From Publishers Weekly
Steinem is at her polemical best in these six compelling essays--three of which are new, three revised from Ms. articles. She invents "Dr. Phyllis Freud," founder of psychoanalysis, who proved that men's lack of wombs make them terminally envious and whose theories serve as a semi-scientific rationale for men's lower status in a matriarchal society. An interview with women's weightlifting world champ Bev Francis leads Steinem to question assumptions of female weakness and male strength. Another piece demystifies economics by interpreting it as a system of human values, with special reference to women's unpaid or underrated work. Elsewhere Steinem analyzes the growing feminization of poverty and masculinization of wealth, exposes advertisers' restrictive control over the editorial content of women's magazines and reflects on turning 60, an age, she finds, when women grow more radical and rebellious. Each essay is prefaced by an extensive introduction which Steinem uses as a platform to discuss sexual politics. First serial to Ms.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
"If you added water to any of these parts," Steinem says, each segment could become a book. While some of the articles have been previously published, or are "re-rites" of others, there is some new work presented here. "What If Freud Were Phyllis?" was recently published in Ms. magazine after initially being presented to the American Psychiatric Association. The piece is comparatively lengthy (comprising two of the four cassettes) but well worth the space accorded it. Perhaps the best in the collection is "Doing Sixty." The woman who once answered a reporter's remark that she didn't look 40 with "This is what 40 looks like. We've been lying so long, who would know?" has plenty of insights on women in the last third of life. For all libraries.
Reilly Reagan, Putnam Cty. Lib., Cookeville, Tenn.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
Readings from Steinem's latest book cover diverse topics, such as what if Freud had been a woman, turning 60 and advertising. The listener is treated to a reading that feels like a personal revelation. Steinem's wit and intelligence enliven the words. With the author narrating, the material is more humorous, poignant and alive than the text alone. Certain to gain nods of agreement, or snorts of disbelief, this is superior in all aspects. E.L.C. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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From Booklist
Readers fascinated by Steinem's exploration of self-esteem in the best-selling
Revolution from Within (1991) as well as those who consider that book an unproductive digression are likely to be curious about this collection of new and revised essays. The longest piece, a "reversal" that defends the psychoanalytic theories of "Phyllis" Freud, is demanding (you
do need to read those long, chatty footnotes!) but will be instructive for readers who have not followed the latest scholarship on Sigmund and his ideas. Three pieces update articles published in
Ms.: "The Strongest Woman in the World" (on Australian athlete and bodybuilder Bev Francis); "Sex, Lies and Advertising" (on
Ms. magazine's long struggle with advertisers and ad agencies); and "The Masculinization of Wealth" (which posits that, in terms of allocating power, gender is a more fundamental distinction than class). In "Revaluing Economics," Steinem humanizes the dismal science by displaying the value judgments it obfuscates, while "Doing Sixty" offers her reflections on the past, rejection of nostalgia, and celebration of the present as she enters her seventh decade.
Mary Carroll
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From Kirkus Reviews
This outstanding collection of essays provides a history of the feminist movement based on Steinem's personal experience. Previously published essays are given new introductions, and the subjects range from an unusual analysis of Freud to discussions about women and sports, class, economics, and ``old age.'' In the first and longest essay, Steinem creates Dr. Phyllis Freud. In a matriarchal world of female dominance and supremacy, this Dr. Freud is a woman of courage greatly respected for her innovative research on undeserving men. Using the gender inversion to illustrate the absurdity of Freud's (Sigmund, that is) theories about sexuality, Steinem critiques social systems based on hierarchy and inequality, arguing that Freudians continue to deny that ``class or race or other social systems'' have had anything to do with the feelings of rage and inferiority experienced by their predominantly female patients. More than a witty satire, what emerges is a compelling examination of the male-dominated institution of mental health. Another essay, a reprint of the expos‚ written when Ms. magazine moved to an ad-free format, remains a compelling reminder of the far-reaching influence of advertisers on the lives of both men and women. Once, after Ms. printed a Front Page Award-winning story about feminists exiled from Russia, Revlon pulled an ad from the magazine because the Soviet women on the cover were not wearing makeup. The struggle to maintain the independence and integrity of the women's magazine will encourage readers to question the untold messages in advertising. In the final piece Steinem reflects on the transition to ``old age'' as a way of analyzing social systems designed to hide away the elderly. But rather than wither and die, Steinem finds herself growing more radical with age. For someone who has accomplished so much in a world not always receptive to visions of feminist change, Steinem keeps getting better and better. (Author tour) --
Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
From one of the most influential women in the country and bestselling author of Revolution from Within comes a collection of provocative, entertaining, mind-changing essays. The six pieces, three of which have never been published before, explode common assumptions and propose radical new ways of looking at human possibilities.
