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Power Shift: The Longest Revolution
The facts are indisputable. When women get even a bit of education, the whole of society improves. When they get a bit of healthcare, everyone lives longer. In many ways, it has never been a better time to be a a fundamental shift has been occurring. Yet from Toronto to Timbuktu the promise of equality still eludes half the world’s population. Award-winning author, journalist, and human rights activist Sally Armstrong illustrates how the status of the female half of humanity is crucial to our collective surviving and thriving. Drawing on anthropology, social science, literature, politics, and economics, she examines the many beginnings of the role of women in society, and the evolutionary revisions over millennia in the realms of sex, religion, custom, culture, politics, and economics. What ultimately comes to light is that gender inequality comes at too high a cost to us all.
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2019
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478 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 1, 2020
Sally Armstrong is a powerful speaker. My husband and I listened to her deliver the 2019 Massey Lectures on CBC radio each evening this week. These lectures make up the book POWER SHIFT: THE LONGEST REVOLUTION.
March 3, 2021
This book is excellent. It's essentially a history of gender relations, and of the power system of patriarchy, and how it has both existed and not existed over time, and both how far we've come in the fight for gender equality and how far we still need to go. I feel like this is the book I would recommend if anybody wanted their eyes opened to "why we need feminism" or "what do you mean when you say 'patriarchy'", replacing Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (which I now feel is a bit outdated and also a little too neoliberal and White Savior-y for my tastes). I'm so glad I read this book!
October 20, 2019
A letter written in 1837: I ask no favours for my sex. I surrender not our claim to equality. All I ask of our brethren is, that they will take their feet from off our necks and permit us to stand upright on that ground which god designed us to occupy. Damn.
July 10, 2020
Yes!!
July 11, 2020
Power Shift: The Longest Revolution exemplifies why the CBC Massey Lectures is such a compelling format. Sally Armstrong delivers, in 5 chapters of roughly equal length, a concise overview of the inequities faced by women around the world. She provides historical perspective, discusses the overt and covert biases present throughout our society, and includes examples of how we can change things for the better. She does her best to be inclusive and intersectional, not to make this all about white women feminism—although I do wish she had gone further, more on that later.
Trigger warnings in this book for violence against women, particularly with regards to reporting on war crimes, and rape; discussions of sexist behaviours, laws, and regulations; religious discussion.
The book has an epigraph from Ursula K. Le Guin, which is always a great start! Although Chapter 1, “In the Beginning(s)”, includes lots of historical examples of how we have (mis)treated women, and even though it mentions various waves of feminism, don’t expect Power Shift to be a primer in women’s studies or feminism. Rather, as any good journalist seeks to do, Armstrong grounds her writing in context before moving into the second chapter, which examines how attitudes towards sex have often resulted in additional misogyny. That being said, the surveyesque tone of the book reminded me, favourably, of Misogyny: The World’s Oldest Prejudice . I suspect for people less familiar with feminist discourse than me, this book is going to include some great, eye-opening remarks.
Indeed, it’s worth remembering the audience for the Massey Lectures: ostensibly the general public, via CBC radio, albeit the type of public likely to listen to CBC radio. So, probably people who have some education and slightly liberal leanings in their politics, although they may or may not be very political in their lives. So it makes a lot of sense, some of Armstrong’s choices in this book, particularly one I don’t like.
Armstrong carefully includes examples that feature women from cultures all around the world. In so doing, she avoids falling into the trap of other journalists of focusing almost exclusively on women’s issues and progress within developed or Western countries. At the same time, Armstrong doesn’t exoticize other countries and make them seem so much worse or better than the U.S. and Canada. All of this is to the good.
Nevertheless, Armstrong’s intersectionality has a glaring gap when it comes to her treatment of capitalism. A great deal of her arguments regarding the need for everyone to fight for women’s equality are predicated on an economic basis: a rising tide lifts all boats, more educated and empowered women will contribute more to the economy, more women in power will be better for everyone, etc. We’ve seen this kind of argument before—most infamously, I suppose, from Sheryl Sandberg in Lean In. At its most naïve, this argument assumes that “just add women” is usually a sufficient measure for social change. I should point out that this is not precisely Armstrong’s approach—she does recognize that just adding women isn’t the only change that’s necessary, and she attempts to justify the emphasis on increasing women’s representation by talking about how women approach problems differently. That’s all great. At the end of the day, however, Power Shift isn’t quite radical enough for me, in that it is not anti-capitalist enough. If we are to achieve equality for all genders, we can’t just settle for better parental leave (although I agree we need it). We need to question the very pressures in our society that require parents to sacrifice so much of their time and energy on their jobs rather than their family.
Alas, as I mentioned above, Armstrong’s approach makes sense for the CBC Massey Lecture audience. Doubtless the committee who select these lecturers are careful to pick someone who is challenging without being, you know, too radical. That wouldn’t do at all! And it’s a good reminder to everyone that change will not come from behemoth institutions like the CBC, no matter how much good it does as a public broadcaster. It is just too cautious, too small-c-conservative, in its approach to media.
Cranky radical leftist thoughts aside, I really did like Power Shift in terms of its organization and information. Throughout the book, Armstrong hammers home the point that our view of history has been biased by the assumptions of researchers. Up until recently, for example, almost every archaeologist and anthropologist has been male—so it isn’t surprising that they made assumptions about what they found based on a very masculine perspective of the world. As more female researchers become involved in projects, we begin to see a shift in the theories developed and tested—it is no coincidence we’re discovering more female remains now.
On the subject of science, however, I am disappointed to report that later in the book Armstrong cites Louann Brizendine and The Female Brain as she makes the case that there are vast biological differences between male and female brains. I honestly wasn’t expecting a huge amount devoted to trans, non-binary, and genderqueer or gender–non-conforming people in this book, and I didn’t get any (except for a single mention of the word trans, in a very neutral context). Nevertheless, the reliance on conclusions as questionable and gender-essentialist as Brizendine’s leaves a bad taste in my mouth. (If you are curious about this, or want to learn more about why Brizendine and similar researchers are inappropriately cited in this way, I recommend you read Delusions of Gender by Coredlia Fine for an awesome debunking of neurosexism.)
As you might be able to tell from my review, my reaction to Power Shift is mixed. Armstrong’s writing style is excellent, and most of her commentary is moving and thoughtful. For these reasons, I recommend it, particularly to people who want to learn about sexism and gender issues but maybe are a little scared off from the more radical stuff I might throw your way. Armstrong is going to take your arm and guide you gently through this. Finally, I am very sympathetic to the theme that runs through these 5 lectures: women have always been here, always been raising their voices, and if we can all of us raise our voices together to help women, we will be better for it.
Trigger warnings in this book for violence against women, particularly with regards to reporting on war crimes, and rape; discussions of sexist behaviours, laws, and regulations; religious discussion.
The book has an epigraph from Ursula K. Le Guin, which is always a great start! Although Chapter 1, “In the Beginning(s)”, includes lots of historical examples of how we have (mis)treated women, and even though it mentions various waves of feminism, don’t expect Power Shift to be a primer in women’s studies or feminism. Rather, as any good journalist seeks to do, Armstrong grounds her writing in context before moving into the second chapter, which examines how attitudes towards sex have often resulted in additional misogyny. That being said, the surveyesque tone of the book reminded me, favourably, of Misogyny: The World’s Oldest Prejudice . I suspect for people less familiar with feminist discourse than me, this book is going to include some great, eye-opening remarks.
Indeed, it’s worth remembering the audience for the Massey Lectures: ostensibly the general public, via CBC radio, albeit the type of public likely to listen to CBC radio. So, probably people who have some education and slightly liberal leanings in their politics, although they may or may not be very political in their lives. So it makes a lot of sense, some of Armstrong’s choices in this book, particularly one I don’t like.
Armstrong carefully includes examples that feature women from cultures all around the world. In so doing, she avoids falling into the trap of other journalists of focusing almost exclusively on women’s issues and progress within developed or Western countries. At the same time, Armstrong doesn’t exoticize other countries and make them seem so much worse or better than the U.S. and Canada. All of this is to the good.
Nevertheless, Armstrong’s intersectionality has a glaring gap when it comes to her treatment of capitalism. A great deal of her arguments regarding the need for everyone to fight for women’s equality are predicated on an economic basis: a rising tide lifts all boats, more educated and empowered women will contribute more to the economy, more women in power will be better for everyone, etc. We’ve seen this kind of argument before—most infamously, I suppose, from Sheryl Sandberg in Lean In. At its most naïve, this argument assumes that “just add women” is usually a sufficient measure for social change. I should point out that this is not precisely Armstrong’s approach—she does recognize that just adding women isn’t the only change that’s necessary, and she attempts to justify the emphasis on increasing women’s representation by talking about how women approach problems differently. That’s all great. At the end of the day, however, Power Shift isn’t quite radical enough for me, in that it is not anti-capitalist enough. If we are to achieve equality for all genders, we can’t just settle for better parental leave (although I agree we need it). We need to question the very pressures in our society that require parents to sacrifice so much of their time and energy on their jobs rather than their family.
Alas, as I mentioned above, Armstrong’s approach makes sense for the CBC Massey Lecture audience. Doubtless the committee who select these lecturers are careful to pick someone who is challenging without being, you know, too radical. That wouldn’t do at all! And it’s a good reminder to everyone that change will not come from behemoth institutions like the CBC, no matter how much good it does as a public broadcaster. It is just too cautious, too small-c-conservative, in its approach to media.
Cranky radical leftist thoughts aside, I really did like Power Shift in terms of its organization and information. Throughout the book, Armstrong hammers home the point that our view of history has been biased by the assumptions of researchers. Up until recently, for example, almost every archaeologist and anthropologist has been male—so it isn’t surprising that they made assumptions about what they found based on a very masculine perspective of the world. As more female researchers become involved in projects, we begin to see a shift in the theories developed and tested—it is no coincidence we’re discovering more female remains now.
On the subject of science, however, I am disappointed to report that later in the book Armstrong cites Louann Brizendine and The Female Brain as she makes the case that there are vast biological differences between male and female brains. I honestly wasn’t expecting a huge amount devoted to trans, non-binary, and genderqueer or gender–non-conforming people in this book, and I didn’t get any (except for a single mention of the word trans, in a very neutral context). Nevertheless, the reliance on conclusions as questionable and gender-essentialist as Brizendine’s leaves a bad taste in my mouth. (If you are curious about this, or want to learn more about why Brizendine and similar researchers are inappropriately cited in this way, I recommend you read Delusions of Gender by Coredlia Fine for an awesome debunking of neurosexism.)
As you might be able to tell from my review, my reaction to Power Shift is mixed. Armstrong’s writing style is excellent, and most of her commentary is moving and thoughtful. For these reasons, I recommend it, particularly to people who want to learn about sexism and gender issues but maybe are a little scared off from the more radical stuff I might throw your way. Armstrong is going to take your arm and guide you gently through this. Finally, I am very sympathetic to the theme that runs through these 5 lectures: women have always been here, always been raising their voices, and if we can all of us raise our voices together to help women, we will be better for it.
November 21, 2019
I'm of two minds about this book. While I appreciate the sweeping history of the lectures, I don't get the argument. Women should be treated equally? Yes. They are going to get there with male allies? Yes. But beyond that it is an interesting collection of facts, without an internal and compelling argument. I was so looking forward to this book. I was disappointed. Not because of the argument, but because of the lack of argument, the lack of a true framework and the weird dependence on a combination of personal stories. I THINK the argument in the book is an argument for a continuation of liberal feminist policies (which have, to be fair, been the single most instrumental change towards equality) but with an equal dependence on individualism. She speaks of the importance of Malala who was a courageous woman, but only became a symbol by being shot. She does not speak of the innumerable women who were silenced in similar ways. The story of Malala is the exception, not an argument that things are changing. Well researched but poorly argued. If you are versed in feminist thinking this is interesting but not compelling and gives no framework for the future.
March 20, 2020
I would have liked to give this book five start, but it has two glaring flaws. The first is that by putting more women in positions of corporate power it will cause all women to be better off. This is just nonsense, it will do nothing for the women who actually do the work in the corporation. Only by women and men uniting together will those at the bottom be able to make things better for all.
The second problem is related, but somewhat different. It is that by electing more women to positions of power women will be better off. I can put the lie to that in two words, Margaret Thatcher.
Yes it is good when a woman gets appointed to a executive board, or is elected to government. But these things in themselves will not change the lives of the majority of women.
The second problem is related, but somewhat different. It is that by electing more women to positions of power women will be better off. I can put the lie to that in two words, Margaret Thatcher.
Yes it is good when a woman gets appointed to a executive board, or is elected to government. But these things in themselves will not change the lives of the majority of women.
January 4, 2026
This book, by award winning author, journalist and human rights activist Sally Armstrong, is based on her 2019 Massey Lecture, an annual event organized by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It presents her view that the way women and girls are treated is crucial to how everyone in society not only survives, but thrives. She believes the power of the recent #MeToo movement has given momentum to the evolution of gender politics, harnessing the collective power of many to change the way gender differences have been viewed and discussed in the past and are now addressed in the present.
In the first of five chapters, she provides an overview of past history, describing how women and girls have been treated over time and across world continents. She considers the first wave from 1848 to 1920 when women struggled to get the vote, moves on to the second phase from 1963 to 1980 when the pill was introduced and women gained more control over reproduction and then the third wave, the years 1992 to 2010, a time during which Anita Hill raised awareness of sexual harassment by challenging Clarence Thomas’s behavior in court. In the fourth wave, which she considers to be from 2012 to the present time, the focus has been on the empowerment of marginalization groups and the power of the collective pushing things forward using social media.
Armstrong explains how past societal codes of conduct have always viewed women and girls as less valued than men and boys. Examining how women fared in the past, she describes how their oppression was codified in religion and laws, allowing misogynists to defend their behavior by insisting they were acting in the name of God, using both the Old and New Testament as well as the Quran and the Torah to support their claims.
She agrees some progress has been made in banning the horrific practices of female genital mutilation and the binding of Chinese women’s feet, but also describes how the practice of honor killing, a family alliance that allows a woman to be murdered to rid a family of perceived shame, is still practiced in some countries.
Much of what she presents is described through moving stories of individuals she has met and interviewed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda, Iraq, South Sudan, Jordan and Israel. The horrific atrocities these women and girls have endured make for difficult reading.
Armstrong articulates her strong belief that women and girls must be viewed as equal if society is ever to advance, but acknowledges we still have a long road to travel before gender equality is a reality. Although women have pushed for years to enjoy equal rights, she believes small victories are necessary before there is any major sustainable change. However many of those changes which signal at least some progress, still eludes half the world’s population. She also presents an important idea, that present day social movements, evolved from the decentralization of power previously held by long standing institutions , will accelerate the movement forward.
Armstrong has meticulously researched the material she uses and has organized and presented it in a way that holds the readers’ attention. As a journalist, she is well regarded for her writing and is careful and thoughtful about any conclusions she makes. Given the audience for the Massy lectures, largely more educated, left leaning individuals who listen to CBC radio, Armstrong stays away from a more radical approach to her material. Instead she guides her readers through the large amount of material she presents, telling personal stories of her interviews with women and girls as shares her ideas of what has happened in the past, is happening today and hopefully what can and should be achieved worldwide in the future.
It proved to be an interesting read.
In the first of five chapters, she provides an overview of past history, describing how women and girls have been treated over time and across world continents. She considers the first wave from 1848 to 1920 when women struggled to get the vote, moves on to the second phase from 1963 to 1980 when the pill was introduced and women gained more control over reproduction and then the third wave, the years 1992 to 2010, a time during which Anita Hill raised awareness of sexual harassment by challenging Clarence Thomas’s behavior in court. In the fourth wave, which she considers to be from 2012 to the present time, the focus has been on the empowerment of marginalization groups and the power of the collective pushing things forward using social media.
Armstrong explains how past societal codes of conduct have always viewed women and girls as less valued than men and boys. Examining how women fared in the past, she describes how their oppression was codified in religion and laws, allowing misogynists to defend their behavior by insisting they were acting in the name of God, using both the Old and New Testament as well as the Quran and the Torah to support their claims.
She agrees some progress has been made in banning the horrific practices of female genital mutilation and the binding of Chinese women’s feet, but also describes how the practice of honor killing, a family alliance that allows a woman to be murdered to rid a family of perceived shame, is still practiced in some countries.
Much of what she presents is described through moving stories of individuals she has met and interviewed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda, Iraq, South Sudan, Jordan and Israel. The horrific atrocities these women and girls have endured make for difficult reading.
Armstrong articulates her strong belief that women and girls must be viewed as equal if society is ever to advance, but acknowledges we still have a long road to travel before gender equality is a reality. Although women have pushed for years to enjoy equal rights, she believes small victories are necessary before there is any major sustainable change. However many of those changes which signal at least some progress, still eludes half the world’s population. She also presents an important idea, that present day social movements, evolved from the decentralization of power previously held by long standing institutions , will accelerate the movement forward.
Armstrong has meticulously researched the material she uses and has organized and presented it in a way that holds the readers’ attention. As a journalist, she is well regarded for her writing and is careful and thoughtful about any conclusions she makes. Given the audience for the Massy lectures, largely more educated, left leaning individuals who listen to CBC radio, Armstrong stays away from a more radical approach to her material. Instead she guides her readers through the large amount of material she presents, telling personal stories of her interviews with women and girls as shares her ideas of what has happened in the past, is happening today and hopefully what can and should be achieved worldwide in the future.
It proved to be an interesting read.
April 11, 2021
Misleading tittle. By no means revolutionary. A white middle-class Canadian journalist tells a few anecdotes from her career covering stories involving women. There are some accounts from Kenya, Afghanistan (where she uncritically celebrates the role of Yankee imperialist occupation) and Egypt, but the perspective is generally middle-of-the-road liberal feminism with far too much credit given to a few publicity campaigns on the internet.
If you want to get a real sense of female liberation from a revolutionary perspective, look elsewhere, to socialist feminists of the late 19th -- early 20th century (so-called first-wave feminists) and the radical feminists of the 50s-70s (so-called second-wave feminists). Subsequent generations, as is the case with their male counterparts, have largely abandoned radical thought for liberal reformism based on inclusion rather than transformation, intersectional priveledge theory, and more politically correct than thou academic language games.
If you want to get a real sense of female liberation from a revolutionary perspective, look elsewhere, to socialist feminists of the late 19th -- early 20th century (so-called first-wave feminists) and the radical feminists of the 50s-70s (so-called second-wave feminists). Subsequent generations, as is the case with their male counterparts, have largely abandoned radical thought for liberal reformism based on inclusion rather than transformation, intersectional priveledge theory, and more politically correct than thou academic language games.
February 4, 2021
A detailed and well documented look at women's journey to attain equality, a journey that is far from over. I for one cannot wait for the return of the Massey Lectures.
January 25, 2020
Every year, I look forward to the Massey Lectures - an annual set of lectures organized by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that are turned into a book by House of Anansi Press. The lectures are always on a topic of public interest, often featuring a compelling academic, journalist or other public intellectual. However, one of the difficulties of the twin lecture/book format is that either the book version can often feel too breezy (if the prose is mainly written for the lectures), or the lectures can feel too dense (if they are mainly developed with the book in mind).
This past year's series of Massey Lectures, tracing the global history of the quest for gender equality, tends towards former. While the set of five chapters in Power Shift (each corresponding to one lecture on the topic) provides an impressive sweep of gender equality - across religious, political, economic, cultural, scientific, and many other dimensions - it often reads like a collection of short anecdotes and facts, rather than a cohesive analysis. It's still an interesting read; for me, one of the strengths of the book is that it introduced me to multiple topics that I'd like to understand in more depth, including the erasure of women in scientific research, the role of feminists in the early years of the Catholic Church, and recent archaeological discoveries that indicate women had a far more prominent role in cave paintings than previously thought.
However, I think this book missed an opportunity to deliver a more powerful analysis of the shifting power dynamics in the fight for gender equality. Sally Armstrong is certainly well-positioned to deliver this analysis, having reported on oppression of women and courageous efforts to combat patriarchy in a number of settings around the world. In the opening chapter, she briefly outlines an intriguing thesis: that the de-centralization of power from individuals and institutions to social movements will facilitate the final steps in the long historical journey to gender equality. But, save for a few anecdotal examples throughout the chapters/speeches, the argument doesn't get developed much further. Again, this might be a limitation of the Massey Lectures format, but I had hoped the chapters in this book (or maybe a follow-up) would build on each other into a more cohesive theory of change. Still, this is a useful book to read, if for no other reason than to be introduced (or re-acquainted) with many different areas of scholarship around gender equality.
This past year's series of Massey Lectures, tracing the global history of the quest for gender equality, tends towards former. While the set of five chapters in Power Shift (each corresponding to one lecture on the topic) provides an impressive sweep of gender equality - across religious, political, economic, cultural, scientific, and many other dimensions - it often reads like a collection of short anecdotes and facts, rather than a cohesive analysis. It's still an interesting read; for me, one of the strengths of the book is that it introduced me to multiple topics that I'd like to understand in more depth, including the erasure of women in scientific research, the role of feminists in the early years of the Catholic Church, and recent archaeological discoveries that indicate women had a far more prominent role in cave paintings than previously thought.
However, I think this book missed an opportunity to deliver a more powerful analysis of the shifting power dynamics in the fight for gender equality. Sally Armstrong is certainly well-positioned to deliver this analysis, having reported on oppression of women and courageous efforts to combat patriarchy in a number of settings around the world. In the opening chapter, she briefly outlines an intriguing thesis: that the de-centralization of power from individuals and institutions to social movements will facilitate the final steps in the long historical journey to gender equality. But, save for a few anecdotal examples throughout the chapters/speeches, the argument doesn't get developed much further. Again, this might be a limitation of the Massey Lectures format, but I had hoped the chapters in this book (or maybe a follow-up) would build on each other into a more cohesive theory of change. Still, this is a useful book to read, if for no other reason than to be introduced (or re-acquainted) with many different areas of scholarship around gender equality.
October 23, 2019
This is a phenomenal book. You have to read it. It’s thought provoking, interesting, engaging and hard to read at times. There are some first hand accounts that in this book that I will never forget.
It’s hands too one of my top 3 favourite books I’ve read so far this year (and I’ve read more than 160 so far this year). Please read it. It’s imperative, and so so good!
It’s hands too one of my top 3 favourite books I’ve read so far this year (and I’ve read more than 160 so far this year). Please read it. It’s imperative, and so so good!
December 11, 2024
Absolutely stellar book by a revolutionary Canadian journalism icon. She transformed how women’s stories are heard, preserved and told in so many different ways and this book is a gift to all women and allies.
February 4, 2022
I think if i would of picked up this book several years ago, I would of thought it was incredible. I was reluctant even to start it when I noticed it was a white woman detailing many events going on in non-western countries, but thought i’d give it a try. I don’t think I learned anything, aside from some global (horrible and important) stories about female inequality. I overall found it to be very basic.
Many of the women she chooses to elaborate on as evidence that females are progressing are largely involved with other oppressive systems ie. Hilary Clinton, Carolyn Bennet, the “Persons Case” suffragettes from Canada who champion imperialist war, ongoing colonialism and eugenics. While it’s impossible to include everything in one book - many missed opportunities to discuss the NUANCE of gender and race, especially for a book that seeks to discuss gender from East to West. It made me think: If i wasn’t someone who has studied critical race, post colonialism or orientalist theories - I could of easily taken many of these stories about “barbaric” cultural practices as supporting evidence for anti-immigrant or racist sentiments. She simply did not do a good job of explaining the nuance when looking at other places’ of the worlds interpretation of gender and the history of Western countries exporting our own ideals onto others. There is so much to unpack there.
I also found many sweeping statements about women not speaking up until said white woman said something/ wrote something - which is just historically untrue… Another missed opportunity to discuss the erasure of women of color’s voices even within feminism. Even in the arguments about how men have to change just fell flat. She could of really unpacked the concept of masculinity across cultures & gotten to the nitty gritty of where these practices came from, and why it’s so complicated to just ask men to join us in the fight for gender equality.
As many other reviews mentioned - this is liberal, girl boss feminism. Wouldn’t recommend.
Many of the women she chooses to elaborate on as evidence that females are progressing are largely involved with other oppressive systems ie. Hilary Clinton, Carolyn Bennet, the “Persons Case” suffragettes from Canada who champion imperialist war, ongoing colonialism and eugenics. While it’s impossible to include everything in one book - many missed opportunities to discuss the NUANCE of gender and race, especially for a book that seeks to discuss gender from East to West. It made me think: If i wasn’t someone who has studied critical race, post colonialism or orientalist theories - I could of easily taken many of these stories about “barbaric” cultural practices as supporting evidence for anti-immigrant or racist sentiments. She simply did not do a good job of explaining the nuance when looking at other places’ of the worlds interpretation of gender and the history of Western countries exporting our own ideals onto others. There is so much to unpack there.
I also found many sweeping statements about women not speaking up until said white woman said something/ wrote something - which is just historically untrue… Another missed opportunity to discuss the erasure of women of color’s voices even within feminism. Even in the arguments about how men have to change just fell flat. She could of really unpacked the concept of masculinity across cultures & gotten to the nitty gritty of where these practices came from, and why it’s so complicated to just ask men to join us in the fight for gender equality.
As many other reviews mentioned - this is liberal, girl boss feminism. Wouldn’t recommend.
January 10, 2021
Sally Armstrong has given us a compelling and wide-ranging review of gender inequality over the ages to the present. Of course, I'm familiar with most of the arguments and many of the points, but to see them assembled into one book was a call to action. Yes, we, in our Canadian society, need to recognize the bias and put in place measures for change - even if that means quotas in corporate and government offices (though I hope it doesn't come to that.) Some reviewers have questioned some of the numbers and claims. I too doubt that a female head of state is a guarantee for a more just and peaceable rule - there are many examples where that was not the outcome. And I wondered at the calculations for boosts to the economy through female involvement - though we are seeing evidence of a decline in the economy because mothers are stuck at home during the pandemic.
I had not appreciated that Sally Armstrong was such an accomplished and powerful journalist until I read this book. A human rights activist, she has talked with women and girls around the world many in desperate situations and knows of what she describes in this book. I hope that her message and investigations raise our collective awareness to effect more change.
I had not appreciated that Sally Armstrong was such an accomplished and powerful journalist until I read this book. A human rights activist, she has talked with women and girls around the world many in desperate situations and knows of what she describes in this book. I hope that her message and investigations raise our collective awareness to effect more change.
April 2, 2021
Sally Armstrong has always been such a role model to me and her book "Power Shift" is a perfectly exemplifies why that is. Armstrong's way in which she attacks womanhood and the problem of being a woman with such nuance and world perspective is such a breath of fresh air from the traditional white, cis-gen feminism that I have grown up around. The stories she shares of women around the world, the stories she shares regarding her own work - all backed up by powerful data - make this book a must-read for every man, woman, and non-binary individual. CBC Massey Lecture series, in my experience, are often extremely intriguing but tend to drag towards the end; Armstrong's masterful writing couldn't drag if she tried. Best non-fiction book I have read in a while.
May 17, 2020
A must read for everyone. Although the "chapters" (the 5 lectures that she gave for the CBC Massey Lecture Series) cover a history and depth of women being badasses and being oppressed throughout all of time. Armstrong presents an overview of what she calls the longest revolution (women fighting oppression) that lays a groundwork for us, the reader, to think critically about where and how we can make a difference. I would love for men everywhere to either read this book or listen to the lectures.
July 13, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, until the fifth part. The discussion about my lady brain left me a little frustrated. When it comes to studies about how male and female brains differ, there is plenty enough to show the interconnection to culture and social circumstances. For some reason, whenever I'm reading how women in politics leads to more caring, and empathy, Margaret Thatcher comes to mind.... Over all, I enjoyed the book, but it fell short in a exploring a few overly asserted understandings about intersections of biology and culture.
September 28, 2020
An absolute MUST read and MUST listen (see Massey lectures @ CBC Ideas). Eye-opening, thought-provoking, compassionate and humourous. I could read it and listen to it all over again knowing I would learn something I missed the first time. This should be included in course curriculum in high school; I was an English and Global History and Geography teacher and would gladly incorporate it if I returned to the classroom. Bravo, Sally Armstrong! I will be searching more of her titles and work for future reading.
November 25, 2020
This collection of essays is quite good - very powerful to hear read aloud, I imagine. If you are someone engaged with feminist conversations and movements then nothing in here will be groundbreaking. There are some graphic depictions of sexual violence, along with some lovely tidbits of cool anthropology and history, so it's a mixed bag of a reading experience.
September 5, 2021
Sally Armstrong pulls no punches in her comprehensive analysis women’s power (or lack of it) in the past & present. The book is at times as pedantic and matter-of-fact as one would expect of a journalist, but at other times, it is utterly horrifying. I was particularly intrigued by her anthropological analysis of the history of equality between men & women. Even though I thought of myself as fairly well-informed about the various restrictions on women’s rights around the world today, I was flabbergasted and enraged by some of the stories Armstrong uncovered.
August 10, 2020
This book is extremely well researched. The author presents 10,000 years of history in an accessible, compact format. I thought I knew a lot about the evolution of feminism and the long reign of the patriarchy, but I learned a ton from this book!
May 11, 2021
Has some really wonderful research, some outdated ideas, some bias that can be uncomfortable here and there. I was delighted that she interviewed and discussed my old prof April Nowell at great length!
June 12, 2023
Did y'all know Viagra was originally being tested on and for woman to help with menstrual cramps and the effects of premenstrual syndrome? Then they found out it can actually help men with erectile dysfunction and they just threw aside how it could help women? Surprised? No.
January 5, 2024
It was less inspiring than I’d hoped, focusing more on the atrocities than providing guidance on how to improve. Pretty tough read, but important for people to know. It felt like there was a lot of extra details that could have been cut to make it more impactful.
January 4, 2020
Great Massey lecture! Very relevant for things happening with women’s movements today. Highly recommend.
January 5, 2020
I would give this book 100 stars if I could and should be required reading in grade 6
March 20, 2020
Three and a half stars
April 20, 2020
Imagining what the world would be like if women’s rights were Valued as human rights. The longest revolution is making strides!
May 8, 2020
Another great book from the Massey Lectures series.
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