Book picks similar to
Protecting Home: Class, Race, and Masculinity in Boys' Baseball by Sherri Grasmuck
contemporary-nonfiction
gender
informative
non-ficiton
The Second Shift
Arlie Russell Hochschild - 1989
As the majority of women entered the workforce, sociologist and Berkeley professor Arlie Hochschild was one of the first to talk about what really happens in dual-career households. Many people were amazed to find that women still did the majority of childcare and housework even though they also worked outside the home. Now, in this updated edition with a new introduction from the author, we discover how much things have, or have not, changed for women today.
Behind the Red Door: Sex in China
Richard Burger - 2012
Traditional morals and behavior are being turned on their head as the country’s climb towards economic prosperity brings sex into the open. But it is a revolution distinctly different from the one experienced in the West and has taken unexpected twists and turns.Written in a highly engaging and readable style, Behind the Red Door: Sex in China takes the reader on a journey from ancient days, when China’s rulers relied on shockingly vivid Daoist sex manuals, to the present, where China is torn between sexual orthodoxy and Western-style openness.
Disposable Domestics: Immigrant Women Workers in the Global Economy
Grace Chang - 2000
Specifically, this was in direct response to a campaign that had been brewing for years in policy circles and "citizen" groups, culminating in California state's Proposition 187. The initiative proposed to bar undocumented children from public schools and turn away undocumented students from state colleges and universities. It also proposed to deny the undocumented an array of public benefits and social services, including prenatal and preventive care such as immunizations.While the overt purpose of this voter initiative was to curtail immigration, ostensibly by restricting the use of public benefits and social services by undocumented immigrants, the real agenda behind it was to criminalize immigrants for presumably entering the country "illegally" and stealing resources from "true" United States citizens. More to the point, Proposition 187 came out of and was aimed at perpetuating the myth that all immigrants are "illegal" at worst and, at best, the cause of our society's and economy's ills.Throughout US history, immigration has been viewed and intentionally constructed as plague, infection or infestation and immigrants as disease (social and physical), varmints or invaders. If we look at contemporary popular films, few themes seem to tap the fears or thrill the American imagination more than that of the timeless space alien invading the United States, and statespeople have snatched up this popular image to rouse public support for
Head, Hand, Heart: Why Intelligence Is Over-Rewarded, Manual Workers Matter, and Caregivers Deserve More Respect
David Goodhart - 2020
Until recently, this work was largely regarded as menial by the same society that now lauds them as heroes. How did we get here? In his groundbreaking follow-up to the bestselling The Road to Somewhere, David Goodhart divides society into people who work with their Heads (cognitive work), with their Hands (manual work), or with their Hearts (caring work), and considers each group’s changing status and influence. Today, the “best and the brightest” trump the “decent and hardworking.” Qualities like character, compassion, craft, and physical labor command far less respect in our workforce. This imbalance has led to the disaffection and alienation of millions of people. David Goodhart reveals the untold history behind this disparity and outlines the challenges we face as a result. Cognitive ability has become the gold standard of human esteem, and those in the cognitive class now shape society largely in their own interest. To put it bluntly: smart people have become too powerful. A healthy democratic society respects and rewards a broad range of achievement, and provides meaning and value for people who cannot—or do not want to—achieve in the classroom and professional career market. We must shift our thinking to see all workers as essential, and not just during crises like the coronavirus pandemic. This is the dramatic story of the struggle for status and dignity in the 21st century.
The Baby Decision: How to Make the Most Important Choice of Your Life
Merle Bombardieri - 1981
Many women of childbearing age and their partners find it hard to make this life-changing decision. Without a crystal ball, what can you do? Some women say “I like the idea of motherhood, but how do I know I’d really enjoy it? What will happen to my job, my relationship, my sanity?” Or they say, “I’m leaning toward being childfree, but will I be sorry later?” Merle Bombardieri, MSW, LICSW has been helping people make this decision for over thirty years in her therapy and coaching practice and in her Baby Decision Workshops. With a depth that only a psychotherapist can provide, she shows you strategies for dealing with doubt and ambivalence and uncovering your deepest self-knowledge. Through anecdotes, exercises, guidelines, and checklists, she leads you to your best possible choice.Imagine the relief of finally cutting through the tangled vines of pros and cons and seeing a clear decision emerge. Merle helps you not only to make a decision but to use it as an opportunity for you and your relationship to grow. You will learn how to:•Use dozens of “Secret Doors” exercises to uncover hidden feelings and wisdom.•Separate your own needs and preferences from societal myths and expectations.•Give full consideration to the rewards and opportunities of living childfree.•Talk constructively with your partner even if you disagree.•Manage work-life balance and keep your relationship strong.•Make decisions about one-child families, single and gay parenting, fertility and adoption.•Borrow some of the benefits of the other choice.You will also learn how to trust your decision and make the most of it.•Includes resources and bibliography.•Bonus section: Preparing your body for a healthy pregnancy.Upcoming Events"The Baby Decision" Parenthood Decision Making WorkshopsOctober 30, 2016 Cambridge Center for Adult Education (ccae.org)
Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self Esteem, and the Confidence Gap
Peggy Orenstein - 1994
The result was a groundbreaking book in which she brought the disturbing statistics to life with skill and flair of an experienced journalist. Orenstein plumbs the minds of both boys and girls who have learned to equate masculinity with opportunity and assertiveness, and femininity with reserve and restraint. She demonstrates the cost of this insidious lesson, by taking us into the lives of real young women who are struggling with eating disorders, sexual harassment, and declining academic achievement, especially in math and science. Peggy Orenstein's SchoolGirls is a classic that belongs on the shelf with the work of Carol Gilligan, Joan Jacobs Brumberg, and Mary Pipher. It continues to be read by all who care about how our schools and our society teach girls to shortchange themselves.
Tied Up in Knots: How Getting What We Wanted Made Women Miserable
Andrea Tantaros - 2015
If women are more liberated than ever before, why aren't they happier? In this shocking, funny, and bluntly honest tour of today’s gender discontents, Andrea Tantaros, one of Fox News' most popular and outspoken stars, exposes how the rightful feminist pursuit of equality went too far, and how the unintended pitfalls of that power trade have made women (and men!) miserable.In a covetous quest to attain the power that men had, women were advised to work like men, talk like men, party like men, and have sex like men. There’s just one problem: women aren’t men. Instead of feeling happy with their newfound freedoms, females today are tied up in knots, trying to strike a balance between their natural, feminine and traditional desires and what modern society dictates—and demands—through the commandments of feminism. Revealing the mass confusion this has caused among both sexes, Tantaros argues that decades of social and economic progress haven’t brought women the peace and contentedness they were told they'd gain from their new opportunities. The pressure both to have it all and to put forth the perfectly post-worthy, filtered life for social media and society at large has left women feeling twisted. Meanwhile, in their rightful quest for equality, women have promoted themselves at the expense of their male counterparts, leaving both genders frayed and frustrated. In this candid and humorous romp through the American cultural landscape, Tantaros reveals how gaining respect in the office - where women earned it - made them stop demanding it where they really wanted it: in their love lives. The impact of this power trade has been felt in every way, from sex to salaries, to dating and marriage, to fertility and female friendships, to the personal details they share with each other. As a result, we've lost the traditional virtues and values that we all want, regardless of our politics: intimacy, authenticity, kindness, respect, discretion, and above all commitment. With scathing wit -- and insights born of personal experience -- Tantaros explores how women have taken guys off the hook in dating (much to their own detriment) and exposes how we’ve become a nation averse to intimacy and preoccupied with porn, one that has traded kindness for control, intimacy for sexting, and monogamy for polygamy. Sorry romance. Sorry decency and manners. Long talks over the telephone have been supplanted by the "belfie." All this indicates a culture that's devolving, not evolving. And it’s only getting worse. Tied Up in Knots is a no-holds-barred gut check for the sexes and a wake-up call for a society that has decayed -- faster than anyone thought possible. It’s time to remember what we all really want out of work, love and life. Only then can we finally begin untying those knots.
Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating
Moira Weigel - 2016
A mate, on the other hand, is becoming harder and harder to find. The age-old quest for true love requires more effort than ever before. Let’s face it: Dating is work.Which, as it happens, is exactly where it began, in the nineteenth century—as prostitution. In Labor of Love, Moira Weigel dives into the secret history of dating while holding up a mirror to the contemporary dating landscape, revealing why we date the way we do and explaining why it feels so much like work. This isn’t a guide to “getting the guy”; there are no ridiculous “rules” to follow in Labor of Love. This is a brilliant, fresh, and utterly original approach to help us understand how dating was invented and, hopefully, to lead us closer to the happy ending that it promises.
The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS
Elizabeth Pisani - 2008
With swashbuckling wit and fierce honesty, she dishes on herself and her colleagues as they try to prod reluctant governments to fund HIV prevention for the people who need it most—drug injectors, gay men, sex workers, and johns.Pisani chats with flamboyant Indonesian transsexuals about their boob jobs and watches Chinese streetwalkers turn away clients because their SUVs aren't nice enough. With verve and clarity, she shows the general reader how her profession really works; how easy it is to draw wrong conclusions from "objective" data; and, shockingly, how much money is spent so very badly. "Exhibit A": the 45 billion taxpayer dollars the Bush administration is committing to international AIDS programs.
Magpie: Sweets and Savories from Philadelphia's Favorite Pie Boutique
Holly Ricciardi - 2015
Now this book serves up Magpie's seasonal menu for home bakers everywhere: the fruity, creamy, and nutty pies; hand pies, pot pies, and quiches; and even pie shakes and pie "fries," all fine-tuned to exacting standards and with lots of step-by-step instruction for that all-important crust. Baker-owner Holly Ricciardi's upbringing deep in the Central Pennsylvania countryside provided the basis for Magpie's perfect synthesis of classic favorites and new twists-alongside down-home favorites like Sweet Crumb Pie and Shoofly Pie you'll find Holly's bourbon-infused update of her great-grandmother's special butterscotch pie as well as the ingenious (and instant-sellout) Cookie Dough Hand Pies. More than 90 recipes also include sweets like:Cranberry Curd Mini Meringue PiesBlueberry Rhuby Rose PieChocolate Blackout PieAnd savories like:Summer Squash PieHam-Leek-Dijon PotpiesQuiche LorraineFrom crusts to crumbles and sumptuous savories to sweet confections, there's a Magpie pie for every occasion.
Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women
Renee Engeln - 2017
They don’t want to be Barbie dolls but, like generations of women before them, are told they must look like them. They’re angry about the media’s treatment of women but hungrily consume the very outlets that belittle them. They mock modern culture’s absurd beauty ideal and make videos exposing Photoshopping tricks, but feel pressured to emulate the same images they criticize by posing with a "skinny arm." They understand that what they see isn’t real but still download apps to airbrush their selfies. Yet these same young women are fierce fighters for the issues they care about. They are ready to fight back against their beauty-sick culture and create a different world for themselves, but they need a way forward.In Beauty Sick, Dr. Renee Engeln, whose TEDx talk on beauty sickness has received more than 250,000 views, reveals the shocking consequences of our obsession with girls’ appearance on their emotional and physical health and their wallets and ambitions, including depression, eating disorders, disruptions in cognitive processing, and lost money and time. Combining scientific studies with the voices of real women of all ages, she makes clear that to truly fulfill their potential, we must break free from cultural forces that feed destructive desires, attitudes, and words—from fat-shaming to denigrating commentary about other women. She provides inspiration and workable solutions to help girls and women overcome negative attitudes and embrace their whole selves, to transform their lives, claim the futures they deserve, and, ultimately, change their world.Duration: 11 hr., 45 min., 39 sec.
Women from the Ankle Down: The Story of Shoes and How They Define Us
Rachelle Bergstein - 2012
Rachelle Bergstein brings readers along on a unique and delightful romp through the history of shoes, the women who wear them, and the profound impact they have on our lives.Women from the Ankle Down includes interviews and cameos with influential figures ranging from Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava to Oscar Award–winning costume designer Patrizia van Brandenstein, from Doc Martens historian Martin Roach to Fashion Institute of Technology museum director Valerie Steele; from Marilyn Monroe and Jane Fonda to Salvador Ferragamo and Christian Dior; from Judy Garland to Wonder Woman.
Death, Society, and Human Experience
Robert J. Kastenbaum - 1977
Fifteen chapters discuss subjects including the death system, causes of death, transition fro
Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls: Sexual Identity, the Cyberbubble, Obsessions, Environmental Toxins
Leonard Sax - 2010
Girls are convinced they're fat, and starve themselves to prove it. Other girls are so anxious about grades they can't sleep at night--at eleven years of age. What's going on? In Girls on the Edge, Dr. Leonard Sax provides the answers. He shares stories of girls who look confident and strong on the outside, but are fragile within. He shows why a growing proportion of teen and tween girls are confused about their sexual identity, or are obsessed with grades or Facebook. Dr. Sax provides parents with tools to help girls become confident women, along with practical tips on helping your daughter choose a sport, nurturing her spirit through female centered activities, and more. Compelling and inspiring, Girls on the Edge points the way to a new future for today's young women.
That is how I became A SANYASI
Khemlata Negi - 2020
We all are connected. Are you a dreamer? Do you dream to be a successful person? Do you know sometimes the pursuit of monetary success could take you away from you? Have you felt the pain of separation from your loved ones? Have you felt lost some point in your life? This is a story about two people who lose the real treasures of their life in the pursuit of materialistic success and gratification. Gautam changes his life by following his dreams. But along the way, his life transforms into a living nightmare that he resolves to finish. Diksha is a young, brilliant, and headstrong person. Her dedication to be a perfect and sincere daughter, student, and employee turns her into an automaton. When both of them lose their last hope, something inexplicable happens in their life, which eventually sets them on the path of Sanyas. Can you give up your vain success to build an ever-lasting peace and tranquility within you? Can you stand tall and fight back your fears? Can you be a Sanyasi? Gear up to experience a mystical adventure! It’s a story about dreams, relationships, betrayal, courage, separation, and repentance. About the Author: Khemlata Negi is a novelist, poet, and educationist based in Chandigarh, India. Her first novel Hope: the journey to life was published in the year 2016. She has also written a collection of poetry Seasons of life and a book on yoga asana Stay Healthy. She loves reading, travelling, photography, yoga, and spending time in nature. She believes storytelling is one of the most effective methods to inspire and move the masses.