Reviews

For Her Own Good: Two Centuries of the Experts Advice to Women by Deirdre English, Barbara Ehrenreich

robynne's review against another edition

4.0

An excellent examination of advice literature on "the woman question" over the past two centuries. The focus is largely on white middle-class women, understandably in many ways because this was the group that was the focus of the literature examined. This revised edition (2005 vs. 1978) does try to consider race and class in some ways, but would have benefitted from a bit more focus on that. Even so, the strong feminist analysis and focussed feminist commentary in the afterward shine a light on the minefield that was advice for and about women by an ever-growing field of experts. 4.5 stars.

laguiri's review against another edition

3.0

The book is slightly outdated and a bit simplistic at times, but it is a very eye-opening history of gynecology, home economics and the application of science to child-rearing: that is, to the way that scientific and pseudo-scientific experts have told women what to do with their lives.

industrialathena's review against another edition

3.0

This book is a scathing critique of two centuries of so-called expert advice to women. Starting with the industrial revolution and moving forward through the '70s it is filled with example after example of "science" being used to justify all manner of vilification of the female. The chapter on the history of medicine is particularly shocking.

This work isn't as balanced or insightful as Ehrenreich's other gendered social history, The Hearts of Men, but the two works together showcase the way in which corporate capitalism is more responsible for the way we live now than nearly any other social factor. Given the original publishing date (1978), I would have liked to have seen more new material in this second edition, but nevertheless this is an excellent text for any woman interested in our history. If this book doesn't make you more skeptical and wary of medical advice and self help books aimed at the XX set, you weren't paying attention.

panxa's review against another edition

3.0

It's a little dated, since it was written in the 1970s and thus has no info on later decades. Still, an interesting read.