Is this book any good?

[hfojvt]

I was cleaning my house and happened on a book that I have read some in the past, and I decided to start reading it again. It is called "Women's Reality: An Emerging Female System in a White Male Society" by Anne Wilson Schaef

It was written first in 1981, so I am wondering if it is considered dated or still very relevant. After all, I have a copy of Gilman's "Women & Economics" which I could read if I wanted something historical.

Some of this book seems hard to believe. For example, where I left of on page 42 it begins "It is no secret that women in general are very, very angry. Nobody likes to be innately inferior. Blacks do not like it. Chicanos do not like it. Women do not like it."

That does not even fit my experience from 1981. I have not met very man angry women. Maybe they GET angry if you start arguing women's issues with them, but they otherwise do not share much anger. Such anger has been more easily seen in young males.

Also, in the first chapter she talks about "myths of the white male system", two being that "2. The white male system is innately superior and 3. The White Male system knows and understands everything."

Yet from the examples she gives she seems not to be talking about the system, but about the individual men in the system. Maybe if you are hanging out with college professors or college sophomores then you run into many males who act like they know and understand everything, but I do not think that is true of most of the males I have known.

Mainly what I am wondering is if this book can serve as an overview of mainstream feminist theory, or if not, what would?

[Political_Junkie]

1. Never heard of that book, but

women are angry. The thing that you need to keep in mind is that anger is handled different between the genders. Which might be why you think of young males when she uses the word angry.

[hfojvt]

7. I called to wish my sister a happy birthday

she disagreed with the first part, but agreed with the second. She said that women can only talk and men can hit things. But I think that is wrong too. My older sister used to slam doors and throw things, and my little sister also smashed some dishes when angered. Also men often express their anger by yelling, especially since hitting can land you in jail. But "getting angry" at times is not the same thing as "being angry" which would be more of a constant state.

[Political_Junkie]

8. Right.

"But 'getting angry' at times is not the same thing as "being angry" which would be more of a constant state." When your angry at a system of oppression the anger is always there. So, no, it is not an overt in your face anger more like a slow burn. If you go around yelling, hitting and throwing dishes all the time they just lock you up. :) That doesn't help much.
I don't think their is a definitive book on feminism, because there are many different types of feminists. Also, the feminist movement came in waves, or I should say, is still coming in waves. Each wave is a reflection of the current state, whatever feminists, right now, think are important to deal with, if that makes any sense.

[hfojvt]

9. I suppose it could be like my own anger

I always get angry about being relegated to drudge jobs and singlehood whenever I think about it. I used to think about it more too, especially at work, until I sorta gave up, admitted that I was never gonna get a good job or find love, now long periods of time can pass without me thinking about it.

The other two questions are 1) How many women are aware of the 'system of oppression'? and the biggie 2) How the heck are people like my department head, the assistant city manager and the county treasurer, to name a few examples, "oppressed" by the system any more than a male part-time janitor is? They seem to have prospered under a system of oppression.

[Political_Junkie]

10. Some women do still prosper.

The key is they are a rarity and they do not prosper as well as their male counterparts. They make less money doing the same work. I think it's like seventy something cents on the dollar.
Guess I answered question two before one. I think all women are aware of the system of oppression to a point, but some are more aware than others. It's like anything political there are people who never question the status quo.

[jody]

2. Don't know but when the human race starts thinking of God as "she" rather then "he" the world will

become a better place.

Women have evolved to nurture those who depend upon them for survival and we men have evolved to defend and destroy.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I think it would be correct to say "When the world once again starts thinking of god as a "she"

rather than "he".........

http://www.amazon.com/When-God-Woman-Merlin-Stone/dp/015696158X

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Cosmic-Mother-Rediscovering-Religion/dp/0062507915/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

http://www.amazon.com/Once-Future-Goddess-Chronicle-Reemergence/dp/0062503545/ref=pd_sim_b_4

http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Mirrors-Womanhood-Treasury-Goddess/dp/0807067512/ref=pd_sim_b_3

http://www.amazon.com/Chalice-Blade-Our-History-Future/dp/0062502891/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

[jody]

5. .I accept your version. Have a great day. n/t

[musette_sf]

11. + 1

and don't forget

http://www.amazon.com/She-Who-Feminist-Theological-Discourse/dp/0824519256/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266882491&sr=8-1

[BrklynLiberal]

12. This appears to be a VERY interesting book

I am pretty pessimistic about the vested interests in most established religions being willing to relinquish ANY of their power to women.

The "history" was written by men, and the men sure act as if they intend to keep it that way.

[virgogal]

3. You have to decide whether it is a good book or not. The

author gives an opinion and you decide whether you agree or not.

That said: I was a VERY angry woman in 1981------made some changes in my personal life and things are better now.

[hfojvt]

6. it's very easy for me to decide what I think

but I want to find out what others think, particularly feminists. If a solid majority here would agree with much of what that book says.

Your own anger though does not seem related to the white male system which presumably has not changed that much since 1981.

[raccoon]

13. I'd say that's definitely true of a great many white males I've run into, they act like they

know and understand everything".

And many think they have the divine right to tell women what to do and how to think, even if they have no kind of relationship to her whatsover.


I used to have the book but I never read it.