Feminism: Reinventing the F-Word

by Nadia Abushanab Higgins

While most people say they believe in equal rights, the word feminism ―America's new F-word―makes people uncomfortable. Explore the history of US feminism through pioneers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, and Gloria Steinem. Meet modern leaders such as Rebecca Walker and Julie Zeilinger, who are striving to empower women at work, in government, at home―and in cultural and personal arenas. Learn from interviews with movement leaders, scholars, pop stars, and average women, what it means to be a feminist―or to reject it altogether. After reading this book, readers will be able to respond to "Am I a feminist?" with a confident, informed voice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, History, Social Justice, Womens

112 pages, Library Binding

First published March 1, 2016

Reviews

[Kelly]

A very elementary and very white and very gender-based look at feminism which makes a number of gaffes -- the creator of Intersectionality is never once named (BASIC stuff) and after talking about the power of Sojourner Truth, Higgins then fails to mention any of the racial limitations placed on the passage of women's suffrage.

Too much time is spent on unimportant aspects of feminism, such as beauty and appearance, and not enough spent on issues like race, class, and other INTERSECTIONS of feminism. It's important to address rape culture, absolutely, but an entire chapter on that and nary a mention of the problems of white feminism is a huge disservice.

[Selene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Twenty-First Century Books for the advanced reading copy of Feminism: Reinventing the F-Word by Nadia Abushanab Higgins. I can't wait to start this book.

This novel opens up the topic of Feminism for young women and girls. This is definitely inspiring for all women. This novel shows the history and current situations of all women's issues. This is a great starting place for any man or woman looking into Feminism for basic knowledge. It could even be aqaimed at young boys and girls.

[Lbsantini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview for teens about feminist history and thinking. Heck, it was equally useful for me at 44. My favorite chapter was about the beauty cult. I want always to remember the words of Abra Fortune Chernik, a woman who struggled with anorexia and is quoted in the text. Higgins (the author) writes: "Chernik had reached a turning point in her recovery. She realized her eating disorder was more than just a personal trauma: 'Gazing in the mirror at my emaciated body, I observed a woman held up by her culture as the physical ideal because she was starving, self-obsessed and powerless, a woman called beautiful because she threatened no one except herself.'" This hit me like a rock to the chest for its truth and power.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will be honest, I made it 10 pages.
My blood pressure couldn't take any more.
The ridiculous MYTHS this book perpetrates (such as the gender wage gap) and the way it associates FEMINISM with SEXUAL "FREEDOM" as if the two are inseparable (can we talk about valuing women without mentioning our ability to have kids? Or be lesbian?) drove me crazy.
Was the world perfect 50 years ago? Of course not. Women have been given the short end of the stick throughout history. This book, however, is so blindly determined to paint a picture as women as the victim that it fails to even attempt to be balanced. Please, spare yourself.

[Question · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this book is very terrible. It highlights most if not all the faults of feminism and makes a mockery of this group of people. The wage gap is a very big myth, think about it. If women made less than men for the EXACT SAME job, then there would be riots, there would be protest, people would not be silent. But, everyone gets paid the same amount if they work the same job and same amount of time. Misogyny is what these lot will scream over the most nonsensical conflicts. They like to say that men need to be taught not to rape, but ignore that way more men are raped then are reported and ignore other mens issues despite claiming equality for all. If that were the case they would be trying to combat things like men are 4 times as likely to be killed on the street at night, 4 times as likely to commit suicide, more likely to fail school, and that they are forced into parenthood without consent. These are the people who bicker over the 1st world problems, and ignore children in poor countries who cant access clean water, women in the middle east who can't go to school, and others who simply can't afford to eat. If they really wanted to make a change, they wouldn't be making books that only appeal to their followers, but protesting for everyone's equal rights

[Naomi Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable and informative introduction to feminism and it's many dimensions. Lots of great references.

[Helen Marquis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome introduction to the history of women's rights and what it means to be a feminist. Starting from the very earliest stages of gaining the right to vote, via the Suffragettes movement, and taking the reader on a journey through womankind's struggles just to gain basic equalities with men, it's impressive to see how far we've come, but equally depressing to see how unjust things still are.
The struggle is real and continues. This is an inspiring introduction to the subject for the younger reader, including current topics of discussion around body image, LGBTQ rights and identity, sexual violence and what it means to be a woman in the modern age. This should be essential reading for all young adults regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has just surface-level information. The book design and layout is good, but I was annoyed by a few things, like not attributing Twitter posts, and a stock image of a teenager with a caption that implied she was a prostitute. I was disappointed how little the book actually covers the history of feminism and politics - the temperance movement was not even mentioned. Honestly, considering this book cites Buzzfeed and the quotes pages of Goodreads (instead of the actual book from which it is quoted), this book doesn't add much more than a teen would glean from being a regular user of tumblr.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another review I read called this book a feminism primer, and I think that's very accurate. This is an excellent resource for someone who has no previous understanding of the history and purpose of feminism. There were a few things in here that I didn't know beforehand, but by and large it's nothing intimidating.
Very good for students.
*I got this book from Netgalley*

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been curious about feminism my whole life but never knew what would be a great place to start. I picked this up on a whim at the library yesterday and I'm so glad I did.
This is a great springboard for anyone trying to learn about feminism. It touches on lots of subject including history of feminism and some suggested reads.
I'm really glad i picked this one up!

[Mackie Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really learn anything, but as an introduction to the movement for teens this was excellent.

[Gabija · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided some decent information about feminism (most of which I had learned of just from perusing the internet). I had a few issues with the way things were worded and the information presented though. I understand that this book was a look at the issues women face in America, but I think it could have stood to mention some other genders facing the same issues. Like in the Violence Against Women part, when talking about rape and domestic abuse the author failed to mention that men can also fall victim to these atrocities, and later in the book said, "Men ... don't live under the threat of sexual assault the way women do" (page 63). I just find issue with that because it leads to more problems down the road of assaults against men not taken as seriously because they're "tough." I also really disliked how it seemed beauty was posed as this thing to stay away from, because it's distracting and making women view themselves as objects (maybe it was supposed to be seen differently, but that's how I saw it put as). The "Girlie Feminists," who saw striving for one's own image of beauty as up to the individual, were posed as a whole other league than the "normal" feminists. I also was a little put off by some of the word choices (for example, "real women," "a feminist point of view" (as if the author speaks for all feminists), etc.). There was a fair bit of info I didn't know though, which was nice, and I really like the Feminist Wish List at the end. Overall, I think this book offered some varying viewpoints and information, and would be a good intro to feminism in America (other countries and cultures weren't mentioned very often, and issues women in other countries face was hardly discussed, if at all). Disclaimer: there's still a lot I have to learn about a whole mess of things, so feel free to inform me if I misinterpreted something or got something wrong.

[Amy! · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good quick and dirty primer on feminism and some of the issues at the heart of it. The author talks about intersectionality a lot, as well as inclusiveness. It's a tad dry, but potentially because there wasn't any new information in here for me.

[Anna Chappell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of feminism and what it has and should and maybe will mean. I wasn't very fond of the way it was structured though, from text-type to the chapter divisions and topics, since it was a little repetitive at times.

[Chy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, but informative read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminism: Reinventing the F-Word is a mainly good source for newcomers to feminism. It is a fairly thorough overview of most of the current issues that feminism is tackling, as well as a brief overview of the history of feminism.

This book has an appealing layout, and is well-suited for teenage newcomers to feminism. It's also a good introductory piece for those adults who have yet to fully educate themselves about current issues feminism is tackling, the history of feminism, or the evolution of feminism to what it is today. Abushanab Higgins has put together a solidly intersectional look into feminism as it stands, and anyone new to the movement would likely benefit from reading this. It never talks down, but manages to stay highly accessible.

I did have a few issues with some of the content. Most of the book manages to be inclusive, although parts of it could have done better. Disabled women are made reference to, but not much is done to actually speak of the unique issues that disabled women face as the result of discriminatory practices (even within the feminist movement). It also refers to a pair of women in an image as having been crippled, which is generally frowned upon. While gender identity does get some page time, which I was glad to see, sexual identity doesn't get more than passing mentions. Reinventing the F-Word also manages to avoid discussing pornography, despite even talking about porn culture. It makes a good show of mentioning it, but does very little to discuss feminist views (positive or negative) on pornography, other than when being mentioned in combination with other forms of sex work.

Basically, this is a good introductory piece. Good, not great. It's definitely worth the read if you're a teenager or new to the movement, but it should be used as a stepping stone to more in depth books and articles. Fortunately, the of the book does provide detailed lists of book and website sources, as well as lists books, websites, videos, and documentaries, for readers to take a look into.

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was frankly an amazingly informational and inspirational book. I learned so much about feminists’ pasts, both good and bad, as well as how the goals of each wave of feminists has changed from the last. I felt empowered by how it was written, even if the content was not all happy news, but those unfair stories made me want to go out and do something to change what had happened to those women. Each story that was told felt important to the the timeline of feminism, whether it be an injustice or a victory, it was all so crucial for the future. The book covered a range of topics that wasn’t just rights for middle-aged white women, but for women and girls of all ages. It went to the source of the problem and pointed out the mistakes there with the wage gap, and the unfair expectations and outcomes of a woman mothering a child vs a man fathering a child. This book discussed the different kinds of problems women of different ethnicities face, refusing to clump them together and label it all as the same problem when each might require a different solution from the last. It talked about how queer and trans culture helped with the feminist movement and how these minority communities need to stick together and support each others’ causes. The author spoke about how racial diversity makes the same problems that white women face a lot worse for women of color. I overall just loved how respectful and empowering this author made this book, making sure to include communities other than the feminist community within its pages and their shared achievements. I absolutely adored it and I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone whenever a topic mentioned in this book comes up.

[Mrs. Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This book provides a framework within which readers can begin (key word- this is a slim volume!) to start engaging with ideas that due to our patriarchal, heteronormative, dominant white culture society, they might not have the vocabulary or enough information to challenge. I love that this book doesn't shy away from tough topics (such as rape) and that it respects the reader's ability to be able to handle (or make decisions to skip/skim) frank discussion about issues that they might or might not have ever read or thought about. Points, also, for including some pieces about intersections of race, socioeconomic status, parent-status, ability/disability, sexuality, and gender. The format (sort of magazine-y) is aesthetically appealing, and I really dig the cover, with its raised brown fist and sassy-red polished thumbnail.
I felt the backmatter had some valuable resources, too, like the timeline, glossary of feminist terms, and mini-bios of some important feminst thinkers and activists.

[Asia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems as though many people had a rather negative experience while reading this book, which makes sense, depending on your expectations. If I were looking for a book that went super in depth into the history of feminism, significant victories and losses of the movement, and lengthy biographies about important figures, then I would have been extremely disappointed while reading this. But I believe this book was meant for people wanting a bare bones summary of what feminism is. It briefly discusses counter arguments and other types of feminism, but it doesn't go in depth into much of anything. I learned a little. If you're a teenager or young adult and you have no earthly clue about what feminism is, then I recommend this book IN ADDITION TO other sources. This book is a good start, and I'm glad I read it.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best books are the ones that teach and I absolutely learned about the waves of feminism. I didn't realize history can pinpoint the first wave, second wave, and third wave of feminism, and like how Higgins left what the fourth wave could be/is. The chronological perspective helps and the introduction of all of these influential women gives great perspective, likewise, the personal stories bring it all home, especially (for me) the image and story of Emma Sulkowicz who carried around her mattress until her rapist was brought to justice (he never was and she and friends brought her mattress with her to graduation).

Powerful.

And it helps to answer questions even I had about what feminism is/isn't and questions that have arisen over the years.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more informative than anything. It gives the background and history on a lot of feminist terms and movements and goes in to explain the different types of feminists there are.
For the most part this was just a short, insightful read but I felt there was one section that the editor/author didn't separate her opinion enough on, and she really focused on the negative parts of the sex industry. There was only mention that there are some feminists that are not anti-porn, but didn't go into further detail, which I was a little annoyed with. It seemed like it did such a good job detailing other things feminists are for and against though.

[Robb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book! Book provides a definition of what feminist means and the three waves of the feminist movement. At this day and age of the #MeToo Movement chapters on reproductive justice, sex & beauty, and violence against women sheds a light on what all the "fuss" is about. Interesting nugget I read in the book, "While American teen girls are being bombarded with messages about how to be hot (how to become desired objects), the teen boys are asking themselves, "What do I want?" The book makes you reflect on what we want as a culture for our young girls that will eventually be the women of our society. Recommended reading for both genders 8th grade +

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a YA book and great for an intro into what feminism is. I'd love if my daughter read it and I intend to recommend this book to my aunt so she can read it with my cousin! I do however wish the author included a larger section of the women behind the various "waves" of feminism. Intersectionality is a theme throughout the last half of the book, but unfortunately the author leaves out the disabled community with the exception of a quarter-page blurb and picture. Also, I don't recommend reading this with Overdrive. Because of the way the publisher set up the book, you are unable to change the font size and the background color to your preferences.

[Melanie Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled across this at the library and thought it would be interesting to read about feminism written for the young adult population. I thought it did a great job of covering many of the historical issues and current issues while also paying attention to intersectional feminism, which I think is something that doesn't get discussed as often as it should.

I didn't learn anything new from this book, but I wish this book was available to me when I was younger, possibly in high school, because it provided such wonderful introductory info.

[Keri S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for teens or girls who are curious about feminism. With all the negative connotations associated with the word it is good to have such a clear and concise source to the movement and the issues feminists are concerned with. Has great detailed information without being overwhelming and had information even I didn't know! I also loved how more recent events where looked at as well as early feminism. Overall a short but great introduction to feminism for younger audiences!

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Higgins provides the YA audience with a readable history of the women's rights movement including issues related to voting, reproduction, and wages. The progress made, the steps back that were taken, and the work that is yet to be done are well covered. An important addition to libraries and a good book to include in book talks to increase readership.

[Bradley R. Homer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning about the other side we really didn’t learn about but should have growling up, makes me a believer in feminism. Great read with history and facts everyone should learn about. We all should be equal regardless. We’re human beings fighting in this fight together as one on this planet. Love one another.

[Ari (Head in a Book) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very enlightening book about feminism, it talks about the history of the movement itself, including the waves (I had no clue there were waves of feminism)
However, there were some things I disagreed with and there should have been less time spent on some of the topics covered in this book

[Michelle Hughes Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was mind opening on how US is still lacking in Woman rights.

[Alison Criner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this should be required reading for high school students. It is easy to read and it give a lot of pertinent information.