The Motherhood Manifesto: What America's Moms Want - and What To Do About It (Paperback)

by Joan Blades (Author), Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (Author) "In the deep quiet of a still dark morning Renee reaches her arm out from under her thick flowered comforter and across the bed to..." (more)
Key Phrases: mommy wage gap, military childcare, flexible work options, United States, Jet Blue, Best Buy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A straightforward agenda by political activists Blades and Rowe-Finkbeiner advocates a seriously thought-out, workable scheme for empowering mothers at home and in the workplace. The book is snappily structured in chapters that correspond to the letters making up the word mother: M is for "Maternity/Paternity Leave"; O for "Open Flexible Work"; T for "TV You Choose and Other After-School Programs"; H for "Healthcare for All Kids"; E for "Excellent Child Care"; and R for "Realistic and Fair Wages." In order to drive home these demands, the authors sound some alarming facts and statistics: although nearly three-quarters of American mother have jobs outside of the home, they tend to earn 27% less than men, while single moms earn 34%–44% less. The national scandal of skyrocketing health care costs bankrupts families and pushes moms into marginalized jobs, while working mothers leave children home to unsupervised TV watching and substandard child care. The authors propose family-friendly flexible work schedules and offer compelling employer success stories. The U.S. military presents a model child care program, while a boost in the minimum wage would allow mothers a "living wage." "As mothers go, so goes the country," the authors warn, and they hammer home real ways of taking action. (May)
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Product Description
Motherhood in America is at a critical juncture. As women’s roles evolve, more women than ever are in the workforce and more children than ever are raised without a stay-at-home parent. At the same time, public and private policies that affect parenting and the workplace remain largely unchanged. The result is that parents, and mothers in particular, struggle to balance the needs of their children with the demands of their jobs. Some believe that mothers should balance parenting and career. Joan Blades and Kristin Rowe Finkbeiner dare to argue otherwise.

In The Motherhood Manifesto, the authors argue that it’s time for broad change in America’s attitude towards working mothers. In both public and private sectors, radical shifts are needed to make parenting and the workplace compatible. The Manifesto identifies and demolishes the obstacles facing working mothers today, and proposes concrete solutions.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books (April 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560258845
• ISBN-13: 978-1560258841
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #318,495 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book we've been waiting for!, April 25, 2006

By	Amy Tiemann "creator of www.MojoMom.com" (Chapel Hill, NC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As a writer who feels like it's time to move beyond the so-called "Mommy Wars," I eagerly awaited the chance to read "The Motherhood Manifesto." I was not disappointed--this is truly the book that I have been hoping that someone would write. Blades and Rowe-Finkbeiner describe the substantial problems that familes face, and lay out proactive steps that mothers can take to work toward a just and equitable society for all of us. The book is extremely well researched. My impression after reading the first few chapters was to feel angry that there is so little U. S. public policy that truly supports parents, and also very sad that we have thus far settled for such a pathetic situation. Thinking parents, women and men: it is a matter of economic strategy as well as compassion to support familes with flexible work schedules, benefits, and fair wages. Joan Blades and Kristen Rowe-Finkbeiner have incredible credentials to launch a new movement. Read this book, [...] to find out what you can do to join their call to action.

56 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why mothers and families are part of our nation's public good, May 4, 2006

By	Ruth Rosen (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As the author of "The World Split Open: How the Modern Women's Movement Changed America," (Penguin, 2001), I have long waited for a book that explains why women and mothers are not part of "identity politics; but an essentail ingredient of the public good. "The Motherhood Manifesto" offers the reader a clear, lucid, description of the discrimination that mothers face, and what we can do to rectify this injustice. It addresses what I have called The Care Crisis--the fact that mothers have entered the paid labor force during the last 40 years, but American society has found no answer to the vital questions: Who will take care of our nation's children,elderly, and our communities?

For those who want to restore democracy in the United States, here is the recipe for doing just that--creating a society in which caregiving and work each receive their due, but in a balanced and humane manner. Must reading for anyone who cares about the burdens working mothers and families face under our current antiquated system of assuming that each person and each family is wholly self-reliant.

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right on, May 5, 2006

By	CTSoxFan "1918-2004...here endeth the drought!" (Greenwich, CT USA) - See all my reviews

The minds behind MoveOn.org tend to get it right, and this book is no exception. Throught-provoking and insightful, and well worth a price tag of less than ten bucks!