America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines.

Can a 20-something in 2010 relate to the first women to settle in America? Surprisingly after reading this book I can say with no hesitation; most definitely! There are so many elements I loved about this book. The depth of information Gail Collins offers in America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines is amazing, but what helps you really identify with these women is the personal stories interspersed throughout. Collins paints a picture of the typical American women at various points in history but then allows the women to share themselves in their own words through diary entries, notes to friends and family, speeches, and interviews. Throughout the book I found myself shocked at the living conditions, obstacles, and opinions women faced. Sometimes the shock was at how different life used to be and other times the shock was at how little has changed. In many ways we have come so incredibly far in others ways life is no different than it was for the first women sailing over to the New Land. With every positive change women saw new prejudices developed and that continues today.

Collins doesn't just present the history of women but also tells an intriguing story. Every women she chose to highlight was unique, but in so many ways they were all the same. Women throughout history have struggled with body-image, finding husbands, raising families, workplace issues, and on and on. These are the common threads you will find in the pages of Collins' book and your own life.

Cunt: A Book Review

Cunt...
Apparently this word is supposed to invoke anger and outrage in me. This is supposedly one of the most offensive words I could be called. I can't say I want to be called this anytime soon, but I have never considered it any worse than other derogatory words. Maybe our culture has just come that much farther since this book was written (1998). Regardless of my feelings about the word, the book Cunt was incredibly thought provoking.

Some things I learned:

• You can induce a miscarriage naturally. This BLEW MY MIND, there is such thing as essentially a homeopathic abortion. With the right combination of herbs and pelvic massage I could force my body to reject a fetus. If this isn't empowerment I don't know what is.
• I have new views on feminism and lesbianism to be first more fully defined and then later discussed here on this blog.
• So much of my life is controlled by white men. So very much of it.
• Our culture very much supports rape. Rape of women, rape of the land, and sadly rape of our children.
  

I struggle with what to rate this book. I struggle with even how to describe it. So much was discussed. The bullets above pretty much summarize what I took from it. That might not seem like much but trust me it was very powerful. I kept finding myself looking forward to having some time to read a little farther. I stayed up much later then I should have many nights because I just wanted to read "one more paragraph". Inga Muscio is a great storyteller. I could feel her emotions throughout the book. I could envision myself in the situations she shared. I felt her anger, her happiness, her disdain, and her frustration. Most importantly I learned.

Book Review: Full Frontal Feminism

This is the review I wrote for the book on amazon.com, I plan on going into more detail on certain aspects of the book soon:

When I find the time to read I vary between the classics and feminist books. Working in a predominantly male environment and having mostly male friends I really enjoy studying feminism, the women's movement, and related issues. I also find that my male friends are often more then willing to discuss many feminist issues and often are very educated on them. This book gives both men and women very little credit. While Jessica says feminism is not all about the stereotypical man hating, she rarely leaves you feeling she has much respect for men. When men are discussed you are left feeling that there are so many criteria to consider when finding men that are worth your time. I was particularly turned off in any of the sections that discussed dating. After going on and on about female sexuality, choices, and freedom she gives a list of what to look for as a feminist dating. One of the bullet points says don't sleep with republicans... really? Does Jessica really believe feminism is such a black and white issue? I believe really smart empowered women are able to look at issues individually instead of writing off every single republican. And that doesn't even take into effect that one chapter earlier she talks about how women should never have to feel bad for their sex life, did she forget to include the clause: unless you slept with a republican?

I have read some really amazing books about modern day feminism, feminism in the 21st century, and feminist books written to empower young women to take up the cause... this was not one of them.


Summary: Don't buy this book, go buy Female Chauvinistic Pigs instead.