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alfboyreads's review against another edition
3.5
listen, the 3 stars isn't because it's a bad book; sophie lewis is an incredibly gifted writer and i am definitely not smart enough to understand all of her ideas but 3 stars is instead because of the dissapointment over what the book could have been!! with a title like feminism against the family i was so wishing it would have been a book length exploration of alternate family structures and gestational communism and family relationship anarchy but only a single chapter was dedicated to this! i think lewis' writing is a bit... almost stream of consciousness because it flows as flowy as it wants to be and into some strange places sometimes. her concepts are fascinating but i think her books alwaus leave a little to be desired i find. or i mean i am completely open to the idea that i am just too dumb to get it, she is a very very smart gal
foxmoon's review against another edition
1.0
Beneficial insofar as its radical and wild assertion ("I argue in this book that we must [...] unlearn gestation-exceptionalism in our thinking about labor militancy.") is something new to consider, aka as an exercise in considering, debate, and thinking about. I didn't find the arguments convincing nor based in material reality, and the author herself reiterates her ideas as idealism and admits that "I have never gestated nor worked as a surrogate." Just... Anyway. Really not that well-written despite its use of academic jargon—the opposite of succinct and/or compelling.
sara_n's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
sarracenia's review against another edition
3.0
Full Surrogacy Now is certainly not light reading and I struggled to push through parts of it. Initially, as a mum, I found the idea of abolishing the family absurd - I couldn't imagine being okay with anyone else but me raising my children. I felt that the author may not have children (though I don't know if this is the case) and has not felt the strong maternal bond that I continue to enjoy with mine. The idea that all children might be born as if through surrogacy, with a disconnect between those who birthed them and those who mother them, is difficult for me to support.
However, the book raises a number of important and challenging questions about the role of the nuclear family and capitalism, whether surrogacy should be paid or altruistic and whether it counts as work, whether childcare should be counted as work and what, therefore, is work after all. The idea of radically reshuffling our ideas of family and work is certainly worthwhile, and using surrogacy as a way to frame this was very interesting.
However, the book raises a number of important and challenging questions about the role of the nuclear family and capitalism, whether surrogacy should be paid or altruistic and whether it counts as work, whether childcare should be counted as work and what, therefore, is work after all. The idea of radically reshuffling our ideas of family and work is certainly worthwhile, and using surrogacy as a way to frame this was very interesting.
pansypipedream's review against another edition
challenging
informative
4.0
I really liked this! It was a bit too academic & referential for me to fully Get it, and I also think the final chapter was a bit of an odd pivot - I would have loved to see more of those themes earlier in the book, not just as a conclusion. But it gave me a lot to think about, and a list of texts to look at next on the subject!
thegreatestpossibleresonance's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0