A provocative new perspective on female history, the history of American medicine and psychology, and the history of child-rearing unlike any other.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
PERSONAL VALIDATION:
These are not "New Ideas" This is neither "provocative" nor
"controversial" Those are bogus words intended to distance oneself from
reality. The book is REAL - any woman who has not been singled out for patronizing advice is lucky indeed or is living in a fools paradise. "Helpful suggestions", chin-tilting, lowered deep voices from men -- generic men -- strangers "authorities" -- teachers -- therapists -- telling you to relax, don't worry, stop thinking so much... READ the YELLOW... more info
One take on the medicalization of women:
This was a well researched (I spot fact-checked a few of the footnotes) and well written book about the history of the "Woman Question." The "Woman Question" changes over time, but it is a social class centered issue. Ehrenreich and English combine Conflict and Feminist theoretical perspectives without getting technical about it to give a solid backdrop into the history of how the medical and psychiatric/psychological professions came to understand what it means to be a woman and how women are. It takes a... more info
Interesting but dry:
I enjoyed this book although I found the style slightly less engaging than Barbara Ehrenreich's more recent Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. Compared to Nickel and Dimed it is slightly dry and repetitive. However, for those who think feminism is still cool and relevant, there are some interesting themes.
A real education for women of our time:
As a "baby boomer" woman, I really appreciated the chance to look back and review the history leading up to the changes we saw in our generation regarding women's rights and women's choices. It was particularly illuminating to have the transformations I myself experienced since childhood encapsulated in such a clear format; it helped me understand how my own grandmother and mother saw their roles. I enjoyed the authors' pithy and practical writing style.
