Feminism and feminist theory Books

Book SynopsisShortlisted for the HWA Non-Fiction Crown Award 2023 The history of a demonic tradition that was stolen from women – and then won back again. 'Remarkable work... Extraordinary, meticulous detail' Literary Review 'Deftly fuses scholarly rigour, control of literary and archaeological sources' BBC History Magazine Creatures like Lilith, the seductive first wife of Adam, and mermaids, who lured sailors to their death, are familiar figures in the genre of monstrous temptresses who use their charms to entice men to their doom. But if we go back 4,000 years, the roots of these demons lie in horrific creatures like Lamashtu, a lion-headed Mesopotamian demon who strangled infants and murdered pregnant women, and Gello, a virgin ghost of ancient Greece who killed expectant mothers and babies out of jealousy. Far from enticing men into danger and destruction, these monsters were part of women’s ritual practices surrounding childbirth and pregnancy. So how did their mythology evolve into one focused on the seduction of men? Sarah Clegg takes us on an absorbing and witty journey from ancient Mesopotamia to the present day, encountering a multitude of serpentine succubi, a child-eating wolf-monster of ancient Greece, the Queen of Sheba and a host of vampires. Clegg shows how these demons were appropriated by male-centred societies, before they were eventually recast as symbols of women’s liberation, offering new insights into attitudes towards womanhood, sexuality and women’s rights.Trade Review[A] remarkable work... Extraordinary, meticulous detail * Literary Review *A rewarding and profound study * Literary Review *A delightful romp through four thousand years’ worth of sinister superstition, offering an empathetic interpretation of these supernatural creatures, so-called monsters, with a particular focus on women’s experiences of them. Sarah Clegg provides thought-provoking insights into a range of beliefs and practices so often overlooked by mainstream history. * Jane Draycott *Woman's Lore is a fascinating exploration of the mythology and trope of the 'demonic woman' that has existed for centuries and persists even today. Thoughtfully researched, it is an empowering and enlightening read. * Catherine Cho *Deftly fuses scholarly rigour, control of literary and archaeological sources, an accessible, entertaining style, wonderful illustrations and a warm-hearted sympathy with women's plight across the centuries * BBC History Magazine *Well-written and engaging.... This combination of the classics and women's lib makes it an enlightening read * The Lady *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewFunny, fierce and feminist; this is a refreshing romp through Greek mythology. Bea Fitzgerald draws on her extensive knowledge to create this imaginative retelling, turning everything we think we know about Persephone and Hades upside down and recasting them as the stars of this unexpected, meticulously researched, empowering rom-com. * Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne *Girl, Goddess, Queen is simply divine. Bea has woven a classic myth with an electrifying romance and a witty, fiercely modern twist. Beautifully written, utterly glorious, and fabulously powerful, this is a definite must-read that should be at the top of everyone's TBR pile! * Beth Reekles, bestselling author of The Kissing Booth *A captivating debut! Girl, Goddess, Queen is an incredibly fun and wonderfully crafted reimagining of a beloved myth - bringing to life timeless gods, the complex intimacy of family bonds, a fierce protagonist, and a passionate slow-burn romance. * Sue Lynn Tan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess. *Girl Goddess Queen is a richly woven, gloriously funny and deeply swoony exploration of the Hades & Persephone myth, and I'm so excited for everyone to discover the marvellous talent that is Bea Fitzgerald. * Lizzie Huxley-Jones, author of Make You Mine This Christmas *A fresh feminist take on a classic myth, Girl, Goddess, Queen is ripe with yearning, humour and wit. * Rosie Talbot, author of Sixteen Souls *A clever and fresh feminist retelling that pulses with beauty and life. * Anna Waterworth, author of The Girl Who Grew Wings *

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.

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Book SynopsisDrawing on a range of international research projects, this book documents a broad spectrum of unpaid work performed by residents, relatives, volunteers and staff in nursing homes. It provides insights which will be critical in planning for nursing home care post-pandemic.Table of Contents1. Introduction – Pat Armstrong and Marta Szebehely 2. Accessing Nursing Home Care: Family Members’ Unpaid Care Work in Ontario and Sweden – Petra Ulmanen, Ruth Lowndes, and Jacqueline Choiniere 3. Body Work-That-Isn’t: Supporting Nursing Home Residents’ Autonomy in Self-Care and Sexual Expression – Susan Braedley 4. “They Make the Difference Between Survival and Living”: Social Activities and Social Relations in Long-Term Residential Care – James Struthers and Gudmund Ågotnes 5. Residents Who Care: Rethinking Complex Care and Disability Relations in Ontario Nursing Homes – Janna Klostermann 6. “Family Workers”: The Work and Working Conditions of Families in Nursing Homes – Christine Streeter 7. Staff Perspectives on Families’ Unpaid Work in Care Homes – Ruth Lowndes, Marta Szebehely, Gudmund Ågotnes, and Oddrunn Sortland 8. Contextual Conditions and Social Mechanisms in Rural Communities and Care Homes – Oddrunn Sortland, Petra Ulmanen, and James Struthers 9. Bringing the Outside In and the Inside Out: The Role of Institutional Boundaries in Nursing Homes – Frode F. Jacobsen and Gudmund Ågotnes 10. A Labour of Love Is Still Labour – Pat Armstrong, Hugh Armstrong, and Marta Szebehely

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Book SynopsisThey told you you need to be thin and beautiful.They told you to wear longer skirts, avoid going out late at night and move in groups - never accept drinks from a stranger, and wear shoes you can run in more easily than heels. They told you to wear just enough make-up to look presentable but not enough to be a slut; to dress to flatter your apple, pear, hourglass figure, but not to be too tarty. They warned you that if you try to be strong, or take control, you'll be shrill, bossy, a ballbreaker. Of course it's fine for the boys, but you should know your place. They told you 'that's not for girls' - 'take it as a compliment' - 'don't rock the boat' - 'that'll go straight to your hips'. They told you 'beauty is on the inside', but you knew they didn't really mean it. Well screw that. I'm here to tell you something else.Hilarious, jaunty

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Book SynopsisJournalist Rebecca Traister’s New York Times bestselling exploration of the transformative power of female anger and its ability to transcend into a political movement is “a hopeful, maddening compendium of righteous feminine anger, and the good it can do when wielded efficiently—and collectively” (Vanity Fair). Long before Pantsuit Nation, before the Women’s March, and before the #MeToo movement, women’s anger was not only politically catalytic—but politically problematic. The story of female fury and its cultural significance demonstrates its crucial role in women’s slow rise to political power in America, as well as the ways that anger is received when it comes from women as opposed to when it comes from men. “Urgent, enlightened…realistic and compelling…Traister eloquently highlights the challenge of blaming not just forces and systems, but individuals” (The Washington Post). In Good and Mad, Traister tracks the history of female anger as political fuel—from suffragettes marching on the White House to office workers vacating their buildings after Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court. Traister explores women’s anger at both men and other women; anger between ideological allies and foes; the varied ways anger is received based on who’s expressing it; and the way women’s collective fury has become transformative political fuel. She deconstructs society’s (and the media’s) condemnation of female emotion (especially rage) and the impact of their resulting repercussions. Highlighting a double standard perpetuated against women by all sexes, and its disastrous, stultifying effect, Good and Mad is “perfectly timed and inspiring” (People, Book of the Week). This “admirably rousing narrative” (The Atlantic) offers a glimpse into the galvanizing force of women’s collective anger, which, when harnessed, can change history.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR GOOD AND MAD BY REBECCA TRAISTER “[A] rousing look at the political uses of this supposedly unfeminine emotion...written with energy and conviction...galvanizing reading.”—NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW “Urgent, enlightened… well timed for this moment even as they transcend it, the kind of accounts often reviewed and discussed by women but that should certainly be read by men…realistic and compelling…Traister eloquently highlights the challenge of blaming not just forces and systems, but individuals.”—WASHINGTON POST "While the anger of men is seen as 'stirring' and 'downright American,' women's is 'the screech of nails on our national chalkboard,' asserts journalist Traister in this invigorating look at the achievements of angry women from Carrie Nation to Beyoncé to the Parkland high school students. Through this lens she revisits the 2016 election, #blacklivesmatter and the #metoo movement (including her own Harvey Weinstein story) and cites a study showing you can tolerate pain longer - damn! - if you curse. Perfectly timed and inspiring.”—PEOPLE (BOOK OF THE WEEK) “Traister specializes in writing about feminism and politics, and she knows the turf…especially astute in emphasizing the ways in which black women laid the cornerstones for women’s activism in this country…Feminism forces certain complexities into the stream of our daily lives, and Traister has a great gift for articulating them.”—TIME MAGAZINE "Cathartic...a celebration of a catalytic force that burns ever brighter today."—O MAGAZINE “From suffragettes to #MeToo, Traister’s book is a hopeful, maddening compendium of righteous feminine anger, and the good it can do when wielded efficiently—and collectively.”—VANITY FAIR "An admirably rousing narrative."—ATLANTIC "A resounding polemic against political, cultural, and personal injustices in America...With articulate vitriol backed by in-depth research, Traister validates American women's anger.... Traister has meticulously culled smart, timely, surprising quotations from women as well as men. The combined strength of these many individual voices and stories gives the book tremendous gravity.... A gripping call to action that portends greater liberty and justness for all.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS (STARRED REVIEW) “A trenchant analysis… Traister argues forcefully that women are an ‘oppressed majority in the United States,’ kept subjugated partly by racial divisions among the group. Traister closes with a reminder to women not to lose sight of their anger—even when things improve slightly and ‘the urgency will fade... if you yourself are not experiencing’ injustice or look away from it.”—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED REVIEW) "Timely and absorbing, Traister's fiery tome is bound to attract attention and discussion. Traister takes a deep dive into the current political climate to explore the contemporary and historical relationship women have with anger and the ramifications of expressing and suppressing feminine rage. Traister uses…startlingly obvious double standard[s] to explore how attaching negative connotations to women's anger has always been used to silence and dismiss them."—BOOKLIST (STARRED REVIEW) “Good and Mad is Rebecca Traister's ode to women's rage—an extensively researched history and analysis of its political power. It is a thoughtful, granular examination: Traister considers how perception (and tolerance) of women's anger shifts based on which women hold it (*cough* white women *cough*) and who they direct it toward; she points to the ways in which women are shamed for or gaslit out of their righteous emotion. And she proves, vigorously, why it's so important for women to own and harness their rage—how any successful revolution depends on it.”—BUZZFEED "Women are angry, and Rebecca Traister is just the person to chart the topography of their rage, its causes, and its effects....A galvanizing, timely study of righteous rage.”—ELLE "With Traister’s incisive prose and a topic that couldn’t be more timely, this book is sure to be a fiery read.”—HUFFINGTON POST "A deeply research treatise on female anger - its sources, its challenges, and its propulsive political power.”—ESQUIRE "Brilliant and bracing."—THE NATION "[Traister] writes with convincing clarity...a feel-good book."—JEZEBEL "A bracing, elucidating look at how transformative it can be for women to harness our rage, and how important it is to use that anger, that energy, for revolution." —NYLON "Brilliant and impassioned and, yes, angry." —MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE "Good and Mad comes out at just the right time...the [Kavanaugh] hearing and its aftermath just proved the point Traister was making all along."—MOTHER JONES "Traister's reported manifesto on feminism after Trump...offers a forceful...inventory of the ways in which women’s anger in the public sphere is exaggerated, pathologized, and used to discredit them in a manner unimaginable for men."—BOOKFORUM "An exploration of the transformative power of female anger and its ability to transcend into a political movement…Read this."—PUREWOW "One of our country’s wisest writers on gender and politics."—PORTLAND MONTHLY “Every fifty years since the French Revolution there’s been an uprising on behalf of women’s rights—we’re in the middle of one right now—and each time around a fresh chorus of voices is heard, making the same righteous bid for social and political equality, only with more force and more eloquence than the time before. Among today’s strongest voices is the one that belongs to Rebecca Traister. Deeply felt and richly researched, her new book, Good and Mad, is one of the best accounts I have read of the cumulative anger women feel, coming up against their centuries-old subordination. Read it!”—VIVIAN GORNICK “Rebecca Traister has me convinced in this deftly and powerfully argued book that there will be no 21st century revolution, until women once again own the power of their rage. Righteous fury leaps off every page of this book, with example after example, from the present and the past, coaxing, chiding, and indeed reminding us, that the political uses of women's anger have been good for America. As I read, my blood started pumping, my fist tightened and my spirit said, "hell yeah! We aren't going down without a fight." Women's anger rightly placed and soundly focused can be good for America, once again. In fact, it is essential. Tell the truth: We're all sick and tired of being sick and tired. It's high time we got good and mad.”—DR. BRITTNEY COOPER, author of Eloquent Rage

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Book SynopsisBe guided and motivated by the world's most inspiring women with this creative set of oracle cards. Need advice on breaking the glass ceiling? Find out what Gloria Steinem would do. Juggling family and career? Ask Serena Williams. Need to change your attitude? Angela Davis is at hand. Pick a card and let 50 feminist gurus guide you through any dilemma.Shortlisted for the 2021 Gift of The Year Awards!

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Book SynopsisBringing together multi-award-winning author Hazel Carby’s most important and influential essays, Cultures in Babylon addresses the political dilemmas of representing Black women as sexual subjects, considers how far female sexuality is exploited by consumerism, and traces the contradictions Black women in the culture industry navigate. Carby’s writing is invariably sharp and provocative, her political insights shrewd and often against the grain. A powerful intervention, Cultures in Babylon quickly became a standard reference point in debates over race, ethnicity, and gender.

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Book SynopsisA fabulous collection of funny, sassy, uplifting embroidery patterns for the modern-day stitcher.Be inspired to kickstart your crafting journey with 50 gorgeous designs, as well as hints and tips from the experts at Cotton Clara.Each pattern features an empowering, inspirational message that will speak to a new wave of embroiderers looking to add a fun, feminist slant to their artwork. Favourites include: WOMEN WHO LEAD, READ CATS AGAINST CATCALLS FRIES BEFORE GUYS TAKE UP SPACE ANOTHER DAY TO SLAYTrade Review ‘Accessible and brilliant for all abilities, even if you are completely new to embroidery. Can't recommend this book enough and can't wait to gift my creations to my friends and family! Also beautifully designed and shot book. 10/10’ JC ‘Wonderful! So many favourites already – can’t decide which one to stitch first. I have a lot of embroidery books and this is by far the fullest yet easy to flick through!! I really love it.’ Iona Scott ‘A fabulous book of beautiful modern designs’ Katharine

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Book SynopsisWriting in an age when the call for the rights of man had brought revolution to America and France, Mary Wollstonecraft produced her own declaration of female independence in 1792. Passionate and forthright, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman attacked the prevailing view of docile, decorative femininity, and instead laid out the principles of emancipation: an equal education for girls and boys, an end to prejudice, and for women to become defined by their profession, not their partner. Mary Wollstonecraft''s work was received with a mixture of admiration and outrage - Walpole called her ''a hyena in petticoats'' - yet it established her as the mother of modern feminism.Trade Review"We hear [Mary Wollstonecraft's] voice and trace her influence even now among the living."

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Book SynopsisA prodigiously brilliant thinker who sharply challenged the beliefs of his age, the political and social radical John Stuart Mill was the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century. Regarded as one of the sacred texts of liberalism, his great work On Liberty argues lucidly that any democracy risks becoming a ''tyranny of opinion'' in which minority views are suppressed if they do not conform with those of the majority. Written in the same period as On Liberty, shortly after the death of Mill''s beloved wife and fellow-thinker Harriet, The Subjection of Women stresses the importance of equality for the sexes. Together, the works provide a fascinating testimony to the hopes and anxieties of mid-Victorian England, and offer a compelling consideration of what it truly means to be free.Trade ReviewOn Liberty remains a classic. . . . The present world would be better than it is if [MillÆs] principles were more respected. (Bertrand Russell)

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Book SynopsisFrom the acclaimed philosopher and author of One-Dimensional Woman, a bold, playful and open-minded exploration of the role of men in the twenty-first centurySomething is definitely up with men. From millions online who engage with the manosphere to the #metoo backlash, from Men''s Rights activists and incels to spiralling suicide rates, it''s easy to see that, while men still rule the world, masculinity is in crisis. How can men and women live together in a world where capitalism and consumerism has replaced the values - family, religion, service and honour - that used to give our lives meaning? Feminism has gone some way towards dismantling the patriarchy, but how can we hold on to the best aspects of our metaphorical Father? With illuminating writing from an original, big-picture perspective, Nina Power unlocks the secrets hidden in our culture to enable men and women to practice playfulness and forgiveness, and reach a true mutual understanding and a lifetime of love.Trade ReviewBracingly original ... a refreshingly sympathetic view of men and masculinity -- Louise Perry * The Times *A series of very congenial but devastating shots at contemporary gender politics ... Power seeks to carve out a new path in the relationship between men and women - one where neither side is stripped of its distinct humanity ... a refreshing take on sexual politics -- Jarryd Bartle * Critic *Hopeful ... By peppering her book with humour, Power rehumanises the gender debate -- Tim Stanley * Daily Telegraph *Power is brave ... she writes like a dream -- Christina Patterson * Sunday Times *Forceful and rather unusual ... Power's argument is that the all-out assault on men has gone too far ... men need to be heard. Simply shutting them out of the most important cultural conversations because of their perceived privilege only increases resentment between the sexes -- Jay Elwes * Spectator *Distinctive, rooted in a refusal to regard men and women as forever locked in warring positions. This perspective is combined with a humanistic approach to her subject that takes suffering in all its forms seriously ... creating space for nuance and reflection -- Mary McGill * Irish Independent *I have been moved by Nina Power's new book What Do Men Want? She searches for a more rounded take on the battle of the sexes ... Power strikes a warning note which all of us could heed -- Ian Harrow * Spectator *Provocative and rigorous ... she refuses easy essentialist answers about toxic masculinity or any simplistic notions of patriarchy -- Tim Adams * Observer *[Power is] less interested in the sins of the fathers and more concerned with the potential virtues of the sons ... her conclusion ... points to a more positive future in which the war of the sexes gives way to a playful peace -- Julian Baggini * Literary Review *This book is both significant and timely ... insightful and sharply focused ... Power invites reflection on fundamental issues of human goodness, desire and suffering, going beyond culture wars -- Tina Beattie * The Tablet *A provocative new book ... traverses taboos ... brave -- Ani O'Brien * New Zealand Herald *It has never been less fashionable to be a man. Masculinity is routinely damned as inherently "toxic" - yet "men are frequently trapped in systems of other men's making", as feminist philosopher Power points out... with humour and empathy -- Tim Stanley * Telegraph *Makes the case for a more generous and humane feminist discourse -- Zoë Heller * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisWhen precisely did the ideas, symbols and metaphors of patriarchy take hold of Western civilization? When were women, so central to the creation of society, moved on to the sidelines? Where is the evidence to support the notion that male dominance over women is a natural state of things? Gerda Lerner''s radical review of Western civilization shows that male dominance over women has nothing to do with biology, and everything to do with cultural and historical habits. Dr Lerner draws her evidence from a host of archaeological, literary, and artistic sources, using them to pinpoint the critical turning points in the allocation of women''s roles in society. She draws especially on archaeological evidence of the cultures of ancient Hebrew and Mesopotamian societies, cultures from which modern Western civilization has largely derived. This approach enables her to trace the ways in which men and women have been classified as essentially separate creatures - from ancient Greek philosophy onwards - and also to examine ways in which their experience of society differs, through the structures and symbols of class and religion. Most of all, by showing patriarchy as the result of an historical process, Lerner produces an irresistable argument that it can be altered, and ended, by similar means.Trade Review`A valuable contribution to history and women's studies.' BooklistTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Origins 2. A Working Hypothesis 3. The Stand-in Wife and the Pawn 4. The Woman Slave 5. The Wife and the Concubine 6. Veiling the Woman 7. The Goddesses 8. THe Patriarchs 9. Teh Covenant 10. Symbols 11. The Creation of Patriarchy Appendix: Definitions Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSeductive with the simplicity of an atom, which is to say highly complex, explosive underneath an apparent quietude -- Toni MorrisonClifton was one of America's great poets, whose work throughout her lifetime was committed to chronicling and celebrating black lives. The honesty, joy, wisdom, and hope she brought to this task is regenerative -- Tracy K. Smith, former U.S. Poet LaureateFew poets have traversed such deserts, playgrounds and high castles of possibility in the briefest and seemingly effortless poetry. Her big-hearted work welcomes us and transports us with grace and mischief. It is poetry that goes down like fine wine and that sustains, in us, its good mood of inquiry ever after -- Professor Daljit Nagra, Brunel University LondonOpen up to any page and Clifton delivers a word. Whether the subject is roaches, family, death, or surviving, she has a psalm for all occasions. She can create the most complicated magic out of the simplest words -- Danez Smith * The Week *Clifton's earliest poems could have been written yesterday, and her later works could have been written decades ago. Each poem is always its own world. Her poems touch on the political, the personal, the spiritual -- Reginald Dwayne Betts, * The New York Times *Clifton wrote physically small poems with enormous and profound inner worlds ... Her poems are committed to truth-telling in the face of silence. History in her work is embodied, alive, and autonomous, alert to its own contradictions -- Elizabeth Alexander * New Yorker *No-one writes like Lucille Clifton ... The poems, in their specificity and dilating scale, startle readers into new sense. They discomfort as often as they bless, and they bless as often as they wonder - bearing witness to joy and to struggle * The Paris Review *Although her work is often spare and simple, it is always beautifully and painstakingly crafted into poems that tell the truth, poems that insist on residing within the reader, poems by a poet who seeks and achieves the ability to be a vehicle for those who may not otherwise speak * Web Del Sol Review of Books *

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Book Synopsis''How I loved reading Fruit of Knowledge ... Clever, angry, funny and righteous, also informative to an eye-popping degree'' Rachel Cooke, OBSERVER GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE MONTHFrom Adam and Eve to pussy hats, people have punished, praised, pathologised and politicised vulvas, vaginas, clitorises, and menstruation. In the international bestseller Fruit of Knowledge, celebrated Swedish cartoonist Liv Strömquist traces how different cultures and traditions have shaped women''s health and beyond. Her biting, informed commentary and ponytailed avatar guides the reader from the darkest chapters of history (a clitoridectomy performed on a five-year-old American child as late as 1948) to the lightest (vulvas used as architectural details as a symbol of protection). Like Alison Bechdel and Jacky Fleming, she uses the comics medium to reveal uncomfortable truths about how far we haven''t come.''Just the thing for all the feminists in your lTrade ReviewHow I loved reading Liv Strömquist's Fruit of Knowledge. Mostly, this was down to its sheer, punchy brilliance: should you be in possession of a teenage daughter, you absolutely must buy it for her and all her friends, in addition to those copies you will now immediately purchase for yourself and all of yours . . . If her strips are clever, angry, funny and righteous, they're also informative to an eye-popping degree . . . every page is so fantastically acute -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Brilliantly drawn, cleverly researched and deeply funny * Times Literary Supplement *Impeccably researched [and] enormously funny ... Almost every page is so brilliantly and wittily written and unarguably righteous that it is constantly tempting to show the book to the nearest person. This is a sure sign that this is a work of unusual excellence. Buy two copies - one to read and keep and one to lend out - and make peace with the idea that you may need to get more in time * The Quietus *Feminist, snappy, instructive and hilarious! * Time Out Paris *Liv Strömquist's refreshing humour and visionary ability truly make me rejoice' * Goteborgs-Posten *Imagine if you could walk through the world with a Liv Strömquist at your side. The moment you stumbled on an injustice or an error in thinking, you could point her at the culprit like a loaded wit-revolver, instead of having to stand there digging through your own murky arguments * Expressen *Will appeal to fans of popular feminist authors like Caitlin Moran ... Through witty illustrations and punchy text, the book examines society's love-hate relationship with women's sexuality ... Buy it for your teenage granddaughter and have a peek yourself * The Lady *A lively, educational and anti-idiot oration on one of society's less comfortably discussed topics * Strong Words *There are moments of genuine hilarity, as when Strömquist pictures the dinner party chatter of men living under a matriarchy, and others of fierce anger in this wild, witty and vital book * Guardian *Fruit of Knowledge: The Vulva vs the Patriarchy, is just the thing for all the feminists in your life, particularly those of a younger generation * Observer Books of the Year *This book made me laugh in public (and also cry a little). It is the book I gave to my younger sister the next time I saw her because of its anger and brilliance and because it is an overwhelming source of knowledge about things we should all already know * Daisy Johnson *

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Book SynopsisOne of four titles in Thames & Hudson's innovative new Big Idea' series, this intelligent, stimulating book assesses the connections between gender, psychology, culture and sexuality, and reveals how individual and social attitudes have evolved over the centuries.Trade Review'Crams so much detail into one book … while never feeling like an academic text. Frankly, all non-fiction books should be this gorgeously illustrated … this may well be the first book on gender that’s also a coffee table book' - DIVA'A kind of choose-your-own-adventure using fonts: paragraphs are set in type of differing sizes depending on their importance' - The BooksellerTable of ContentsIntroduction • 1. Gender as an Expression of Biological Sex • 2. Gender as a Social Construct • 3. Gender Diversity • 4. Gender Activism • Conclusion

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Book SynopsisA biography of Ann Hathaway and a social history of Shakespeare's time by the redoubtable Germaine GreerTrade Review‘Greer dares to think the unthinkable ... this is a bold and imaginative book' * Independent *‘Excellent ... a marvellous imagining of the life of Shakespeare's wife and a devastating exposure of the misogyny of the male biographers who have disparaged her' * Sunday Telegraph *‘This is a spirited, voluble, scholarly book which gives some depth and some dignity to the marginalised Mrs Shakespeare' * Guardian *‘A refreshing corrective to the usual portrait ... Greer is impressive when it comes to detailing their Stratford life and times ... It's robust, lively stuff' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe lives and achievements of eight women writers – a startling and unconventional history of literatureTrade Review‘A smart, funny and highly readable journey through the lives of women writers and the challenges they and their works face. It’s an informative, enthusiastic and rightly enraging tour de force.’ —A.L. Kennedy'Essential reading.' —Claire Tomalin'In this splendid alternative history of English literature, Anna Beer shows that "simply by putting words together on the page" women authors have for centuries fought back… [an] excellent study: "let’s scavenge and rebuild in the face of the destruction of women’s work…Let’s find the precious gems amidst the rubble."' —Guardian'Eve Bites Back isn’t pleading for justice for female writers, it’s indicting a system that has long ignored them and, to some extent, still does… Part polemic, part revisionist criticism, Eve Bites Back, as its title suggests, is sharp and aggressive, a book that will irritate, enlighten, persuade and provoke argument. It’s a work of correction, in every sense of the word.’ —Washington Post'A totally absorbing and enlightening tour through the work of eight significant women authors – with one of the funniest introductory chapters ever.' —Sarah Bakewell'Writing with energy, wit and at times barely suppressed fury, Anna Beer brings to life the struggle to be heard of eight women writers over 500 years. Her subtle literary excavations are both informative and a gripping read.' —David Goodhart, founder editor of Prospect'Startling stories and facts on every page. Written with a clear and authoritative voice, this is both a very entertaining and very important book about the many obstacles that women have overcome to be writers, and the long struggles even the most gifted and well-connected women authors have encountered in order to be taken seriously.' —Yasmin Khan, associate professor of history, University of Oxford'Anna Beer is one of those very rare writers who are able to combine rigorous research with a gripping and thoroughly accessible style. This is an ambitious, authoritative, feisty book and a worthy successor to her inspirational Sounds and Sweet Airs: The Forgotten Women of Classical Music.' —Kate Kennedy, author of Dweller in Shadows'Eve Bites Back … is shaped by the same principles [as Beer’s earlier work] – feminist indignation, certainly, but also a drive to share ideas and observations about a diverse body of achievement, emerging from historical periods radically different from our own … invigorating.' —Dinah Birch, TLS'A delightful, and challenging read.' —New York Journal of Books'A thorough, wide-reaching overview of women’s literary accomplishments viewed through a fresh, modern lens … Eve Bites Back is an exemplary work of literary criticism.' —Foreword Reviews'In her alternative history of English literature, Eve Bites Back, cultural historian and biographer Anna Beer takes up arms against the patriarchy… extensive and meticulous.' —Washington Independent Review of Books

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Book SynopsisThe instant New York Times bestseller: a hilarious and transformational book about how to tackle fear--now with a brand new bonus chapter!'You could spend a lifetime and fortune finding the perfect therapist, mentor, minister, career coach, and girlfriend - or you could just spend a day reading PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER.' Glennon Doyle, author of #1 NYT Bestseller UntamedFrom the New York Times bestselling author of I'm Judging You, a hilarious and transformational book about how to tackle fear - that everlasting hater - and audaciously step into lives, careers, and legacies that go beyond even our wildest dreams.Luvvie Ajayi Jones is known for her trademark wit, warm voice, and exceptional integrity. But even she's been challenged by the enemy of progress known as fear. She was once afraid to call herself a writer because she was afraid of the title. She nearly skipped out on doing a TED talk that changed her life because of imposter syndrome. And, as she shares in The Fear-Fighter Manual: Lessons from a Professional Troublemaker, she's not alone. We're all afraid. We're afraid of asking for what we want because we're afraid of hearing "no." We're afraid of being different, of being too much or not enough. We're afraid of leaving behind the known for the unknown. But in order to do the things that will truly, meaningfully change our lives, we have to become professional troublemakers: people who are committed to not letting fear talk them out of the things they need to do or say to live free.With humor and honesty, and guided by the influence of her professional troublemaking Nigerian grandmother, Funmilayo Faloyin, Luvvie walks us through what we must get right within ourselves before we can do the things that scare us; how to use our voice for a greater good; and how to put movement to the voice we've been silencing-because truth-telling is a muscle. The point is not to be fearless, but to know we are afraid and charge forward regardless. It is to recognize that the things we must do are more significant than our fears. This book is about how to live boldly in spite of all the reasons we have to cower. Let's go!Trade ReviewYou could spend a lifetime and fortune finding the perfect therapist, mentor, minister, career coach, and girlfriend -- or you could just spend a day reading PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER. This book - Luvvie Ajayi Jones's most helpful, bold, vulnerable, hilarious, and relevant work yet -- is equal parts catharsis and wake-up call, both comforting and galvanizing. I laughed and cried so hard that my family asked me to read in the other room. With her razor-sharp mind, soul on fire, and heart of gold --- Luvvie is the activist and artist the world needs right now. This will be my go-to gift for all the beloved troublemakers in my life. * Glennon Doyle, author of #1 NYT Bestseller Untamed and founder of Together Rising *There's nobody quite like Luvvie Ajayi Jones. She's a force and a powerhouse, the thunder and the lightning - and Professional Troublemaker shows us exactly how she got that way. This is a great book about reaching deep down inside yourself, crushing your fears, unleashing your 'too-muchness,' and giving yourself permission to shake the world. In a voice that is funny, wise, bold, and always generous, Luvvie encourages, inspires, and dares us to follow our dreams, fight against injustice, soak up the pleasures of life, and take up all the space in the room. If this book doesn't make you feel bolder and braver by the final page, then you weren't reading it right. I loved every passionate word of it * Elizabeth Gilbert, author of City of Girls and Eat Pray Love *This book is a comfort and a challenge. It inspires, encourages, heartens, and invigorates in equal measure. You should read it * Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened *As an oft-scared chickenhead, who cares too much about what others think, it's so comforting to be guided through my own crippling fear and self-doubt by one of the bravest, most incisively honest, hysterical voices I know. This book was so real, relatable and so much of it had me belly laughing. This is the essential manual for anybody who is ready to take that leap of faith to bet on the best, uninhibited, whole version of themselves * Issa Rae, Actor and New York Times Bestselling Author of The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl *Luvvie Ajayi Jones describes herself as 'a professional troublemaker'. From her TED talk Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable to setting up her own safe space social platform, LuvvNation, she's pushed boundaries despite struggling with fear and imposter syndrome and this book is about exactly that. We all feel fear and insecurity but that, in a world that wants to keep people in their boxes, we need to speak out, acknowledge we will always have that fear and get on with it anyway. Written with humour and verve, this is about changing the world politically and personally even if it means we need a bit of courage to do so. * The Stylist *This read underlines why facing your fears is crucial to changing the status quo - both personally and politically * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisFeminists have long challenged the ways in which men tend to sexualize women. But pioneering activist, biologist, and trans woman Julia Serano argues that sexualization is a far more pervasive problem, as it's something that we all do to other people, often without being aware of it. Why do we perceive men as sexual predators and women as sexual objects? Why are LGBTQ+ people stereotyped as being sexually indiscriminate and deceptive? Why are people of color still being hypersexualized? These stereotypes push minorities farther into the margins, and even the privileged are policed from transgressing, lest they also become targets. Many view sexualization as a mere component of sexism, racism, or queerphobia, but Serano argues that liberation from sexual violence comes through collectively confronting sexualization itself.

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Book SynopsisFounded on 20 years of experience in women's shelters and sexual assault centers, this striking overview addresses the oppressive hierarchies and abuses of authority witnessed in these settings. From the separation between clients and management to an executive director misusing power, this study shows how the most egalitarian, community-based, healthy, and peaceful group of women can be destroyed by an agency managed according to male, corporate principles. Searching for answers to these issues, this shocking survey is a heartbreaking reminder of the burden many women still carry, even within the walls of established sanctuaries.

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Book SynopsisWhether for entertainment, under the guise of medicine, or to propel consumerism, heinous acts are perpetrated daily on women?s bodies. In Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes, award-winning journalist Anne Elizabeth Moore catalogs the global toll of capitalism on our physical autonomy. Weaving together unflinching research and surprising humor, these essays range from investigative?probing the Cambodian garment industry,the history of menstrual products,or the gender biases of patent law?to uncomfortably intimate. Informed by her own navigation of several autoimmune diagnoses, Moore examines what it takes to seek care and community in the increasingly complicated, problematic, and disinterested US healthcare system.A Lambda Literary Award finalist and a Chicago Review of Books Nonfiction Award shortlist title, Body Horror is ?sharp, shocking, and darkly funny. . . . Brainy and historically informed, this collection is less a rallying cry or a bitter diatribe than a series of irreverent and ruthlessly accurate jabs at a culture that is slowly devouring us? (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Featuring an updated introduction and new essays, as well as illustrations by Xander Marro, this new edition of Body Horror is a fascinating, insightful portrait of the gore that encapsulates contemporary American politics.

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Book SynopsisRestores the first German feminist film, long neglected, to its rightful status as a classic forebear of more recent cinefeminism, demonstrating that the film is as relevant today as it was upon its 1968 release. Acclaimed as postwar Germany's first feminist film, Ula Stöckl's The Cat Has Nine Lives disappeared from view shortly after its 1968 premiere when its distributor went bankrupt. Although it laid the groundwork for the flourishing feminist cinema that emerged in West Germany and beyond during the 1970s, Stöckl's vibrant film long remained largely unknown. Yet it is as fresh and relevant today as it was when it debuted half a century ago. Revived at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), The Cat Has Nine Lives is now available for the first time on DVD with English subtitles. Posing the question, "Women have never had as many possibilities to do what they want as they have today, but do they know what they want?," Stöckl's film follows the intertwined stories of five characters to explore the possibilities for and limitations on women's subjectivity, desire, friendship, work, and artistic expression in a society defined by gender inequality. Restoring this singular film to its rightful place as a German film classic, Hester Baer argues that The Cat Has Nine Lives forms an important aesthetic and theoretical precursor to the unfolding cinefeminism of later decades.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments In the Driver's Seat First Feminist Film 1968 and German History "Power-War-Love" Creating the New German Feature Film Language Colors The Mythical Circe Feminist Representation and Documentary Style Alternative Imaginaries Plant Life Endings Credits Notes

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Book SynopsisFollowing on from the success of Men Explain Things to Me comes a new collection of essays in which Rebecca Solnit opens up a feminism for all of us: one that doesn't stigmatize women's lives, whether they include spouses and children or not; that brings empathy to the silences in men's lives as well as the silencing of women's lives; celebrates the ways feminism has shifted in recent years to reclaim rape jokes, revise canons, and rethink our everyday lives.

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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'Ashley C. Ford's wrenchingly brilliant memoir Somebody's Daughter is truly a classic in the making. Ford's writing is so richly observed and so suffused with love and yearning that I kept forgetting to breathe while reading it.' - John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars'Somebody's Daughter takes the idea of a coming-of-age story and smashes it on its head. A masterpiece of acceptance and exploration, of growth and forgiveness, and - maybe most importantly of all - learning how not to forgive. This is a story of boundaries and looking back on w hat has happened with a kind but understanding eye. Ashley C. Ford's talent is on full display, as is her heart.' - Isaac Fitzgerald, author of How to Be a Pirate'Ashley C. Ford went deep into the well of herself and her history and came back to the light with the book now in your hands. A piercing interrogation of who we are and who we are to the people laying claim to us, Somebody's Daughter is hard-earned storytelling, yes, but also an opportunity for each of us to illuminate the ties that bind, entangle and connect us to one another.' - Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our Lives'Ashley C. Ford is not just a beautiful writer, she is a brilliant, thoughtful and compassionate writer. The book is an achingly honest account of a complicated childhood. There is heartache and grief but above all Somebody's Daughter is the portrait of someone determined to love deeply and to love well. Someone determined to honor the person they are meant to be. Someone with the cleareyed courage and kindness to tell their story in service of a greater truth. We are so lucky Ashley chooses to share her wisdom with the world. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I closed it and neither will you.' - Aminatou Sow, coauthor of Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close

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Book SynopsisThe empowering, inspiring, patriarchy-smashing first book by the TikTok and Spotify star Drew Afualo. Drew Afualo is best known as the internet's 'Crusader for Women' and is at the head of a new generation of entertainment's rising stars, with more than nine million followers across her social platforms. She soon realized that men on social media were creating sexist content aimed at disparaging women, and also containing rampant fatphobia, racism, and other forms of bigotry with very real-life consequences. It didn't take long for her to step into the role of unofficial watchdog for misogyny, and her signature laugh is now recognized as a feminist call to arms. Loud is part manual, part manifesto and part memoir. It is a summoning cry to rid the internet (and our hearts, minds, and lives) of terrible men and create a space to fight outdated patriarchal ideals. Above all, it makes it clear that behind Drew's fearsome laugh is a mission and a life philosophy, a strategy for self-confidence from the inside out, and a pathway to once and for all remove men from the centre of how women and fems think about themselves.

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Book SynopsisA continent-crossing panorama of women's rights, women's oppression and women's politics in the twenty-first century.

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Book SynopsisA self-empowerment gift book for woman of every age, these quotes and slogans are guaranteed to bring out your inner badass. Celebrating female power and potential, the sayings will inspire and motivate you to fight your corner, speak your mind, stand up to those who stand in your way, reach your goals and bounce back with a spring upwards from every challenge or hurdle in your path.By women for women, You Got This is a great antidote to self-doubt, discouragement, imposter syndrome, and general societal bullshit in the twenty-first century. For every tough independent woman out there who sometimes feels the weight of the world, here are uplifting words to foster strength, success and self-reliance.SAMPLE QUOTES:'Behind every successful woman is herself.''No risk, no magic.''People think that all the doors are opened in front of me but it was me who pushed them open.' Coco Chanel'It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.' Madeleine Albright

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Book SynopsisTHE SECOND SEX is a hymn to human freedom and a classic of the existentialist movement. It also has claims to be the most important s ingle book in the history of feminism. In the forty years since its publication De Beauvoir's then revolutionary thesis - that the subordination of women is not a fact of nature but the product of social conditioning has become part of our everyday thinking.

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Book SynopsisSavitribai Phule, Mahasweta Devi, Amrita Pritam, Medha Patkar, Kamla Bhasin, and countless others have, since the nineteenth century, fought for and won equal rights for Indian women in a variety of areasuniversal suffrage, inheritance and property rights, equal remuneration, prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace, and others. Pioneering feminists believed that due to these hard-won rights, their daughters and granddaughters would have the opportunity to have rewarding careers, participate in the social and political growth of the country, gain economic independence, and become equal partners in their marriages. On paper, it would appear that theot of Indian women in the twenty-first century has vastly improved but, in reality, the demands of capitalism and the persistence of patriarchal attitudes have meant that they continue toeadives that are hard and unequal, especially when compared to their male counterparts. Indian women are among the most overworked in the worldthey spend on average 299 minutes on housework and 134 minutes on caregiving per day, shouldering 82 per cent of domestic duties. They are burdened with work from such a young age that many are forced to drop out of schools,eave theabour force, and give up dreams of financial independence. For those who have the privilege of choosing to have a career, the only way they can make this viable is by doing the double shift'': women are expected to do most of the housework, childcare, and caregiving, whether they have jobs or not. While these problems apply to all women across the country, those in India''s middle class face an altogether unique challenge because middle-class families have mastered the art of simulating an environment of empowerment in their homes.ies Our Mothers Told Us: The Indian Woman''s Burden takes a closeook at the gender inequality that forms the bedrock of India''s middle classthis forces women try and be superwomen'' while ignoring the deleterious effects on their mental and physical health. Using available data and anecdotal evidence from the realives of Indian women across the country, journalist Nilanjana Bhowmick asks if, in our patriarchal society, the assertion that women can have it all'' comes at too high a price.

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Book SynopsisA concise argument for the enduring importance of the feminist movement today by one of the world's leading feminist writersTable of ContentsIntroduction Come Closer to Feminism 1. Feminist Politics. Where We Stand 2. Consciousness-raising. A Constant Change of Heart 3. Sisterhood is Still Powerful 4. Our Bodies Ourselves. Reproductive Rights 5. Beauty Within and Without 6. Women at Work 7. Feminist Education for Critical Consciousness 8. Race and Gender 9. Ending Violence 10. Feminist Parenting 11. Feminist Sexual Politic 12. Feminist Parenting 13. A Feminist Sexual Politic 14. Liberating Marriage and Partnership 15. To Love Again. The Heart of Feminism 16. Feminism Class Struggle 17. Feminist Spirituality 18. Global Feminism 19. Visionary Feminism Index

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Book SynopsisA sparkling collection of empowering affirmations and inspiring quotes from badass womenInside every woman is a diamond core of strength that helps them achieve anything they put their mind to. Tap into your magic with this beautiful collection of inspirational quotations and life-affirming statements, featuring the wisdom of modern-day icons like Beyoncé, Venus Williams and Amy Schumer, and the classic life advice of trailblazers such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Marie Curie and Maya Angelou.For some extra sparkle every day, let wise words like these inspire you to conquer the world with grit and grace:- You are a diamond - never let them dull your sparkle- She needed a hero so that's what she became- Trust your inner voice - she is a goddess talking to you- You can rule the world; just don't be afraid to wear the crown- Be your own kind of beautiful- Girls with dreams become women with vision

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Book SynopsisCan women be geniuses? Or are their arms too short? Why did we only learn about three women at school? What were all the others doing?'Brilliantly, mordantly funny and extremely clever… There isn’t a man, woman or child who wouldn’t benefit from spending time with this.' India Knight The Trouble With Women does for girls what 1066 and All That did for boys: it reminds us of what we were taught about women in history lessons at school, which is to say, not a lot. A brilliantly witty book of cartoons, it reveals some of our greatest thinkers' baffling theories about women. We learn that even Charles Darwin, long celebrated for his open, objective scientific mind, believed that women would never achieve anything important, because of their smaller brains. Get ready to laugh, wince and rescue forgotten women from the 'dustbin of history', whilst keeping a close eye out for tell-tale 'genius hair'. You will never look at history in the same way again.Trade ReviewJacky Fleming…is brilliantly, mordantly funny and extremely clever, and these are her finest drawings yet… The book is savagely funny and wonderfully constructed, so that you start off giggling uncontrollably but then grow quieter at each successive misogynistic shocker… There isn’t a man, woman or child who wouldn’t benefit from spending time with this. -- India Knight * The Sunday Times *Fleming ably skewers the Great Men of History, not to diminish their own works but to highlight those women who were trodden underfoot… A perfect gift for all genders, ages and political persuasions but is sadly confined to the humour section rather than the place it really belongs – the school curriculum. -- Laura Sneddon * Independent on Sunday *Fleming ably skewers the Great Men of History, not to diminish their own works but to highlight those women who were trodden underfoot… A perfect gift for all genders, ages and political persuasions but is sadly confined to the humour section rather than the place it really belongs – the school curriculum. -- Laura Sneddon * Independent on Sunday *This book is an utter delight – it does something I always admire, making very serious points but doing so through the medium of humour and satire. And oh my god, it does it so very well, text and cartoons working perfectly together here – I had to pause my reading frequently because I was laughing too much to continue to the next page. -- Joe Gordon * Fordbidden Planet *A collection of withering, laugh-out-loud commentaries and illustrations regarding women’s lot… The perfect gift for a burgeoning feminist daughter. -- Jane Graham * The Big Issue *Fleming has taken historic theories about women’s limited abilities and created a wry look at how sexism has affected what history has recorded. * Stylist *Jacky Fleming is at her funniest yet… Beautiful, funny and important piece of feminist art. -- Jane Czyzselska * Diva *Crackling with her sparky humour and wry sense of the ridiculous. * The Pool *I laughed so hard, I sank to the floor -- Emma Thompson * The Week *There’s plenty more to pique your interest here, such as Jacky Fleming’s ferociously funny The Trouble With Women. * Paul Gravett *

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Book SynopsisIN NOVEMBER 2016, MANY PEOPLE WOKE UP TO A WORLD THEY DIDN''T RECOGNIZE: A NEW PRESIDENT WAS IN POWER. TWENTY-FOUR HOUR NEWS COVERAGE AND SOCIAL MEDIA UNFOLDED LIKE A HORROR FILM. ALL AT ONCE, EVERYTHING CHANGED.In 2016, Journalist Lauren Duca produced a piece for Teen Vogue titled ''Donald Trump is Gaslighting America''. It went viral and signaled a shift for millennials from political alienation to political participation.In How to Start a Revolution, Duca investigates and explains the issues at the root of an ailing political system and explores how millennials are the key to political change, providing knowledge and tools for how to make the most of a political awakening.''Lauren Duca is the millennial feminist warrior queen of social media. I cannot wait to hear more from this fearless and important new voice'' Ariel Levy, author of Female Chauvinist Pigs''Lauren Duca is the kind of writer that makes you cackTrade ReviewThe firebrand journalist explores how young people can challenge the status quo * The i *Duca is the millennial feminist warrior queen of social media -- Ariel LevyLauren Duca is the kind of writer that makes you cackle, cheer, and, more important, confront where we are and where we need to go as a culture -- Janet MockIn this inspiring guide . . . Duca's conversational prose and clear passion for equality allow her to galvanize without preaching. This call to action will resonate even with those who are not already involved in progressive politics * Publishers Weekly *We need fresh, intelligent, and creative voices like Lauren's now as much-perhaps more-than ever before -- Dan Rather

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Book SynopsisNewly revised and updated, this classic manifesto is a foundational text for anyone hoping to understand transgender politics and culture in the U.S. today (NPR)*Named as one of 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of All Time by Ms. Magazine*A landmark of trans and feminist nonfiction, Whipping Girl is Julia Serano''s indispensable account of what it means to be a transgender woman in a world that consistently derides and belittles anything feminine. In a series of incisive essays, Serano draws on gender theory, her training as a biologist, her career in queer activism, and her own experiences before and after her gender transition to examine the deep connections between sexism and transphobia. She coins the term transmisogyny to describe the specific discrimination trans women face-and she shows how, in a world where masculinity is seen as unquestionably superior to femininity, transgender women''s very existence becomes a threat to the est

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Book SynopsisA landmark, incendiary collection from one of the leading essayists working today. Inspiring everyone from radical activists to Beyoncé Knowles, Rebecca Solnit's essay 'Men Explain Things to Me' has become a touchstone of the feminist movement and established her as one of the leading thinkers of our time. Here it is collected along with the best of Solnit's feminist writings. From French sex scandals to the nuclear family, rape culture to mansplaining, Virginia Woolf to colonialism, these essays are a fierce and incisive exploration of the issues that a patriarchal culture will not necessarily acknowledge as 'issues' at all. With grace, wit and energy, and in the most exquisite and inviting of prose, Rebecca Solnit proves herself a vital leading figure of the feminist movement and a radical, humane thinker. 'Solnit is a compelling writer with a glorious turn of phrase' Evening StandardTrade ReviewWhat has always impressed me in Solnit's writing is the simple cadence and timbre of a sentence, a paragraph, the way a whole essay lilts and skips. She is not one of the most important female essayists of her generation. She is one of the most important essayists of her generation. Incendiary, indignant, and true -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *[A] trenchant collection of essays... an eloquent reminder that we still have some way to go when it comes to speaking of the issues Solnit raises -- Erica Wagner * Financial Times *Stark and powerful prose... Solnit is a compelling writer with a glorious turn of phrase -- Rosamund Urwin * Evening Standard *[These essays] are the thin edge of a continuum that reaches from the opening anecdote to the rape and murder statistics that she deploys to such devastating effect. Solnit's book does what the best feminist writing does: it makes me angry. And it makes me believe we can, and we must, fight for change -- Caroline Criado-Perez, feminist activistExceptional... The feminist debate has once again exploded into the mainstream over the last few years, and this collection marks Solnit out as among the most thoughtful of many energetic writers leading it -- Jessica Abrahams * Prospect *Essays on feminism from the consistently wonderful author of The Faraway Nearby. Anything she writes is a must-read * Bookseller *Solnit is a brilliant essayist... A highly enjoyable and thought-provoking read -- Patrick Neale * Bookseller *A necessary read... Solnit writes powerfully * Flavourwire *Essential reading for anyone - feminist or not, male or female - who wants to fight for equality across all fronts * Gazette, Western Mail, Swindon Advertiser and Leicester Mercury *The essays fiercely confront crime against women... Solnit has a voice of fearless and provocative asperity; she launches a quiverful of aphoristic arrows -- Stevie Davies * Independent *A revolt championing the cause of women... [Solnit's] work feels both timeless and timely. She argues persuasively, is often funny and is articulate to a fault... [her] writing is its own victory and revolt. An incendiary, inquiring and important work -- Sinead Gleeson * Irish Times *Essential reading for anyone - feminist or not, male or female * Irish Examiner *The most clarifying, soothing and socially aware document I've read on the topic this year. Not to mention funny -- Lena Dunham 'Book of the year' * Wall Street Journal *

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Book Synopsis''A groundbreaking work . . . Federici has become a crucial figure for . . . a new generation of feminists'' Rachel Kushner, author of The Mars RoomA cult classic since its publication in the early years of this century, Caliban and the Witch is Silvia Federici''s history of the body in the transition to capitalism. Moving from the peasant revolts of the late Middle Ages through the European witch-hunts, the rise of scientific rationalism and the colonisation of the Americas, it gives a panoramic account of the often horrific violence with which the unruly human material of pre-capitalist societies was transformed into a set of predictable and controllable mechanisms. It Is a study of indigenous traditions crushed, of the enclosure of women''s reproductive powers within the nuclear family, and of how our modern world was forged in blood.''Rewarding . . . allows us to better understand the intimate relationship between modern patriarchy, the rise of the nation state and the transition from feudalism to capitalism'' GuardianTrade ReviewRewarding . . . allows us to better understand the intimate relationship between modern patriarchy, the rise of the nation state and the transition from feudalism to capitalism * Guardian *A groundbreaking work . . . Federici has become a crucial figure for young Marxists, political theorists, and a new generation of feminists . . . a true radical who has lived by her political commitments, not just to women but against all forms of exploitation -- Rachel Kushner, author of The Mars RoomIt is both a passionate work of memory recovered and a hammer of humanity's agenda -- Peter Linebaugh, author of The London Hanged

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Masterful. A thinking women's (and man's) valentine, a fitting conclusion to hooks' groundbreaking work on love in American life." -- Los Angeles Times "A powerful guidebook to life." -- Library Journal

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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.

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Book Synopsis''If Caitlin Moran''s How To Be A Woman is the fun-filled manual for female survival in the 21st century, everyday sexism is itsmore politicised sister'' (Independent on Sunday). After experiencing a series of escalating sexist incidents, Laura Bates started the everyday sexism project and has gone on to write ''a pioneering analysis of modern day misogyny'' (Telegraph). After an astounding response from the wide range of stories that came pouring in from all over the world, the project quickly became one of the biggest social media success stories of the internet. From being harassed and wolf-whistled at on the street, to discrimination in the workplace and serious sexual assault, it is clear that sexism had become normalised. But Bates inspires women to lead a real change and writes this ''extremely powerful book that could, and should, win hearts and minds right across the spectrum'' (Financial Times). Often shocking, sometimes amusing and always poignant, everyday sexism is a prote

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The Capacity Contract brings much-needed insights to both political theory and disability studies. Its original analysis calls for the fuller recognition of the contributions of the intellectually disabled and their social inclusion as citizens."—Kristin Bumiller, Amherst College"Most political theorists would agree with Rawls that citizens need to possess cognitive capacities ‘within some normal range,’ but Stacy Clifford Simplican argues that such a ‘capacity contract’ is wrong. She provokes us to disrupt these norms."—Joan Tronto, University of Minnesota"A very interesting read."—Catholic Medical Quarterly"Simplican presents a rich analysis of the role of capacity in classic political philosophy and offers a significant contribution to the field. "—Disability Studies Quarterly"The Capacity Contract should be required reading not just for political theorists but for everybody conscientious about being alerted to unconscious patterns of bias and exclusion in their everyday lives and practices."—The Review of PoliticsTable of ContentsContentsAbbreviationsIntroduction: Anxiety, Democracy, and Disability1. Locke’s Capacity Contract and the Construction of Idiocy2. Manufacturing Anxiety: The Medicalization of Mental Defect3. The Disavowal of Disability in Contemporary Contract Theory4. Rethinking Political Agency: Arendt and the Self-Advocacy Movement5. Self-Advocates and Allies Becoming EmpoweredAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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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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