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lalawoman416's review against another edition
5.0
Yes. We should all be feminists. And, really, that's all that must be said. But of course, there's nuance and Adichie provides it in this beautiful essay. Loved it.
whatcourtneyreads's review against another edition
5.0
I read this teeny book-length essay (essay-length book?) after seeing it around for ages and for some reason never picking it up. The audiobook is read by the author, who has a truly beautiful reading voice and I could honestly listen to her read a shopping list.
The content was fairly entry-level feminism for those who are already well read, but I really enjoyed the intersectional lens and discussions of systems and levels of oppression, and the anecdotes of personal experiences in Adichie’s country of origin Nigeria as well as USA.
There was a really great passage about the cultural shift over time in what we consider necessary leadership qualities, and how that has fed male dominance and our patriarchal society. Early humans valued physical strength, which the men could provide, whereas now we value characteristics such as intelligence, which can be equally provided by a female leader.
There were so many poignant statements and beautifully-worded paragraphs, I found this book packed a really big punch for its small size. I want to end this review on a quote that really stayed with me, because of its truth and also how it was worded:
“Masculinity is a hard, small cage, and we put boys inside this cage, and we teach them to be afraid of fear, of weakness, of vulnerability.”
Set aside an hour and read this book. You can thank me later.
The content was fairly entry-level feminism for those who are already well read, but I really enjoyed the intersectional lens and discussions of systems and levels of oppression, and the anecdotes of personal experiences in Adichie’s country of origin Nigeria as well as USA.
There was a really great passage about the cultural shift over time in what we consider necessary leadership qualities, and how that has fed male dominance and our patriarchal society. Early humans valued physical strength, which the men could provide, whereas now we value characteristics such as intelligence, which can be equally provided by a female leader.
There were so many poignant statements and beautifully-worded paragraphs, I found this book packed a really big punch for its small size. I want to end this review on a quote that really stayed with me, because of its truth and also how it was worded:
“Masculinity is a hard, small cage, and we put boys inside this cage, and we teach them to be afraid of fear, of weakness, of vulnerability.”
Set aside an hour and read this book. You can thank me later.
lcf1023's review against another edition
5.0
"Some people ask: 'Why the word feminist ? Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?' Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general— but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women. That the problem was not about being human, but specifically about being a female human. For centuries, the world divided human beings into two groups and then proceeded to exclude and oppress one group. It is only fair that the solution to the problem acknowledge that."
yellowboundbooks's review against another edition
5.0
this ended up being the book that made my goal this year, and it is really more of an essay so i feel like i cheated. either way, i agree, this is quick, easy, understandable and necessary reading for those with no grasp on feminism to those who are fully versed. adichie gives those of us who are stuck in our own western worlds a peak into her life in nigeria, and i find that here in the states, we are not as far as we might’ve thought.
farahsarish's review against another edition
3.0
I loved reading about this topic from the perspective of a Nigerian woman! Chimamanda Ndichie is an incredible and powerful communicator.
glossy's review
informative
fast-paced
4.0
Is it based on a TED talk and thus a little basic? Yes. Is it a good entry point to feminism that summarizes the crucial points? Also yes.
I especially like the argument about the word "feminist" and why is important not to stop using it.
I especially like the argument about the word "feminist" and why is important not to stop using it.