I came to the startling realization recently that, despite it being a landmark work which I have been hearing about my whole life, I had never actually read this book. So I picked it up. It must be admitted that I fully expected to find it dated, cliche, and quaint at the most. I was quite surprised (and maybe a bit disturbed) to find how relevant it still is. It must, of course, be read with understanding of its historical context, Friedan's life, and understanding of how the book's age impacts the content. Basically the entirety of chapter 12, "Progressive Dehumanization", made me cringe and there are plenty of other things in the book that can be easily criticized with our half-century of hindsight.

However, the important thing is that this book still resonated with me in a big way. I was born into a world that had already accepted much of what Friedan presented; into a generation that had the privledge to take for granted what feminism had earned for us. Yet, within the pages I still found myself, my parents, my in-laws, my friends, even teenagers that I know. The relevance is eerie. The 1950's woman is so far removed from the 2017 woman. So why are her shadows still everywhere?

This book is a powerhouse. It is clear why it accomplished what it did. I found it, for the most part, very insightful. It is clear now, however, that there is more to the story that perhaps Friedan did not realize at the time. Nonetheless, this is an important work and one not to be dismissed.