Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women

I picked up this book mainly because I hadn't lived through the 80s and wondered what liberal groups were talking about when they referred to the regressions of women's rights during that period. Backlash deals with the thoughts and trends in the 80s and the effect they had on women. Many people here (who may or may not have actually read this book) say that Faludi's book is full of man-bashing diatribe. Actually, though, Faludi focuses more on the relationship between men and women in society, and the main problem with men in general she has is the idea of masculinity which requires domination and superiority in the workplace and home to feel secure. No one should feel that their gender identity is being taken away from them just because the other gender wants to participate in the same activites. Another good point she makes is the double-standard of views on marraige, children, and careers. While women are told that they must get married and have children or else they are a "failure," and once these children are born they must sacrifice their careers and independence, it is viewed as desirable for men to be away from their children all day, and men's time unmarried and childless is "the good life."Whether you are sympathetic to feminism or think it's dangerous, you should read this era-defining book.

After finishing this dense 460-page book, I am amazed that this was my first excursion into the area of Woman's Studies, but I could not be happier with my choice. Backlash is a thought provoking comprehensive look at women and America in the 1980's. While the information and examples are dated, the underlying themes still resonate in today's society.I take issue with those who label Faludi a "man-hater." She made a point to identify women who were part of the anti-feminist trends, which lends more weight to her theory of a backlash. When men were used as examples, it was for a good cause. I never thought Faludi was blaming or targeting men as the reason for the backlash, rather she focused on society as a whole.A previous reviewer mentioned Faludi's use of specific examples weakened her argument, bringing her to the level of those she criticizes. While Faludi does use specific examples, she also stresses on having viable statistics to back her claims. Partial evidence of this can be found in the over 400 citations she utilized.I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is curious to know more about the status of women in America. Speaking from personal experience, this is one of the few books that have made me view my world differently. I cannot think of higher praise.