Our Shared Shelf discussion

I agree with you Ryan, it started with me being sceptical about whether I would enjoy her book. It didn't take long for me to be completely engaged with her life story.

I was immediately drawn in, but all the political stuff was harder to slog through. I think she did an amazing job of telling us enough to understand the context of the events and the times, though, without overdoing it. But I was much more interested in the travel stories themselves, as well as the last chapter with Wilma Mankiller.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I went into it knowing nothing about the author and have come away with a healthy respect for everything she has accomplished in her lifetime. Some sections were a little long-winded for my taste but all were very valuable.

I didn't really enjoy the book. Gloria is an amazing woman who has had some amazing experiences, but the way this book was written is extremely hard to follow and it was a chore to read. I feel like I'm going crazy because everyone is praising it, or are we only praising it because Emma suggested it? If that's the case authors will be clamouring to be a part of this book club.

Hello!

I'm telling basicly everyone in this club that I finished the book and my opinion about it is amazing: its such a magical book and it's addicting to read her experiences because of her beautiful style of writing :)
Although I want to share a lot of thoughts about it with you, I just wanted to say that we should maybe wait discussing this untill next week, so everybody has a chance to discuss with us :)

Of course, you do what you want to do, but its way more fun to talk with the other members about this at the same moment :)

-Simon <3

Renee wrote: "I didn't really enjoy the book. Gloria is an amazing woman who has had some amazing experiences, but the way this book was written is extremely hard to follow and it was a chore to read. I feel lik..."

I fell madly in love with the first few chapters and couldn't believe how lucky I was to read such an amazing story. Thennnnn, eh. The choppy timeline and what seemed to be snippets of other tales drew me out of her world.

It's interesting to already hear from so different points of view!

I absolutely loved the book and the semi-chaotic structure of it. I liked the way she skipped back and forwards in time, not restrained by chronology.

I feel that I have learned a lot about the history of feminism (and much more!) in an interesting and informative way.

I just finished it and I'm still trying to figure out if I liked it or not. For me, the chapters that didn't have antidotal stories in bullet points, or had few of them (like Talking Circles) were a lot stronger than the ones mostly made up of them (such as Why I Don't Drive).

With that said, I think the reason why it doesn't follow a strict timeline narrative is because each of these themes build on top of each other, but that might be a discussion to wait for next week.

I loved this book. I found it fairly easy to read and was enthralled with all her stories and life. I agree jumping back and forth in time was different, but I enjoyed that aspect for the most part. I very much appreciated the history of the feminist movement, and to hear about her role within it. Overall, I fully enjoyed this book!

I completely agree with what everyone is saying. I enjoyed reading this book so much! I did have a hard time getting through the political section, but I do like that she explained things I did not quite understand as best she could. I can see why the back and forth of the timeline can deter people away from liking the book, but look at how our memory works. Our memories are not in a chronological fashion, but are random and have no order. I like to think that the random order of her memories is like we are getting a glimpse inside her mind. Though it is still organized by sections to keep a structure.

How many books have you read in your life that stayed with you long after you read them? I just finished 'My Life on the Road' and I feel that this is one of those books. I have learnt quite a bit from reading this book, particularly about the struggle for equal rights (womens, African-American and Native American). I also really liked her insights about women in US politics. Not only have I learnt new things, but some of my own views and preconceptions have been challenged and changed. I don't want to give anything away or write too much just yet. I can't wait to discuss it when everyone else has finished!

I enjoyed completely. It was such an amazing journey... Like Ryan, at the beginning I didn´t know what to expect when she was talking about her life in the road, but once I finished the book I understood how necessary was that part to get why she belonged to the road. The political parts were awesome, but I cannot deny that I enjoy knowing more about politics and history in general. My motivation about feminism was developed to another level thanks to this book... I even got more interested about her figure and I searched for information about her job on the Internet. I´m even going to read this year Wilma´s book. This lecture club is bringing marvelous things to my life, and for that I am thankful.

Like others above, I enjoyed the book but could have done without a lot of the political talk. I feel like if I had witnessed more of the political events that she spoke about, or had learned about them previously in school or something, it might have been different. As it were, a 25 year old Canadian turns out doesn't know much about '60s and '70s American politics...

I did really enjoy the "Talking Circles" and "Why I Never Drive" chapters. Found it mostly very interesting.

Just finished!!! Such a great read. I'll recommend this book to EVERYONE. Can't wait to discuss it with this group :)

Michele wrote: "I was immediately drawn in, but all the political stuff was harder to slog through. I think she did an amazing job of telling us enough to understand the context of the events and the times, though..."
As she says in the chapter called "One Big Campus", "We learn most where we know the least." The political chapters may have been hard but they are so incredibly important, especially with the current election. There is a political book that is an AMAZING read for feminists called "Big Girls Don't Cry" Big Girls Don't Cry: The Election that Changed Everything for American Women by Rebecca Traitster. It changed my life. I highly highly recommend it to anyone....

Loved this book. Ms Steinem is a participant in life, a doer, a listener, a catalyst for change. When we step outside our doors, we can all feel like there's so much possibilities for positive change, and that we all have a voice. and can make a difference.

I too was pleasantly surprised with the style Steinem used. I was a bit worried that a feminist book would invoke images of bra burners and man haters but it was nothing like that. It showed the journey to becoming a feminist and fighting for what she believes in and the events that spurred her on. It also helped me to understand that absolutely every woman supports feminism even when they don't vocalise it. And that it' a community of like minded people from all types of backgrounds that already exists, I just have to find my way in and find a role that I am comfortable playing. It helped me make my own fleeting thoughts and feelings on the subject into a more coherent opinion and I really enjoyed the whole book. When I finished it though I did feel it was a bit all over the place and could have been better structured or organised but it had no lasting impact on the reading process or my overall opinion of the work.

I can't wait to start the next one.

Just finished it ! It was amazing can't wait to discuss it with everybody xx

I don't think you are crazy. I really loved the book, but I don't read much non-fiction, just for the reason you mentioned. This one I breezed through, but there are books that I tried to read and it was just too much.

Renee wrote: "I didn't really enjoy the book. Gloria is an amazing woman who has had some amazing experiences, but the way this book was written is extremely hard to follow and it was a chore to read. I feel lik..."

I enjoyed the book, but I wasn't in love with some parts of it. I think that as mentioned, a lot of the political talk wasn't really relatable for people who aren't familiar with American politics from the 60s and 70s. Parts were quite difficult to follow.

I loved the more personal anecdotes and the stories about the various events Gloria attended/organised though, and found her vision of feminism and the need to keep working very touching.

Finished the book this morning. I really enjoyed it throughly. Like others, the political sections may not have been my favorite, however, because it was part of her journey and her "Life on the Road", found it necessary for the clarity of purpose she and others served. These women (and men) served our "community" as a whole by going to bat for us.

For myself, through reading comes knowledge. This book brought about knowledge of the fight, passion, and actions of so many before us. We may or may not understand or enjoy the circumstances due to age, surroundings, location, etc., but at the end of the day, it is all part of the history of a creating civilized humanity.

I love that she just got up, went out there, not knowing where she was going, and just made shit happen. Against the grain. Fuck status-quo. A true role model (for me anyway).

I'm glad this book club started, what a great first book.

I finished, I loved it. I feel like this is amazing. The book covered so many areas and brought different aspects to light that I never really thought about. in all honesty this book is probably one I will read a couple more times because it has volumes of insight to offer. I really enjoyed this novel l, and I'm really enjoying the book club. I'm excited to see what next month will bring :)

Wow. Just...wow. This is not a book I would have typically read, so I immensely thank Emma Watson and her boon club for this title. This is a biography...in a way, but it's so much more. It's a story of feminism, humanism, our shared experience as human beings (from long ago as hunter gatherers who migrated to present day those who still migrate), and those fighting for equal rights for literally all. Her life is remarkable and still unknown. Before reading this title, I had no idea who she is. My question is, why aren't schools teaching about her and other feminist leaders/speakers of, not just USA, but any country in the world. Why in 2015 are women and people if color still unrepresented in this world. As a world, we have come far thanks to Gloria and her cohorts but there is still so much to overcome. Her story gives hope that one day all will be equal.

I am going to reiterate what others have already said - this was a wonderful read. Like many of the other commenters, it's something a little out of my wheelhouse, but I think it is important to read different genres every once in a while! Gloria Steinem is a person that should on every reading list. While there were times I felt like it jumped around a bit, it was interesting to hear about her experiences at events that I've learned about in history class. Steinem was at the civil rights march in DC, helped organize a national conference, has been a champion for women's rights, and so much more. This was such a great choice for the first book!! THANK YOU, EMMA!!!

I have to say this book, which was an enjoyable read with a plethora of great quotes, has connected me, as an artist, to the symbolism of the circle in a way I never thought possible. The last chapter really brought this home with the "paradigm of human organization", the Serpent woman, and the milpa (among other examples). For me, a great book encourages self-reflection, informs new ideas, and educates. My Life on the Road hit all of these points for me, so by no means is my only takeaway is a new-found love for the circle. ;) It was an excellent recommendation and one I will add to own my list of recommendations.

I think the book is amazing. Gloria's story is very inspiring, it makes you wanna do more for the movement. Not to mention the need to travel, in order for us to know different people and different cultures.
It's good to learn how the feminism began in the US and how inclusive Gloria is about the black movement and LGBT folks.

I ended up listening to the audiobook rather than reading it. I enjoyed it! When I was listening, some parts felt slower than others, as one or two commenters mentioned, but some of it was incredibly inspiring. It made me feel so grateful for all the people who have paved the way for the feminist movement, and also made me realize how far we still need to go. I also appreciated Steinem's attempts to include intersectionality in her book. Can't wait to see the official discussions.

Like Jen I listened to the audio book, well read by Debra Winger (intro read by G.S.). I've loved all her books, and thought this was a cleverly constructed autobiography in the shape of a life-long road trip. Absolutely inspirational. I want to share this book with all my friends, young & old, liberal & conservative, male & female, and have one big talking circle!

I just finished the book today. I am noticing many people saying they didn't like the political aspect as much, but I found that part very interesting, because to me it is so important to understanding how feminism has changed and how it has affected politics and been affected by politics.

I also greatly enjoyed the anecdotal parts. In some ways I found the structure a bit hard, but I also think that's because I was only able to find about 20 minutes a day to read up until today, when I read the entire second half of the book all in one go (during my toddler's afternoon nap). So, I was having trouble simply because my reading sessions weren't long enough for me as a reader.

I really didn't know who Gloria was before this book, even though I have been a feminist from a young age, so it was fascinating to learn about her.

I just finished the book (graciously in mere hours before my library loan was up) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrative felt almost conversational, yet often gave me pause in thinking about my own "road" experiences and delving into feminism. I finished the book feeling like I should read not only more Steinem, but more Mankiller; more Walker; more of anything written by the amazing women in this book!

I found this book so beautiful. I loved its meandering nature and its overarching tone of gratitude and wonder, despite the serious challenges Ms. Steinem has spent her life addressing. I expected more anger in the book, and its hopeful messages are such a gift.

I've just finished the book too. I'm glad that I joined this group because I would never have thought to have read this beforehand. I live in the UK and if I'm being honest hadn't heard about Gloria Steinem prior to joining the group (I'm also new to learning about feminism really). I did find the political parts a bit more difficult to keep track of especially with the timeline going back and forth but I've really enjoyed learning! I feel like I'm taking a lot away from this book which I'm thankful for. I think the book has been informative but emotive with many touching stories included to illustrate her points. I'm kind of in awe of how much Gloria Steinem has seen and been involved in. Looking forward to the next book :)

I really loved the book. I was a,axed how she was on the periphery of so many major events in history, and the changes in society. Her stories were captivating and very enjoyable. Couldn't put it down.

I enjoyed this book very much. I work for a feminist organization for a church denomination and I was currently en route to a conference for my job. Although I did accomplish a lot of reading on my flight, I made sure to put the book down and enjoy the people I was meeting along the journey. The experiences I had while on my free time during that conference was phenomenal...and it was all because I decided to take the time to enjoy the journey.

Steinem introduced the concept of talking circles. I've heard of these type of gatherings, but I have never experienced one nor was instructed on how to orchestrate one. I would have loved more insight from Steinem about organizing these types of circles.

I appreciated her discussion of the intersectionalities within feminism. I personally feel that white feminism is what is seen and understood by popular culture. Although I love her, I blame Taylor Swift for this. But women of color and LGBTQIA women's voices are often silenced. I knew who Gloria Steinem was before entering this book, but I had no idea how much she cared about the intersections within feminism. I have so much more respect for her.

I learned a lot more about the second wave of feminism from this book. Funny how my text book only wanted to highlight the bra burning on the movement. But this history shared was my favorite part because it introduced me to other feminists I have added on my reading list. Florynce Kennedy and Wilma Mankiller are next on my reading lists...

I felt Gloria Steinem really shared her deepest self, and a lot of times I stopped and wrote notes, especially about how HeForShe leaders could leverage the knowledge and experiences. And they are already applying them. Here's a Steinem quote about an organizing principle: "Anybody who is experiencing something is more expert in it than the experts." The HeForShe site asks people for their stories, and leaders should continue to reach out face to face, as Gloria did.

At the end of the book, I thought she made an inspiring call to women to go on a journey with a restlessness that leads to listening/talking and self-discovery and other positive changes.

When she wrote, "Though I felt sorry for myself for not having a home, I was always rescued by defiance and a love of freedom." I wrote a note in my tablet: How can I make the love of my life always have confidence that she can be defiant and be free?

Steinem helped me become aware of the importance of organizing the Indian community and empowerment. I had no idea that scalping originated with our U.S. Army. I wasn't aware of the importance of the Indians to help create our Constitution. I loved that line from the Iroquois Indians who were present in Philadelphia as advisers: "Where are the women?"

The Serpent Mound chapter was very interesting. I took a good long look at images of the grassy serpent and it's amazing. I think Gloria makes a lot of sense when she talks about discovering meaning in the ancient within our own nation's past rather than just looking elsewhere when children/teens/college students study history. There's a lot to be said about informing students about how the Indians organized and created a sophisticated, balanced culture.

Steinem spoke about the purpose of life as being one with nature, and I agree with that - bonding and loving seem to be the best way to live. The ocean is very important to me and to her. Recall how she fondly wrote of her father's Ocean Beach pier during her childhood, and later in the book she writes, "Perhaps because an ocean beach had always been our goal during the travels in my childhood." Her chapter on Wilma's death and how she receded "like an ocean tide" was very moving.

I loved how she spoke of talking circles and how it should replace the pyramid or hierarchy. I thought of HeForShe and wondered how the leaders would continue to apply the talking circle as a way to organize. Then I remembered that I'm in a talking circle called Our Shared Shelf...

Steinem's chapter on the 1971 Houston conference was educational. I had no idea about how powerful and pivotal that conference was in the U.S. Reading about the conference made me wonder when HeForShe would have a similar event. I imagined there would be pre-conference polls and reports describing issues and concerns.

I loved how Gloria taught me about the roots of caucus and emphasized the importance of consensus and balance.

Another quote from Steinem that I thought was an excellent mission statement: "...strengthen the movements that embody principles...a movement can pioneer new issues and motivate voters." I love reading the HeForShe principle: "What we share is more powerful than what divides us."

Steinem's quote about anger being connected to depression is an important point. It's an experience that others should learn from. Anger should be part of the dialogue that changes the consciousness and habits of those who make us angry. 'List the things that make you angry' and 'What are things that people do that need to change?' seems like good talking circle point for HeForShe and I'm confident they are already part of the dialogue.

Gloria discussed meeting people with sad but inspiring truths to share. My problems seem much easier to overcome thanks to these stories.

Love Gloria's line about "changing the system to fit people, not the other way around."

There's clarity all over the book that helped me understand basic truths about creating positive change: listen to those who have seen the abuses and talk about ways to transform consciousness. When Gloria talks about lessons from India, I wondered how can HeForShe make sure that they focus on creating change "from the bottom, like a tree." What are the roots of the tree when it comes to gender equality?

I know the most important discovery of Steinem's life, and that made think about my most important discovery.

Her talking circles chapter made me jot down these notes about creating change: need measurers, need accurate methods of measuring, need a repository of success stories for future reference, need to identify types of changes.

Thanks Emma! Glad I read it.

Gloria Steinem is a person that I had never heard of and I am certainly grateful for this book group of introducing her to me.

I wouldn't say that I am a feminist as I am lucky that in the generation I belong to I have the right to vote, for equal pay in my job and for choosing the career I want to have, but I would believe myself to be more of a humanist. Probably more so after reading the book. I'm going to do my bit to make sure that my voice is heard.

Thank you Emma for choosing this book for us and thank you Gloria for writing the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it certainly have me plenty of things to think about.

Rachel xoxo

My thoughts are going to be the same as some of you. I was a little bit scared before reading the book. I was wondering if I was going to like it, you know, when you read books which are interesting but the way they are written make you feel like it's hard, and long and boring to read.
I quickly realised that "My life on the road" wasn't that type of books. I know some of you will disagree with me but I really like the way she writes.
I found her book interesting, enlightening and I would highly recommend it around me.
I learn a lot reading her book, made some extra researches as well and I am really not disappointed by this first choice of book ( Emma, if you read this, thank you, I always follow your books recommendation, and again this was a perfect choice).

I found myself very impressed by the life of Gloria Steinem... By the amount of things she does, how she travels, how she engaged in politics, how she engaged for the causes she believes in.
Severals time during my reading, I questionned myself about my own life, and that is a very good point, I love when books make me think and see the world in a different perspective, and My life on the road surely did !

Aye, finished. Now sitting in the dark looking at a screen trying to decide why it matters if I respond. I am sitting here now knowing more than I did before opening the book. Learning about actual real history that has been categorically omitted from my public education.

I am sitting here, a straight, white, dude, wondering why I live in a place where women have to fight for the same life that I am given without cost. I life in which the only obstacle in my life is myself. In the dark I can pretend that I have never said anything divisive or hateful towards women. That is a lie. I don't anymore but I had lived in blissful ignorance for years before I realized what I was doing and who I was hurting.

I wish I was comfortable enough to turn on the lights. Someday, yes?

I'm with Allison - although I'm a humanist, I would never in a million years have picked up this book without encouragement. I work in a tech field and dreaded that this book would leave me feeling more depressed about where we are, versus where we could be. I thought it would be boring or preachy. I thought it would be pushy about WHAT WE MUST DO.
Instead I found myself actually underlining sentences (something I haven't done since school) and enjoying the stories. I feel encouraged, and I've gained insight about my approaches and other points of view.
I'm really glad this was our first book. I look forward to the discussions about it, and reading our next!

I loved the book but was hesitant at the beginning. It reconnected me to my feminist activism that has been quiet for a bit. I was most drawn to the stories of Native American women and their connection to the earth, community, and activism.

Renee wrote: "I didn't really enjoy the book. Gloria is an amazing woman who has had some amazing experiences, but the way this book was written is extremely hard to follow and it was a chore to read. I feel lik..."

I completely agree. I liked it well enough, but am not infatuated with it as everyone else seems to be. While, I'm sure many people do love it, I worry that every month will be lots of fawning simply because it was chosen by Emma. I hope won't be like whenever a very famous author publishes a new book, it gets rave reviews because of who the author is, not the actual book.

Alright y'all, I understand that the word feminism feels alienating to men, possibly also to people who identify with another gender or no gender at all as well. But humanism is a completely different set of beliefs. Humanism is a belief in humans over the divine or supernatural. It is not a belief in equality between male and female. The word you are looking for is in fact feminism. Feminism does seek to destroy patriarchy for the benefit of women but also for the benefit of men. I don't intend this comment to be a lengthy lesson on every detail of feminism, because goodness knows I'm still learning. I just have seen this misconception of what humanism really is, and I wanted to say something.

I loved this book. I never would have picked it up if not for this club and I'm glad I did. I learned so many t hings from this book and I am planning on being more involved in my community including elections and volunteering.

I loved it! I actually reviewed it over on my page but basically what I said was that it has made me want to read more feminist literature. :-D

I'm super excited to learn what our next book is!

I loved this book ! There's a full review on my blog if you want to check it out :) https://wanderworldss.wordpress.com/2...

Jason wrote: "Aye, finished. Now sitting in the dark looking at a screen trying to decide why it matters if I respond. I am sitting here now knowing more than I did before opening the book. Learning about actual..."

I think you just did. :) And thank you! We all say/do/think things that are or could be hurtful or destructive to others whether or not we mean to but I think it's the acknowledgement of our own misunderstandings, limitations, and failures that really allows us room to grow.

I finished the book last week, and was really struck by the last chapter. Throughout the book, Steinem seems to be giving us something of an autobiography. Yet the last chapter reveals her regret at not having had the chance to write a joint book with Wilma Mankiller. It made me reevaluate the book and wonder whether it was at least in part a tributary effort for Mankiller, Steinem's half of a book that will never be written.

Wow. I've just finished the book and I can honestly say I've never read a book which has inspired me and made me question so much. It's been utterly thought provoking.

My life on the road is not a book I would normally read, I probably wouldn't have picked up to read the blurb but I'm so glad that I have read it and would like to read more books like it.

Gloria Steinem and the people she has met on her journeys are awe inspiring and courageous. They've made me want to go out and there and start campaigning and organising, do more than vote.

Thank you.

I finished the book today, and it reminded me of how much I adore Gloria Steinem, and how much she and her writing meant to me in college. I think a lot of you are a lot younger than I am, and probably not terribly familiar with Gloria Steinem other than to know her name as a feminist icon. When I was in college, I read her collection of essays called "Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions." That book meant so much to me, and I intend to go back and re-read it. I think especially for younger women for whom the feminist movement is mostly a piece of history, My Life on the Road would make more sense if you read Outrageous Acts first.

What My Life on the Road did for me was to remind me of what a warm and wonderful person Gloria Steinem is, not at all the bra-burning radical that so many people (including many younger women) imagine a "Feminist" to be. I also happen to love to travel and feel so enriched when I can get out on the road, and see places and meet people whose lives are very different from mine. I really enjoyed reading about Ms. Steinem's experiences, and how they shaped her views of the world.

Finshed! Looooved it! I was captivated by the historical references and appreciated the new viewpoint! Thanks Emma for recommending it.