Scan barcode
veeglessner's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Okay! First off, what an amazing effort to compile and organize the research in this book. It will make you so, so angry reading Perez' thesis: the male perspective is the default human perspective and that fact has been doing women a disservice for centuries. There are many topics in this book that I hadn't thought to consider in a feminist lens. This book could be the strongest case for why the work still s not done, and an amazing rebuke to people who believe women have equality with men since the 21st century. We are literally sacrificing quality of life, being abused and even dying due to the system that this book analyzes.
Now: Despite managing to include race and to an extent class, this book does not in any way analyze the gender binary or the experiences of trans and NB people. As another reviewer pointed out, the words "trans", "nonbinary" do not appear even once in this book. How do you write 500 pages about gender without including at least a mention of these identities? The premise of the WHOLE BOOK is that discrimination by exclusion IS discrimination.
Also, there are a couple (one in particular) VERY graphic descriptions of abuse that were not necessary.
So I have to recommend this incredible feat of a book with those huge caveats. You will learn so much and become enraged, while thinking that the author badly needed a sensitivity reader and an ironically more inclusive perspective. At 6 years old, I think this book could really use a re-release with some updated statistics and information as well as addressing those gaping "data gaps."
Now: Despite managing to include race and to an extent class, this book does not in any way analyze the gender binary or the experiences of trans and NB people. As another reviewer pointed out, the words "trans", "nonbinary" do not appear even once in this book. How do you write 500 pages about gender without including at least a mention of these identities? The premise of the WHOLE BOOK is that discrimination by exclusion IS discrimination.
Also, there are a couple (one in particular) VERY graphic descriptions of abuse that were not necessary.
So I have to recommend this incredible feat of a book with those huge caveats. You will learn so much and become enraged, while thinking that the author badly needed a sensitivity reader and an ironically more inclusive perspective. At 6 years old, I think this book could really use a re-release with some updated statistics and information as well as addressing those gaping "data gaps."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Misogyny
mrs_engineer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
5.0
A thorough analysis of the staggering lack of gender discriminated data. The world has undeniably been built for men, the assumed standard, in language, travel, technology, medicine, natural disasters, food, careers, infrastructure, the list goes on. Perez proves that closing the gender data gap is good for everyone, not just women. We desperately need to account for the female body, male sexual violence against women, and unpaid care work when we make decisions and policies that impact our entire population.
I usually struggle with nonfiction, especially heavier topics, but this book is well structured and Perez's writing is engaging and compelling. I agree with others that intersectionality could have been addressed, however it is clear from the introduction what the book was meant to cover and I think it's exactly what Perez accomplished. I think all men should read this book, not just those in "positions of power", as all hold an amount of power, realized or not.
"Men confuse their own point of view with the absolute truth."
I usually struggle with nonfiction, especially heavier topics, but this book is well structured and Perez's writing is engaging and compelling. I agree with others that intersectionality could have been addressed, however it is clear from the introduction what the book was meant to cover and I think it's exactly what Perez accomplished. I think all men should read this book, not just those in "positions of power", as all hold an amount of power, realized or not.
"Men confuse their own point of view with the absolute truth."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
yoursisterscanary's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Domestic abuse
ghost_rider's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism
bubblebot's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
"Women's rights are human rights. and human rights are women's rights" ~ Hillary Clinton, 1995
Women aren't men. Women can't be men. And women don't want to be men(minus trans men but that's a separate matter altogether).
i loved this book. as a rule i love feminist books. so, no surprises there. i loved it so much before i finished listening to it i went and bought a physical copy haha.
Women aren't men. Women can't be men. And women don't want to be men(minus trans men but that's a separate matter altogether).
i loved this book. as a rule i love feminist books. so, no surprises there. i loved it so much before i finished listening to it i went and bought a physical copy haha.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism
fkshg8465's review against another edition
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Lots of great points made, and I think it’s a book important for all genders, especially men, to read. There’s a one star review by someone named Carey who made some good critique of the book. So it’s also important to check sources and keep a balanced view.
For my part, I was having to remind myself that there are lots of men in the world that I like and respect and who have had nothing to do with architecting any of these issues, even if some are guilty of perpetuating them unconsciously. Having grown up in a double patriarchy (Korean family in the US), I too am guilty of this and could’ve benefited from asking more questions.
This was highly relevant to me, for example, as a pianist. I had to give up at a certain point because my hand span was too small. Rather than asking why the pianos couldn’t be made smaller, I assumed the problem was me. Or every time I put on my seatbelt, I have to use an adjuster because the seats and belts are too big for my body. (I really think there’s a huge untapped market for car manufacturers of they’d design and sell cars just for women’s body!!!!, like in the billions!!!!).
What’s frustrating about books like this - nothing gets done, even though we know better. 😢 Plus, women generally outlive men and in poorer health for all the reasons outlined and more. So we’re also having to live longer in these awful conditions. The unfairness never seems to end…
For my part, I was having to remind myself that there are lots of men in the world that I like and respect and who have had nothing to do with architecting any of these issues, even if some are guilty of perpetuating them unconsciously. Having grown up in a double patriarchy (Korean family in the US), I too am guilty of this and could’ve benefited from asking more questions.
This was highly relevant to me, for example, as a pianist. I had to give up at a certain point because my hand span was too small. Rather than asking why the pianos couldn’t be made smaller, I assumed the problem was me. Or every time I put on my seatbelt, I have to use an adjuster because the seats and belts are too big for my body. (I really think there’s a huge untapped market for car manufacturers of they’d design and sell cars just for women’s body!!!!, like in the billions!!!!).
What’s frustrating about books like this - nothing gets done, even though we know better. 😢 Plus, women generally outlive men and in poorer health for all the reasons outlined and more. So we’re also having to live longer in these awful conditions. The unfairness never seems to end…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
princess_lea's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
This is a very important read for literally everyone. It’s extremely informative and incredibly frustrating to read as a woman. Especially since this book was written in 2018, and based on the events of the last years with covid, and everything else happening, nothing really seems to have changed. It’s not a whole lot of time that has passed but it’s important for things to change, and fast.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, and War
minkimonki's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Rape
nel0nen's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and War
kaitlyncookies's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
5.0
I rate non-fiction books 5 stars when they've made an impact on me and changed the way I fundamentally think about something. Invisible Women fits the bill. This book elicited so many emotions in me, but the main one was anger. Reading this book is like realizing you were living in the matrix. In the short time since I've read it I've already become less accepting of the male "defaults" around me. Being a woman is dangerous on so many levels and you don't even realize them until you are confronted by them in this book. I hope more people read this book (and for a piece of non-fiction that is essentially about a data gap it was incredibly readable!), but mostly I hope more men read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence