The F-Word: Feminism In Jeopardy - Women, Politics and the Future

Rating:
Summary: A must read for all women
Review: An outstanding breakthrough book. "The F-Word" is a well-researched and accessible book, suitable for feminists young, older and the pioneers of the women's movement. Alas, a book that highlights the threat to female democracy. Thank you, Ms. Rowe-Finkbeiner, for spelling out the disaffection that thwarts the female agenda in today's political arena. Let this book be the catalyst for the next generation of women in future politics.

Rating:
Summary: What color is the sky on your planet?
Review: I just watched Ms. Rowe-Finkbeiner on the Dennis Miller Show, and she trotted out the trusty "women only make 76 cents for the same work a man gets paid a dollar." This is another of the patently false statements used to divide men and women. It has clearly been debunked by multiple studies which block for age, marital and parental status, and years on the job. But even if the proof weren't there, I challenge you to put this to a simple logic test. Most businesses operate on a very thin margin. CEOs are given huge bonuses if they can improve the bottom line by 1-2%. What do you think they would get if they could save 24% on labor costs just by trading their male employees for female employees? If this canard were true, males would NEVER find work in this country.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: It's been a long time since I read a book that motivated me to action like this one. Women still make 76 cents to every dollar earned by men-who knew? It's a great read and spans a lot of material-from the history of American feminism to contemporary women's issues and politics. If you want to know about women and politics, and the current state of women's issues, this is the book for you.



Packed with stories from young women across the country, this book flows well and is an inspiring call to action. And, as a bonus there's a reading group guide and several how-to sections (like how-to get information about issues and candidates, how-to run for office, etc.).



My book group will certainly pick this one up! The readers guide included in the book provides ample ideas to spark great discussions.


Rating:
Summary: Who's telling the truth?
Review: Oh, Spike in San Antonio. It's so hard to believe that sexism exists, isn't it? I'm not sure where your numbers come from, as your logic seems tenuous, at best, but according to that left-wing, liberal think tank known as the US Census Bureau, Rowe-Finkbeiner is right. And it's getting worse.

The Census Bureau reported in August, based on the Current Population Survey, that women's real median earnings fell by $171, or 0.6 percent, from 2002 to 2003, while men's increased by $336, or 0.8 percent. (The increase for men was not statistically significant, but the decrease for women was.) The gender wage ratio thus fell to 75.5, compared with 76.6 in 2002. In addition, a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in October of 2003, controlling for changes in education and work experience over time, concludes that women¹s earnings have remained stagnant, relative to men's, for an even longer period--17 years--with a gap that cannot be explained by measurable differences in education and experience.

If you actually read The F-Word, you might find cited cases like this: Although women make up nearly 3/4 of Wal-Mart's workforce, men hold 90% of management positions--despite female employee's receiving better performance evaluations overall--and female employees are paid lower wages than male employees for the same jobs. None of this is disputed by the corporation. Why? According to Wal-Mart, because men are there for a career, while women are working for pocket money. I wish I could say your attitude was merely naive--but the truth is it's far more dangerous and insidious. Thanks to Rowe-Finbeiner for telling it how it really is.