Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A compact, pocket-sized rendering of Simone de Beauvoir's seminal work: comprised of three key chapters from The Second Sex, The Independent Woman delivers with powerful concision de Beauvoir's essential message that "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman." When The Second Sex was first published in Paris in 1949, it provoked such outrage and scandal for its unflinching critique of a sexist society that it was banned by the Vatican. It went on to become a canonical text of second-wave feminism, inspiring pioneers from Betty Friedan to Kate Millett to Germaine Greer--and transforming the way we think about sex and gender. Now, for the first time, The Independent Woman provides readers with a portable, manifesto-sized version of this groundbreaking work, presenting the three chapters most central to de Beauvoir's 800-page masterpiece. An essential book for students, activists, and anyone who wants to know more about the history that led to our current moment, The Independent Woman is more relevant now than ever.
Synopsis
"Like man, woman is a human being."
When The Second Sex was first published in Paris in 1949--groundbreaking, risqu , brilliantly written and strikingly modern--it provoked both outrage and inspiration. The Independent Woman contains three key chapters of Beauvoir's masterwork, which illuminate the feminine condition and identify practical social reforms for gender equality. It captures the essence of the spirited manifesto that switched on light bulbs in the heads of a generation of women and continues to exert profound influence on feminists today.