Am I a Woman?: A Skeptic's Guide to Gender

by Cynthia Eller

In this smart, intimate, and conversational book, Cynthia Eller delves into the twin thickets of gender theory and everyday experience to ask how we decide who is a woman-and why we find the answer important. Is a woman defined by her anatomy? Does she perceive the world differently than men? Is it her behavior that somehow marks her as inescapably female? Or is it a matter of how others evaluate her? Eller's answers demonstrate that the question is far more complicated, and its effects more pernicious, than it might at first appear.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Gender Studies

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Cynthia Eller is Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University and the author of five scholarly books and two textbooks. She loves to cross-stitch in her free time.

Reviews

[Antoinette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing I hadn't thought about already. A lot of it was very redundant, and there was a huge tendency to write in a "this is not what I think" style. If Eller would have spent more time actually explaining her thoughts, instead of categorizing them, I may have enjoyed the book better. Still, some of it was humorous and insightful. This would make a good gift for a young woman that is just beginning to explore gender and feminism.

[Jaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been doing some soul-searching about gender and sexuality, so this book appealed to me.

[Haley Casale · Rating 4 out of 5]

like we literally live in a world

[Dearwassily · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read, but offering little to consider.