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A review by dreamofbookspines
For Her Own Good: Two Centuries of the Experts Advice to Women by Deirdre English, Barbara Ehrenreich
4.0
As usual, Ehrenreich delivers! This is a great, readable book about more of the horrors that patriarchy has dealt to women. I knew a lot of it beforehand, but didn't know the particulars. This book goes into astonishing depth and explains a lot of things we take for granted (e.g. the origins of home economics class) and really keeps the narrative going.
I adore Ehrenreich, but she does have a race problem; she writes as though all women were equal, without ever mentioning the very real impacts of racial inequalities. She occasionally has a problem with class too, ignoring it entirely, though she's generally better about remembering that not everyone was a stay-at-home mother. Still, these qualities for me don't dim the fascinating qualities of the book (or her writing in general). If you're looking for thoughtful discussion of race and class politics, look elsewhere. But if you're most interested in gender, this is a great pick.
I adore Ehrenreich, but she does have a race problem; she writes as though all women were equal, without ever mentioning the very real impacts of racial inequalities. She occasionally has a problem with class too, ignoring it entirely, though she's generally better about remembering that not everyone was a stay-at-home mother. Still, these qualities for me don't dim the fascinating qualities of the book (or her writing in general). If you're looking for thoughtful discussion of race and class politics, look elsewhere. But if you're most interested in gender, this is a great pick.