Customer Reviews

You've Come a Long Way, Maybe: Sarah, Michelle, Hillary, and the Shaping of the New American Woman

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You've Come A Long Way, Maybe, by Leslie Sanchez

I found this book quite interesting, as when I watched election coverage in 2008, I was struck by the unfairness of the media toward Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. I enjoyed Sanchez's conversational but informational style as she posed questions, observations, and made conclusions based on polling data, interviews, and opinions.

The author asks the important question of where the first female president will come from, what her background and political experience will be, what her family will consist of. In trying to answer these questions, she compares the backgrounds of Clinton and Palin. Sanchez also looks at how their campaigns were run, and how that impacted the female vote for each candidate (as well as other demographics).

I was most surprised to learn that some of the most insulting or vocal coverage of the female candidates came from *other* females. Sanchez considers the "Mean Girls" factor, and believes that one of the most important lessons all women need to learn is how to fend for themselves in a world where social bullying is a huge problem. It's an interesting proposition, and one I wouldn't have thought of without reading this book.

"You've Come A Long Way, Maybe," sparked some good debates in my house as we considered the questions posed by Sanchez, and looked back at the 2008 election coverage.

4/5.

This book presented the pros and cons of the past presidential election and what will be needed for a woman to win in the future. It was an inspirational book for all women to demand fair treatment by the media and to learn how to use the new social networks for elections.