What Women Want

Rating:
Summary: A good book with some flaws
Review: I had to read this book for a history class, and I have to admit that it was more interesting than I thought it would be. Ireland's account of (some of) her life is actually rather interesting, as is the history of the burgeoning feminist movement (particularly NOW).

The tone she writes in is very even-there is no ranting or raving about hot-button issues-making it easier to read even for people who may disagree with much of feminist ideology. The text itself is concise and to the point, without unnecessary filler to bog down the reader. It's too bad that she does make a few inappropriate expectations of the reader- namely, she briefly describes how, after moving to Washington D.C., she had a female "companion" (a word that could be used for anything from a dog to a lover, and therefore tells us nothing) in addition to her husband who stayed in Florida. Indeed, all mention of her husband is immediately dropped around this point, and one gets the feeling that she expects us to not only understand her situation, but to approve of it because she doesn't think women should be defined sexually. This doesn't make any sense (imagine a man trying the same thing!) and unfortunately detracts from the overall quality of the book. One can't help but wonder what else Ireland has deemed unfit for the reader to know.

Still, this is not a major point and the book is definitely a good one to read if you want to have some working understanding of feminism beyond the often oversimplified popular media version. The book actually deserves 3.5 stars, but I can only give it 3 or 4.

Rating:
Summary: An eye-opener for anyone under 25
Review: I read this book and was continually astounded by the recent history the author talks about from personal experience. It was amazing to read about what politicians said and did just 20 years ago. I knew the women's movement had made great gains in the last 40 years but I didn't realise to what extent women were discriminated against (and still are) and mistreated UNDER THE LAW. It was a very educational and enjoyable read. Everyone born after the mid-70's should read it so they'll really appreciate the gains of women and minorities in the last 30 years and will be energized to fight for real equality.

I did find it interesting that the author talked so little about her husband and sometimes I'd start wondering if she was still married. But she states that she wanted her personal life to remain personal and that made her think twice about becoming president of NOW and discouraged her from running for public office, so it would only follow that her book wouldn't be full of details about her personal life. As to her sexuality, apart from it being personal, she doesn't like women to be defined in the public eye by their sexuality, so why should she promote that by discussing it with the readers of her book. The book is about her activism and work for women's rights, and it doesn't matter what else she does with her life.

Rating:
Summary: What i want? Nobody asked me...
Review: I thought i'd find out what it was i wanted, so i decided to read this book. I must confess the title annoyed me somewhat for starters (not a good thing), but as i read along, i warmed up to the author. Her tone is quite even and matter-of-fact, even at times when she had the right to be outraged. She brought up the fact that it wasn't that long ago that women were blatantly discriminated in the workplace. Her episode with PanAm and dental coverage for her husband happened not even 30 years ago!

Like all memoirs, it is virtually impossible not to toot your own horn a bit, but Ireland keeps her horn subtlety muted, with only occasional shining references to her achievements.

Once she became president of NOW, she had to move from FL to DC. As it happens so often, dislocation is bad for relationships, and Ireland, married, soon became involved with someone else. This episode also proved to me that people can fool themselves into believing whatever is convenient, and that intelligence has nothing to do with it. How could she possibly have two intimate relationships and justify the validity of both? Can you imagine a man coming up with the same logic? He would be chastised by women all over the globe! Patricia Ireland as a de-facto bigamist disappointed me.

Rating:
Summary: What i want? Nobody asked me...
Review: I thought i'd find out what it was i wanted, so i decided to read this book. I must confess the title annoyed me somewhat for starters (not a good thing), but as i read along, i warmed up to the author. Her tone is quite even and matter-of-fact, even at times when she had the right to be outraged. She brought up the fact that it wasn't that long ago that women were blatantly discriminated in the workplace. Her episode with PanAm and dental coverage for her husband happened not even 30 years ago!

Like all memoirs, it is virtually impossible not to toot your own horn a bit, but Ireland keeps her horn subtlety muted, with only occasional shining references to her achievements.

Once she became president of NOW, she had to move from FL to DC. As it happens so often, dislocation is bad for relationships, and Ireland, married, soon became involved with someone else. This episode also proved to me that people can fool themselves into believing whatever is convenient, and that intelligence has nothing to do with it. How could she possibly have two intimate relationships and justify the validity of both? Can you imagine a man coming up with the same logic? He would be chastised by women all over the globe! Patricia Ireland as a de-facto bigamist disappointed me.