The Feminine Mystique: Amazon.co.uk: Betty Friedan: Books

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The Feminine Mystique

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The problem lay buried, unspoken, for many years in the minds of American women. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
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3.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A classic, but not a gospel, 5 Feb 2005

By	Rory Ridley-Duff (Sheffield, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Feminine Mystique (Penguin Women's Studies) (Paperback)

Sometimes you have to read a classic to fully understand why it had such an impact. This is one fantastic book, and I can appreciate why it moved millions to look at the relationship between the sexes more closely.

It is a testament to its many 'truths' that it still commands respect and attention 40 years on, and the many descriptions of how the 1950s/1960s left women feeling isolated and powerless, plus the many changes that show they have a path out of domesticity, are the things that I still value most about this text.

However, time has shown up some of the books faults. For me, the most glaring - and the one that reveals how a political view can incline a writer to fit data to a hypothesis, rather than the other way around, is the poor discussion of spending power and adverstising.

Friedan reports that 75% of money earned is spent by women, and tries to turn this on its head to claim that they are still 'victims' because advertisers pay so much attention to manipulating them. This is a bit like saying that if men had 3 votes to women's 1, that men would be 'victims' because politicians were more interesting in winning men's votes. Women have spending power in our society and this gives them not only a lot of economic power but collective control over much of the media (who must not offend women to retain adverstising revenues).

A brilliant book, but not faultless. For a similarly sympathetic book from men's perspective try to get your hands on a copy of "Why Men Are The Way They Are", by Warren Farrell.

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17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So original, amazingly good, 16 Sep 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Feminine Mystique (Penguin Women's Studies) (Paperback)

I read this for a class I did at uni on the American women's movement and it is utterly amazing. What is so astonishing - and if you're buying this for uni my lecturer gave me an A for this point - this is the first book that really trated men and women as equal. Friedan is the first person who ever really questioned the idea that women and men are so different and that their lives should be dictated by those differences. Friedan sees women and men as being equal in opportunity, and this is what makes this book so groundbreaking. She doesn't tell women to go out and live like men, or to give up 'womanly' things like children or marriage, but instead she is saying there is no 'natural' reason for that. Women and men can do exactly as each other can and create their own lives - unlike the prevailing thought that we still see today, that your gender defines what your life will be. This is so incredible to read I think anyone who geets the chance should.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the 2nd Sex, 24 May 2008

By	Sally Wilton "Sally" (Bournemouth UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Feminine Mystique (Penguin Women's Studies) (Paperback)

An interesting read but compared to other feminist literature it involves quite a small group of people. Namely housewives living in the USA during the 1950's and 60's. The underlying problem is repeated throughout the book and surrounds the fact that, these ladies, despite often being quite bright and having the benefit of a good education decided to give everything up at an early age to marry and have children. Betty Friedan looks at the reasoning behind it and the regrets these women so often have regarding wasting their lives. There is really no one to blame for this state of affairs other than the women themselves. Most of us women undergo the dream of a family and happy home life before realising that it is quite boring and we miss out on many more very exciting things in the world. Sad, but we are all pulled by our instincts and Betty Friedan doesnt really grasp this fact which is brilliantly related in Simone De Beauvoirs book 'The 2nd Sex'. Additionally other books will explain more fully how our genes are programmed for survival and reproduction of the species which is why people sabotage their plans for the strong urge to have a baby. None of this is mentioned and Betty almost believes there is a conspiracy going on rather than women have the money and homes in which to indulge their primeval longings albeit disasterously in the long run. This is an interesting book but not that broad and the message is repeated throughout it without really adding anything of further interest to the reader. Certainly an example of one of the steps of the Womens Liberation Movement and of interest to the feminist reader for that reason.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars slightly overzealous, poorly written, but some interesting ideas
First off I'll declare my bias, in that I'm a man; I believe I'm unusually feminist, however a man nonetheless. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Talc Demon

2.0 out of 5 stars Housewife phobia
I have avoided reading this book for many years, because I knew from what I'd heard about it that Betty Friedan had a low opinion of housewives, and as a housewife myself I didn't... Read more

Published 13 months ago by L O'connor

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic Feminist Text
An academic, thoroughly researched yet easy read. It seems a bit dated now, 43 years on, but a must-read for anyone interested in equality. Read more

Published on 10 Sep 2006 by A. Tatton

5.0 out of 5 stars The Feminine Mystique
excellent book. I bought this to do an essay on gender for college. It realy made you think, a book you cant put down.

Published on 28 Mar 2003 by parrymania

5.0 out of 5 stars a must read for all females and open minded men!
this book is just excellent, i actually read when i was doing a paper on the sixties and this book kept popping up in research sources so i thought it would be a good idea to read... Read more

Published on 8 Oct 2001

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	63% buy the item featured on this page: The Feminine Mystique 3.9 out of 5 stars (8)
	11% buy The Second Sex (Vintage classics) 4.8 out of 5 stars (6) �8.49
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