to step beyond the limits of what can be demonstrated by actual history and real evidence, some of it of very recent discovery by scholars around the world, and much of it quite unknown to many of us in the pews... a book which can be read with the hope of learning what is really thought today by the vanguard of scholarship...They show what women were said to have done or must have done, and what an equal role they played in the early days of the new faith. Of course we know that in our heart of hearts, for we can see in our churches every week from the role of parish administrator down to altar girls ...This is a continually interesting book, full of (to me) new information.' * Irish Catholic *Another argument made to good effect by the likeable authors, in this accessible and pleasurable addition to the largely impenetrable academic literature on the subject, is that the gospels as they appear in our Bibles were subject to heavy tweaking and editing over the century or two after they were written until a definitive version was agreed * The Daily Telegraph *there is plenty of evidence that women were not only involved in Jesus' movement, but were integral to it. * All About History Magazine *It's empowering, inspiring and important to learn about the key roles women played in early Christianity, which sadly almost disappeared from historical records, as men took control of the church. * Cat Lewis, Executive Producer, Songs of Praise *This book nowhere seems to step beyond the limits of what can be demonstrated by actual history and real evidence.. a book which can be read with the hope of learning what is really thought today by the vanguard of scholarship... a continually interesting book. * The Irish Catholic *As Joan Taylor and Helen Bond explore in their new book, Women Remembered: Jesus' Female Disciples, there is plenty of evidence that women were not only involved in Jesus' movement, but were integral to it. * All About History *The authors piece together the evidence that has survived about the named and unnamed women. The demonstrate the richness and range of female activity in the first-century churches... readable and engaging, opening up the complex and fluid state of women in the Early Church. * The Church Times *Having excavated biblical texts, they expose deep-rooted misogyny and offer alternative accounts of women as apostles, teachers, messengers, and church founders. * The Irish Examiner *

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Book of the Year Winner of the Polari Prize 'A book about love, identity, acceptance and the freedom to write, paint, compose and wear corduroy breeches with gaiters. To swear, kiss, publish and be damned. It is vastly entertaining and often moving... There isn't a page without an entertaining vignette' The Times. The extraordinary story of how a singular group of women in a pivotal time and place – Paris, Between the Wars – fostered the birth of the Modernist movement. Sylvia Beach, Bryher, Natalie Barney, and Gertrude Stein. A trailblazing publisher; a patron of artists; a society hostess; a groundbreaking writer. They were all women who loved women. They rejected the patriarchy and made lives of their own – forming a community around them in Paris. Each of these four central women interacted with a myriad of others, some of the most influential, most entertaining, most shocking and most brilliant figures of the age. Diana Souhami weaves their stories into those of the four central women to create a vivid moving tapestry of life among the Modernists in pre-War Paris. 'One of the best books I've read this year.' James BridleTrade ReviewDiana Souhami argues that modernism would not exist without these extraordinary women, and their courage, passion and verve certainly make this lively group biography an inspirational read * Sunday Times *Souhami is one of our most rewarding and inventive biographers, and this book is a splendidly hectic and vivid read... If No Modernism Without Lesbians goes some way towards making us understand how they thought of themselves, and what they did, it will have done some good' * Spectator *Souhami has written several fine biographies... Now, in a comprehensive cultural history, she awards lesbians the credit for modernising art, manners and morals in the early twentieth century' * Observer *No Modernism Without Lesbians is undoubtedly a contribution, correcting the history of modernism to more accurately account for the women who made possible such a lasting transformation in literature and art... Souhami has opened the door to history a little further, creating more precious space for the whole truth to enter' * Daily Beast *[A] vivid cultural history... This often gossipy, always smart romp trains a well-deserved spotlight on lesser-appreciated literary and artistic lives' * Publishers Weekly *A book about love, identity, acceptance and the freedom to write, paint, compose and wear corduroy breeches with gaiters. To swear, kiss, publish and be damned * The Times *Souhami challenges the Modernist canon that has dominated cultural education at their expense, foregrounding instead great men and their muses... No Modernism Without Lesbians is important for 2020 because it rips apart the prevailing patriarchal model. What Souhami calls for is abandoning the Modernist canon and rebuilding it one lesbian at a time to create a new, inclusive, 21st-century model' * Gay & Lesbian Review *A fresh perspective on modernism * Kirkus Reviews *An extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library LGBTA /Studies and Women's Biography collections * MidWest Book Review *The lives and contributions of these four lesbians, who played a significant role in art and literature, illuminates the way lesbian work is often undervalued or discredited in comparison to those who aren't lesbian * After Ellen *Richly researched, entertaining and hugely enjoyable... Souhami is a brilliant guide and this book a celebration, corrective and fillip all in one' -- Chris Gribble, judge of the 2021 Polari Prize and CEO of the National Centre for Writing

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Book SynopsisStart making smart decisions. Free yourself from the financial fog. Take control of your money.Unf*cking your finances will change your life. With a step-by-step approach, including a 30-day financial detox, money mindfulness plan and goal-setting exercises, this book provides everything you need to develop healthy financial habits. As well as in-depth practical advice on debt, the stock market and navigating money with partners, financial advisor and accountant Melissa Browne will teach you to transform your relationship with money. Whether you want to get out of your overdraft, get clued up on credit, maximise your savings or achieve your dream to buy a property, this book is full of no bullsh*t information for anyone who needs a fresh approach.

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Book Synopsis

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