Feminism in Our Time : The Essential Writings, World War II to the Present

Rating:
Summary: Should be required reading in school
Review: Feminists of each generation, I think, have to do a lot of reinventing of the wheel. We don't know our own history, and although in 2001 we take for granted the ideas that women can be professional athletes or CEOs, that families are not all alike, that equal pay for equal work is fair and right...these ideas were once radical, and not that long ago. Likewise, in the 1970s universal suffrage was taken for granted...and the struggles of women activists in the 1920s were forgotten. This is a valuable collection of writings which gives us some of that history back. It covers important feminist thought from 1949 to 1993. This book holds important lessons for all of us, on religion, rape, health, pornography, family, race, sexual orientation...all manner of relevant and fascinating work.

Rating:
Summary: Should be required reading in school
Review: Feminists of each generation, I think, have to do a lot of reinventing of the wheel. We don't know our own history, and although in 2001 we take for granted the ideas that women can be professional athletes or CEOs, that families are not all alike, that equal pay for equal work is fair and right...these ideas were once radical, and not that long ago. Likewise, in the 1970s universal suffrage was taken for granted...and the struggles of women activists in the 1920s were forgotten. This is a valuable collection of writings which gives us some of that history back. It covers important feminist thought from 1949 to 1993. This book holds important lessons for all of us, on religion, rape, health, pornography, family, race, sexual orientation...all manner of relevant and fascinating work.

Rating:
Summary: Uneven, but worth the time and trouble
Review: If you are already a convert, you'll love this stuff. But if you're a curious scholar, like me, you're going to find this tough sledding at times. I don't like the way the book is organized. But I think most thinking people will find it a useful roadmap into the minds of feminists and it's a good place for men to begin if they want to get a handle on this important movement. Like it or not, the feminists are here to stay.

Rating:
Summary: Uneven, but worth the time and trouble
Review: If you are already a convert, you'll love this stuff. But if you're a curious scholar, like me, you're going to find this tough sledding at times. I don't like the way the book is organized. But I think most thinking people will find it a useful roadmap into the minds of feminists and it's a good place for men to begin if they want to get a handle on this important movement. Like it or not, the feminists are here to stay.

Rating:
Summary: For those who love women's history
Review: Miriam Schneir's book, "Feminism in Our Time..." is an EXCELLENT text full of wonderful bits of powerful moments in American women's history. Her text features the work (in the form of essays, excerpts from books, speeches, or manifestos) of such authors as Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan, Shulamith Firestone, Kate Millet, Anne Koedt, Adrienne Rich, and Anita Hill. In addition, at the beginning of each chapter and before each piece from these and other authors, Schneir provides crucial historical information. The experience of reading the works within this text will undoubtedly move any reader who has a passion for women's history (and for those who don't yet have the passion, this text will spark it) and inspire you to read more!!