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oviedorose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
5.0
outcolder's review against another edition
3.0
Read this a few years before writing this review. I remember thinking Kristof's "big stick" solutions had a ring of the old "here comes the West to save you" and that that hasn't been working out so well the last few centuries. I also remember a bit where he kind of dismisses sex worker labor unions, and the example he uses is actually a "yellow" labor union by which I mean one that is controlled by management. It's all classic New York Times ... humanitarian interventions and union bashing. But I mean, come on, his heart is very much in the right place! I think the stuff in here about maternal mortality made the biggest impression on me, and the book did inspire me to look at various NGOs and to even fork over some money to some of them.
ismeco's review against another edition
2.0
Chapter 3 of “Against White Feminism” is a succinct antidote to this book. I recommend reading that instead. While it included moving stories of women’s resilience, it was told in an almost grotesquely voyeuristic way. So far I’m about halfway through the book but struggling with the underlying tones of white saviorism, US exceptionalism, and huge issues going undiscussed, namely:
capitalism, colonialism, racism, any harm caused by religious missionaries, systemic abuse of women by law enforcement? Maybe these will be touched on in later chapters.
After a mention of maternal mortality the author posits the idea that African women might just be biologically predisposed to difficult childbirth? Yikes.
Probably won’t finish.
capitalism, colonialism, racism, any harm caused by religious missionaries, systemic abuse of women by law enforcement? Maybe these will be touched on in later chapters.
After a mention of maternal mortality the author posits the idea that African women might just be biologically predisposed to difficult childbirth? Yikes.
Probably won’t finish.
jbabiarz's review against another edition
5.0
Though sad and at many times very hard to read, it's an excellent, informative book.
araym007's review against another edition
5.0
It's not a perfect book, but it gets pretty close. Reading this book will benefit everyone, whoever they are, wherever they are.
willdriveforsnacks's review against another edition
3.0
While this book brings up an issue that desperately needs attention, I found the redundancy a bit distracting. the chapters were repetitive after awhile and I would have loved to see more ways to take action and less repetition. the documentary was fantastic.
tophat8855's review against another edition
4.0
RS book group May 2011. Very hard to get through. I read some of the reviews here and how people read this book all in one night- I just could not do that. I needed to digest it slowly. Not a happy book, but necessary to grab you out of a cushy life and get you to do something. I'm grateful to Courtney for creating www.talentsofsisters.org so I can knit and donate items to raise money for some of these concerns. Thanks Courtney!
kathleenguthriewoods's review against another edition
5.0
Well-written, timely, disturbing, inspiring, motivating. Of all the books I've read over the past year, this is the one I talk about the most.