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The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off!: Thoughts on Life, Love and Rebellion
For decades people from around the world have found inspiration, guidance, humour and recognition in Gloria Steinem's words. Since her early days as a journalist and feminist activist, Steinem's philosophies have helped define generations of women.
Now, she brings together her most memorable one-liners in an anthology that will inspire and entertain. Covering topics including relationships ('Many are looking for the right person. Too few are looking to be the right person.') to jobs ('It is more rewarding to watch money change the world than to watch it accumulate') to activism ('I've seen enough change to know that more will come'), and featuring an introduction and additional reflections by Steinem throughout, this is the definitive collection of her thoughts on the topics that matter most to women.
Now, she brings together her most memorable one-liners in an anthology that will inspire and entertain. Covering topics including relationships ('Many are looking for the right person. Too few are looking to be the right person.') to jobs ('It is more rewarding to watch money change the world than to watch it accumulate') to activism ('I've seen enough change to know that more will come'), and featuring an introduction and additional reflections by Steinem throughout, this is the definitive collection of her thoughts on the topics that matter most to women.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2019
About the author
Gloria Steinem
120 books3,448 followersGloria Marie Steinem (March 25, 1934–September 2, 2026) was an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s. A prominent writer and key counterculture era political figure, Steinem founded many organizations and projects and was the recipient of many awards and honors. She was a columnist for New York magazine and co-founded Ms. magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 458 reviews
January 3, 2020
Really easy read but it felt more like I'd done a night on Pinterest than actually read a book.
May 5, 2021
This book is a collection of powerful quotes from Gloria Steinem that are worth reading and considering
‘Invading bodies is still less punished than invading property’
‘Invading bodies is still less punished than invading property’
January 13, 2020
I like books made solely of quotes, but I love books made of quotes and essays about issues. Even more so about racism, feminism and etc. Gloria Steinem has the voice of a young 24 year old woman, but she is 85. An I know what I your thinking age shouldn’t matter and I agree wholeheartedly. But when a voice is strong, clear and can relate to a younger generation that is extremely important. I love her and I love how fierce and determined she is to bring human rights to the forefront.
I will definitely be reading more from her.
I will definitely be reading more from her.
March 6, 2023
This was a sort of 50,000 ft level tour of Steinem's life and the concepts that she values, complete with quotes. Some ideas/quotes that resonated with me for Women's History month:
A quick and accessible read with great reminders of strength, resistence and perseverance in this incredibly frought, current state/time in the US.
3.75 Stars
Read on kindle
The less gender-polarized the culture, the lower the degree of violence and the greater the degree of democracy.
No wonder studies show that women’s intellectual self-esteem tends to go down with every year of higher education. We’ve been studying our own absence.
Women are required to be strong, then are punished for our strength.
“Sometimes people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power—not because they don’t see it, but because they see it and don’t want it to exist.”
“If any female feels she needs anything beyond herself to legitimate and validate her existence, she is already giving away her power.” BELL HOOKS
“Your silence will not protect you.” AUDRE LORDE
A quick and accessible read with great reminders of strength, resistence and perseverance in this incredibly frought, current state/time in the US.
3.75 Stars
Read on kindle
January 25, 2020
This is a collection of quotes, adages and pithy advice. Some have brief introductions by its author, Gloria Steinem and illustrations by friends.
The short entries are upbeat, inspiring and empowering.
The audience is women, but the quotes, adages and advice are universally applicable.
I would recommend it as a gift book - perfect for birthdays or graduations.
The short entries are upbeat, inspiring and empowering.
The audience is women, but the quotes, adages and advice are universally applicable.
I would recommend it as a gift book - perfect for birthdays or graduations.
August 24, 2026
Feminist aktivist Gloria Steinem’ın ilham verici sözlerinin serpiştirildiği bir kitap. Bazı sözleri etkileyici olsa da o kadar çorba gibi olmuş ki birbirinden kopuk havada süzülen düşünce balonları gibi. Kitaba eşlik eden çizimleri de hiç beğenmedim ben:( Mesela bir cümlede “nehir” bir metaforken, yanında gerçekten nehir çizimi görmek komik geldi🌚 Pek sevemedim ama yine de feminist sloganlar okumanın iyi hissettiren bir tarafı da var pek tabii. Bu sebeple 3 yıldız…
November 9, 2019
4.5 stars rounded down to 4 stars.
The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off by Gloria Steinem is one of those books that manage to be really concise and straightforward yet inspiring and heartfelt. Gloria Steinem is an American feminist, journalist and political activist. She is widely recognized as a leader for the American feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
I have been meaning to read one of her books for a long time. I thought I would start with My Life On The Road that has gathered amazing reviews. But, then I heard about The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off. I didn’t really know what to expect, if I’m being honest. It’s been described as “a beautifully illustrated collection of Gloria Steinem’s most inspirational and outrageous quotes, with an introduction and essays by the feminist activist herself.”
But I said “Hell, yes! Let’s read it! It’s Steinem, after all!”. It’s definitely a beautiful illustrated collection! The quotes are truly inspiring. Steinem is able to put into words my thoughts, reflections, beliefs and fear. Like a true leader, she conveys what’s in our feminist souls. And, the essays are very short but prominent and straight to the point. I mean, I shared a bunch of quotes on my stories and you went crazy: WHAT’S THAT BOOK? THIS IS THE BOOK, BOOKWORMS! THIS IS OUR BOOK, YOU FEMINISTS! Do I recommend it? One thousand times YES! I felt so inspired by it! Like I had the enough strength and trust in myself to give my own speech! And that’s what we need!
Thanks to @murdochbooks for the amazing copy!
For more reviews, follow me on instagram @booksturnyouon
The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off by Gloria Steinem is one of those books that manage to be really concise and straightforward yet inspiring and heartfelt. Gloria Steinem is an American feminist, journalist and political activist. She is widely recognized as a leader for the American feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
I have been meaning to read one of her books for a long time. I thought I would start with My Life On The Road that has gathered amazing reviews. But, then I heard about The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off. I didn’t really know what to expect, if I’m being honest. It’s been described as “a beautifully illustrated collection of Gloria Steinem’s most inspirational and outrageous quotes, with an introduction and essays by the feminist activist herself.”
But I said “Hell, yes! Let’s read it! It’s Steinem, after all!”. It’s definitely a beautiful illustrated collection! The quotes are truly inspiring. Steinem is able to put into words my thoughts, reflections, beliefs and fear. Like a true leader, she conveys what’s in our feminist souls. And, the essays are very short but prominent and straight to the point. I mean, I shared a bunch of quotes on my stories and you went crazy: WHAT’S THAT BOOK? THIS IS THE BOOK, BOOKWORMS! THIS IS OUR BOOK, YOU FEMINISTS! Do I recommend it? One thousand times YES! I felt so inspired by it! Like I had the enough strength and trust in myself to give my own speech! And that’s what we need!
Thanks to @murdochbooks for the amazing copy!
For more reviews, follow me on instagram @booksturnyouon
October 26, 2019
First of all I love the cover, and the illustrations are beautiful! I want so many of them hanging on my walls!
I love this book. I think there are some lovely quotes and I didn’t think it was too heavy or overdone.
There are some great discussion points and I agree with the majority of them.
I love that Gloria discusses the inherent racism that is so often in feminism, and that it doesn’t always completely represent everyone that it should.
I think this is a lovely book you can dip in and out of, share quotes from and have as a coffee table book.
I love this book. I think there are some lovely quotes and I didn’t think it was too heavy or overdone.
There are some great discussion points and I agree with the majority of them.
I love that Gloria discusses the inherent racism that is so often in feminism, and that it doesn’t always completely represent everyone that it should.
I think this is a lovely book you can dip in and out of, share quotes from and have as a coffee table book.
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April 13, 2021Gloria Steinem is a role model and someone I have learned from about how to succeed.
She has shown throughout her life that success is achieved through vision, hard work, and, most importantly, determination.
Steinem sees quotes as "the poetry of everyday life", and I agree wholeheartedly. These quotes, her quotes, are so beautiful and profound. I annotated this book like crazy - highlighting and marking every page with sticky notes. These quotes really make you think about your life and how you've led it so far. I don't feel inclined to write a comprehensive 'review' for this book rather than gather a collection of my favorite parts of the book (since the purpose of this book is to gather quotes). I will just say that Steinem has been a role model of mine for a really long time now, and she's an amazing writer. The illustrations by Samantha Dion Baker are also so well-done, and I love the fact that there is a blank space at the end of the book where we can put quotes of our own.
Anyways, here is a non-exhaustive list of my favorite quotes from the book!
❀ "We all need people we trust, who understand us and will tell us when we're messing up, who support us and celebrate when we reach a personal goal. This is our chosen family."
❀ "Revolutions, like trees, grow from the bottom up."
❀ "To write is to bring an inner voice into the outer world, to believe that our thoughts are worth entering the thinking of others, and to make real what has never existed in quite the same way before. What could be a better path to self-value than that?"
❀ "If you have more power than others, remember to listen as much as you talk. If you have less power than others, remember to talk as much as you listen. This is instant democracy."
❀ "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel."
❀ "Promise me that in the next twenty-four hours, you will commit one outrageous act in the cause of justice.
❀ "Make your heart too rebellious for patriarchy to plant itself within you. Make your mind too free for fascism to claim your imagination."
She has shown throughout her life that success is achieved through vision, hard work, and, most importantly, determination.
Steinem sees quotes as "the poetry of everyday life", and I agree wholeheartedly. These quotes, her quotes, are so beautiful and profound. I annotated this book like crazy - highlighting and marking every page with sticky notes. These quotes really make you think about your life and how you've led it so far. I don't feel inclined to write a comprehensive 'review' for this book rather than gather a collection of my favorite parts of the book (since the purpose of this book is to gather quotes). I will just say that Steinem has been a role model of mine for a really long time now, and she's an amazing writer. The illustrations by Samantha Dion Baker are also so well-done, and I love the fact that there is a blank space at the end of the book where we can put quotes of our own.
Anyways, here is a non-exhaustive list of my favorite quotes from the book!
❀ "We all need people we trust, who understand us and will tell us when we're messing up, who support us and celebrate when we reach a personal goal. This is our chosen family."
❀ "Revolutions, like trees, grow from the bottom up."
❀ "To write is to bring an inner voice into the outer world, to believe that our thoughts are worth entering the thinking of others, and to make real what has never existed in quite the same way before. What could be a better path to self-value than that?"
❀ "If you have more power than others, remember to listen as much as you talk. If you have less power than others, remember to talk as much as you listen. This is instant democracy."
❀ "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel."
❀ "Promise me that in the next twenty-four hours, you will commit one outrageous act in the cause of justice.
❀ "Make your heart too rebellious for patriarchy to plant itself within you. Make your mind too free for fascism to claim your imagination."
March 15, 2020
I’m a sucker for good quotations. But more importantly, I’m a sucker for clear, specific steps to keeping a movement forward. Great recap of many of her pieces of work. A few of my favorite quotes:
“As long as females are valued only for our wombs, we will never be valued for our minds and hearts”
“Voting isn’t the most we can do, but it’s the least”
“Democracy begins with owning our bodies. By that measure, women have rarely lived in a democracy”
“We don’t grow better with age, just more like the unique selves we were born to be before made up gender roles took over our central years”
“Moving beyond words”
“As long as females are valued only for our wombs, we will never be valued for our minds and hearts”
“Voting isn’t the most we can do, but it’s the least”
“Democracy begins with owning our bodies. By that measure, women have rarely lived in a democracy”
“We don’t grow better with age, just more like the unique selves we were born to be before made up gender roles took over our central years”
“Moving beyond words”
December 4, 2022
“A pedestal is as much a prison as any other
small space.”
This was written as a collection of quotes and essays, a style that I found to be slightly disappointing. Steinem goes against organized religion, something i personally disagree with but still found value in her other works on feminist theory and the patriarchy. Great ideas on being part of a movement, rebellion, etc. Not sure it’s the best of its kind but was a good filler.
small space.”
This was written as a collection of quotes and essays, a style that I found to be slightly disappointing. Steinem goes against organized religion, something i personally disagree with but still found value in her other works on feminist theory and the patriarchy. Great ideas on being part of a movement, rebellion, etc. Not sure it’s the best of its kind but was a good filler.
November 10, 2020
Shame he dies in the end.
October 24, 2020
It's a quotebased book where Steinem reflects over some of the quotes of her life (having been a political activist most of her life), both her own and some of her friends.
It feels like a very powerful read!
It feels like a very powerful read!
October 4, 2026
çok dolu olabilecekken instagramda dolaşıyormuşum gibi hissettiren bir kitap.
1,5'tan 2 verdim. büyük ve önemli konulara değinse de sonrasında "biri size salak diyorsa teşekkür edin, şok olcak ;))" gibi bolca görselli (2008 facebook vibes) bir kitap olması ve gr puanının 4 olması bana da biraz şok oldu.
1,5'tan 2 verdim. büyük ve önemli konulara değinse de sonrasında "biri size salak diyorsa teşekkür edin, şok olcak ;))" gibi bolca görselli (2008 facebook vibes) bir kitap olması ve gr puanının 4 olması bana da biraz şok oldu.
June 25, 2020
Reading this will fire up your feminist fervour. And make you smile. And make you want to do something. And give you hope.
November 6, 2019
This book is comprised of essays and illustrations of Gloria Steinem’s (and some friends) most inspirational and outrageous quotes. She’s chosen the ones that will be useful in arguments, comforting in bad times, the most inspirational and ones most likely to make you laugh. If you aren’t familiar with her work this is a great introduction. The artwork is wonderful too. This would be a fantastic book to gift this holiday season.
January 9, 2020
I didn't realize this was predominately a quotes collection. I would have been more interested in reading Steinem's thoughts on today's political and cultural environment. We get some of that, but I craved more. Still, there's a reason she has been such a heroine in the feminist movement—her compassion.
May 20, 2020
The title of this had caught my attention and I was curious to read something of Steinem’s, but having it mostly be page after page of short quotes didn’t really resonate for me.
October 22, 2021
The book will piss you off.
July 3, 2023
3.5
Typically not my type of book. Enjoyed it. The quotes and drawings in it.
Typically not my type of book. Enjoyed it. The quotes and drawings in it.
March 26, 2020
Fabulous! Gloria Steinem has been fighting the fight for decades and her continued involvement bodes well for the continuation of the movement for women's rights. Too many great quotes to list here, but I will refer to this book often! "Each quote is an entry in the diary of humankind." Thanks, Ms. Steinem!
"The voting booth is the one place on earth where the least powerful and the most powerful are equal."
"There can be no true democracy with racism and without feminism."
"Your daughters are watching you."
"Don't change women to fit the world; change the world to fit women."
"The voting booth is the one place on earth where the least powerful and the most powerful are equal."
"There can be no true democracy with racism and without feminism."
"Your daughters are watching you."
"Don't change women to fit the world; change the world to fit women."
March 14, 2020
I didn’t realize this was a book mostly made up of quotes, which I was mildly disappointed by since I prefer narrative structure. Nevertheless, I appreciated the powerful words and explanations provided by a wise, considerate, and amazing woman.
March 20, 2024
I knew going into this book it was going to be on the lighter side of feminism and filled with quotes. I enjoyed it! It felt inspiring and uplifting and made me laugh out loud many times. I love anything Gloria Steinem.
September 23, 2020
Absolutely amazing and powerful! I will be reading this again and again and again
July 10, 2022
Endlessly inspiring, although not entirely fleshed out
July 17, 2021
*It’s not only that racism is all around us, it’s that racism is in us."
I have loved, followed and met Ms Steinem on numerous occasions in my lifetime. This is the one book I don't own of hers ( this is. a library copy). I enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it
I have loved, followed and met Ms Steinem on numerous occasions in my lifetime. This is the one book I don't own of hers ( this is. a library copy). I enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it
July 17, 2026
A must read book. Not just for women, for all of us. Recommended. RECOMMENDED.
October 21, 2021
I love a quote and this book was full of good ones to inspire hope and activism. I wish there were more essays to understand how to start and keep the feminist movement going strong.
“Hate generalizes, love specifies.” -Robin Morgan
“There is always one true inner voice: Trust it!” - Gloria Steinem
“Hate generalizes, love specifies.” -Robin Morgan
“There is always one true inner voice: Trust it!” - Gloria Steinem
February 12, 2020
really enjoyed this! review to come soon.
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thank you to Times Reads for a wonderfully kick ass feminist read!
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thank you to Times Reads for a wonderfully kick ass feminist read!
August 6, 2020
Thank you for making the world a better place
Displaying 1 - 30 of 458 reviews