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sophia_sunflower's review against another edition
3.0
This is a really good and important read. I have the utmost respect for the author's work of reciting study after study, for putting them in context, and for drawing sharp conclusions. I've gained a new understanding of how data can be biased and I have many intriguing facts up my sleeve that I can drop at parties (once they're a thing again). The only thing that bothered me from time to time was the binary understanding of gender that dominated most of the chapters. I understand that this understanding was important to her book because the studies she worked with also applied a binary sex/gender division. However, I was hoping for some meta commentary on that. Anyway, this is a highly informative and feminist book which was a joy to read!
reading_rita's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
5.0
This was my work book club choice for June, but it had been on my radar for a very long time. In a nutshell, this book examines how data gaps disproportionately discriminate against women.
Invisible Women made me angry, disappointed, and frankly, incredibly sad. Some examples are more widely discussed and therefore I was aware of them already, such as the fact that "women are 47% more likely to be seriously injured and 17% more likely to die in a car crash than men because cars are designed and tested primarily with male bodies in mind." Similarly, women are 50% more likely than men to receive an incorrect initial diagnosis when having a heart attack, delaying critical treatment and increasing the risk of fatality, simply because they are likely to experience symptoms like nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath, rather than the chest pain we often see in the media.
However, there were numerous other case studies and data highlighting violence against women that were even more upsetting as I think they are not given nearly as much attention in our society. For instance, "women are disproportionately affected by armed conflict" because "in modern warfare it is civilians, rather than combatants, who are most likely to be killed." To make matters worse, levels of rape and domestic violence are high when conflict breaks out and "remain extremely high in so-called post-conflict settings," with distressing examples from refugee camps and genocide zones. So relevant in our current world of various wars and conflicts!
There were a few cases where efforts were made to improve the ways of living for women, and I'm glad they're highlighted as well. A positive example that stood out to me was a project in Vienna called "Frauen-Werk-Stadt" (Women-Work-City), which involved the construction of a housing complex designed with the input of women. This complex featured wide walkways, social spaces, and easily accessible childcare facilities. The design aimed to create a community-oriented environment that supported the needs of women and families. These initiatives significantly improved the quality of life for women in Vienna, providing safer, more accessible, and better-connected public spaces. Imagine if this would always be considered while planning the new urban areas!
I think the author did her best to keep the tone as judgement-free and light as possible, but be prepared to question the world as you know it. On a closing note, I believe this book is essential reading for understanding the pervasive gender bias in data that affects everything from medical research to urban planning. I'd recommend this to readers interested in social justice and gender equality.
Invisible Women made me angry, disappointed, and frankly, incredibly sad. Some examples are more widely discussed and therefore I was aware of them already, such as the fact that "women are 47% more likely to be seriously injured and 17% more likely to die in a car crash than men because cars are designed and tested primarily with male bodies in mind." Similarly, women are 50% more likely than men to receive an incorrect initial diagnosis when having a heart attack, delaying critical treatment and increasing the risk of fatality, simply because they are likely to experience symptoms like nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath, rather than the chest pain we often see in the media.
However, there were numerous other case studies and data highlighting violence against women that were even more upsetting as I think they are not given nearly as much attention in our society. For instance, "women are disproportionately affected by armed conflict" because "in modern warfare it is civilians, rather than combatants, who are most likely to be killed." To make matters worse, levels of rape and domestic violence are high when conflict breaks out and "remain extremely high in so-called post-conflict settings," with distressing examples from refugee camps and genocide zones. So relevant in our current world of various wars and conflicts!
There were a few cases where efforts were made to improve the ways of living for women, and I'm glad they're highlighted as well. A positive example that stood out to me was a project in Vienna called "Frauen-Werk-Stadt" (Women-Work-City), which involved the construction of a housing complex designed with the input of women. This complex featured wide walkways, social spaces, and easily accessible childcare facilities. The design aimed to create a community-oriented environment that supported the needs of women and families. These initiatives significantly improved the quality of life for women in Vienna, providing safer, more accessible, and better-connected public spaces. Imagine if this would always be considered while planning the new urban areas!
I think the author did her best to keep the tone as judgement-free and light as possible, but be prepared to question the world as you know it. On a closing note, I believe this book is essential reading for understanding the pervasive gender bias in data that affects everything from medical research to urban planning. I'd recommend this to readers interested in social justice and gender equality.
worldofbookcraft's review against another edition
5.0
all 5 stage of grief bc the world truly hates women
kellichupp's review against another edition
4.0
Mind blowing all of the sexism that unknowingly to the general public exists because the data doesn’t exist! The books highlights the ways in which minority women and women in poorer countries are especially impacted. Elect women, let women lead, listen to women, collect data on women in the medical space, technology space, infrastructure space, all spaces!
pandamomentum19's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting premise that sadly already feels somewhat dated. The lack of intersectionality was actually kind of jarring, as I imagine similar books could be written about race and LGBT data gaps. I do work in a field covered in the book and am using it as a jumping off point to find out more about possible solutions to these problems that I can impact.
alisonann's review against another edition
4.0
Not 5 stars primarily due to the lack of any mention of transgender/genderqueer individuals in the entire work, and the suspicion that this may be intentional despite the existence of trans and non binary individuals not being at odds with any of the facts or messaging presented in this book, by this reader's perspective. An unfortunate oversight that I'm really hoping wasn't intentional on the author's part.
Overall an incredibly poignant read, expertly outlining the historic and modern gaps in our data and methods effectively erasing half of society, and recapping the multitude of ways this data gap affects women and society as a whole. Big data runs our world and it's only going to become more pervasive as time goes on, so this gap inevitably shows up in every aspect of modern life.
I can see this being a shocking, overwhelmingly or even unbelievable or exaggerated read for someone who may not have paid much mind to these gaps and issues in the past, but as someone who has lived some of these experiences and has heard throughout my life the stories of other women, nothing covered in this book was surprising.
Overall an incredibly poignant read, expertly outlining the historic and modern gaps in our data and methods effectively erasing half of society, and recapping the multitude of ways this data gap affects women and society as a whole. Big data runs our world and it's only going to become more pervasive as time goes on, so this gap inevitably shows up in every aspect of modern life.
I can see this being a shocking, overwhelmingly or even unbelievable or exaggerated read for someone who may not have paid much mind to these gaps and issues in the past, but as someone who has lived some of these experiences and has heard throughout my life the stories of other women, nothing covered in this book was surprising.
haileystewart6's review against another edition
5.0
i am now the stereotypical man hating lesbian because wtf men? this book was 300 pages of depressing fun facts on why women don’t have the same opportunities men do, and what we as a society can do to change that. i love that the author included solutions, and ways to improve on these data biases. overall a fantastic read for anyone that doesn’t understand or wants to learn more about how women live and move throughout society.