One of the reasons I began exploring feminism.

Sixty years on and what strikes me is that we're in many ways back to what Friedan was writing about. The backlash is real. This is exactly the opposite of what Naomi Wolf says in a phone interview included in the audiobook. She claims Friedan's book is dated, because the rights were won. Yeah, right. Including that needless interview after the audiobook left a sour taste in my mouth. (Otherwise, I love Parker Posey's voice. It's a really nice listening experience). In terms of content, it is interesting that although Friedan presents a solid critique of psychoanalysis in one the chapters, she's very much on board the Freudian homophobia--and doesn't seem to think it a problem in her later afterword. I'm glad the movement has moved on. Also, the book feels simply too long. The point is driven home already by the halfway mark, so some condensation would have been welcome. Otherwise this is a great testament to the fact that the struggle never ends.

So this book was fascinating obviously, but of course I have a few objections. Namely the feminine mystique makes people gay argument and concentration camp comparisons. All in all it was much better than When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost, which made me actively angry.

Rating: 3.5. I found the book provides a good insight into the thinking of the era and the driving gender norms in the 1950s and 1960s, including some laughable psychological theories considered scientific at the time. It helps understand where some of the still prevalent (fraught) gender norms came from. The book has some limitations as it only looks at white middle class women without acknowledging that the reality of that group is not universal. In addition, a lot of the arguments and statements are often made based on anecdotal evidence and observations rather than data. The author has conducted interviews and surveys, yet she has not made much effort to make any quantitative or qualitative analysis of those, which was a missed opportunity. Lastly, while the author points out to biases from the then scientific committee, media and scholars, she does not question her own biases which come to light in the book. Overall, worth the read.

Some chapters are definitely skippable (social, statistical, and historical observations/arguments that no longer ring true or hold any force), but this should be required reading for life. Wish I would have read it sooner, but I'm afraid I wouldn't have understood it until now.

Was good “further reading”

DNF, stopped on page 166. Not because I didn't like it. Will revisit someday when I'm not so busy!