Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters
by Jessica Valenti
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Read in September, 2007
Jessica Valenti writes as a friend--a close friend--would speak to another: Without airs, without condescension, communicating directly and colloquially with someone they care about. She writes with wit and humor, never taking herself too seriously, even when communicating deadly serious information. She defuses one of the slurs regarding feminists: the clichéd humorless harridan. She ably destroys that stereotype throughout, to the joy, often the rude joy, of the reader.
Both in style...more
Both in style...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
dads and teenagers
Get on your galoshes and your profanity-proof vest before you sit down to read this book. If you can endure wading through endless swear words and a constant, forced semblance of teen-speak, then you just might be able to get through it. The author of FFF is the founder of fabulous feminist blog Feministing. While her blog is awesome, I do wonder if she is only able to communicate in informal, blog-style, written-as-speech language. A self-professed and incorrigible "potty-mouth," Vale...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
women and men
I found this book to be very affirming. I have considered myself a feminist ever since my mother (and father) instilled these values in me as a girl. In the last 10 years or so, I have felt the need to apologize for or validate my stance and this book reminded me that this approach is flawed.
The author, Jessica Valenti, does an effective job of dispelling the feminist stereotypes, i.e. the man-hating, sex-hating, anti-motherhood/family, militant woman, etc. She makes it clear that if you su...more
The author, Jessica Valenti, does an effective job of dispelling the feminist stereotypes, i.e. the man-hating, sex-hating, anti-motherhood/family, militant woman, etc. She makes it clear that if you su...more
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Read in March, 2008
Erggggg.
look. valenti knows her shit, more or less. and she's passionate and "spunky" (annoying so. HATE hate hate hate hate her writing style. blech). reading this book, which i borrowed from a friend, functioned as a nice refresher course in feminist issues and women's studies.
it was everything i learnt and studied at Uni (in my sociology minor and women's studies classes) - but in a nice, succinct updated fashion.
a well-rounded and comprehensive overview of feminist issues, ...more
look. valenti knows her shit, more or less. and she's passionate and "spunky" (annoying so. HATE hate hate hate hate her writing style. blech). reading this book, which i borrowed from a friend, functioned as a nice refresher course in feminist issues and women's studies.
it was everything i learnt and studied at Uni (in my sociology minor and women's studies classes) - but in a nice, succinct updated fashion.
a well-rounded and comprehensive overview of feminist issues, ...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
women of all ages.
I've always considered myself a feminist. Unlike the author, I've never had a problem coming to terms with the, erm...term. Haha. But like the author, I feel that a lot of women - especially young women - turn away from feminism because of the rampant amounts of misinformation. Quite often, the word feminism is called the 'F-word' because so many people treat it like it's a bad, nasty thing. In reality, it's a pretty badass, awesome thing. And that's why I love this book: Jessica Valenti (founde...more
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Read in February, 2008
this is very much an introduction to feminism and nothing more. as someone who's identified as a feminist for years, i found it rather boring and even a tad annoying (lots of cursing and teen-speak and the cover is um... a naked white hip). but it's pretty good for what it is. it covers a wide range of issues, gives a lot of examples meant to incite rage over sexism, and is written in a way that would be accessible to someone not used to academic writing. unfortunately its wide scope stretched e...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
those who might say "I'm not a feminist, but..."
Okay, love this book. But I don't think it'll work for everyone, depending on how many WS classes you've had. If you're a self-identified hardcore feminist then you won't really find anything new. However, I still think it's worth a read for the simple affirmation of "Thank god someone else agrees with me!" And her writing is pretty humorous, if sometimes forced into psuedo-hip, nonchalant cursing commentary. And the phrase "par for the course" is overused, but that might jus...more
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Read in April, 2007
I read this book cover to cover the day it arrived in the mail. I urge everyone and anyone who considers buying this book to do so immediately. I laughed, literally, I cried, seriously, I could not put it down. It's a profound and effective mix of outrage and insight; it's a must-read. I've been a self-identified feminist all my life, so a lot of the issues and the author's views on them were not new to me. But it was really refreshing to read feminist thought in my own language. This isn't your...more
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Read in May, 2008
This was pretty good. I didn't really learn anything from it, but then again, I didn't really expect to. Valenti does a good job of explaining why feminism needs to matter to young women (and men). I read feministing pretty much every day and this book is very much like the blog, so much of it was quite familiar. She has included a good resource guide at the end to find more information and get involved. She covers body issues, pop culture, politics, working vs. stay-at-home moms, issues of masc...more
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
teenage girls who recoil at the label "feminist"
After reading a number of good reviews of Full Frontal Feminism I picked it up this summer, knowing full well that the intended audience for the book was far younger than myself and less inclined to jump quickly on the feminist boat. I think Jessica Valenti does good job describing issues that should feel pertinent to every young woman - not just self-proclaimed feminists. She covers the historical, political and personal in a breezy (and often foul-mouthed) way, bound to engage young women th...more
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Read in March, 2008
This is a book that I would give to my younger sister, if not for the whole parents freaking out thing.
Jessica Valenti, one of the founders of Feministing.com, is well-spoken (even though the slang and the confidential tone started to tire about half was through). She's well-informed and well-educated. She clearly gives a shit - this isn't a dead -ism to her, it's life as we live it.
Really, this book made me think. I made me question my own preconceptions and beliefs and, honestly, th...more
Jessica Valenti, one of the founders of Feministing.com, is well-spoken (even though the slang and the confidential tone started to tire about half was through). She's well-informed and well-educated. She clearly gives a shit - this isn't a dead -ism to her, it's life as we live it.
Really, this book made me think. I made me question my own preconceptions and beliefs and, honestly, th...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone
I agree with Jessica Valenti - I am tired of hearing women (especially young women) say "I'm not a feminist, but..." and I'm tired of the assumption that feminism is anti-man or anti-sex. This book gives a fairly broad introduction to the ways that feminist issues are still important and they ways in which we still have a long way to go. It offers a clear explanation of the issues and how they effect the lives of women and girls, and yes, even men and society at large. This is a great ...more
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As may be apparent to anyone paying attention to my bookcase, I've been reading a lot of feminist books lately. In part, this is because I realized that, while I have read a lot of feminist (and queer) "high" theory, I still have a hard time defining some of the basic tenets of feminism. So I decided to read a bunch of "basic" texts that are frequently taught in GWS 101 classes. So....at first I just thought this one was ok, although I was somewhat annoyed/put-off by the t...more
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Read in July, 2007
I love Valenti's writing style, very personal and sassy, like you're just having a conversation with her. As for the issues she discusses, I'm totally with her on some of them, especially the more black and white ones like sexual violence and lack of women in power roles. Some of the others, like marriage, I think she has some good points on, but she doesn't present a full argument in my view. What I liked most about this book is that it got me thinking, especially about the beauty myth thing. W...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
all females
An absolute must-read for all women, regardless of political viewpoint or level of activism. I can't tell you how many times I've found myself laughing out loud, nodding emphatically, or shouting "you're so right!" while reading. I was reading one chapter per night before bed, but that resulted in me trying to engage Dave (my husband) in one too many deep discussions at 11:30pm at night...so I've progressed to continuing my reading whenever I can. Ms. Valenti does a great job of poi...more
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Read in August, 2007
Me, me, me...and great sex if you're a self-proclaimed feminist. Get over yourself Jessica! Yeah, you illuminated some points of feminism, but managed to make it all completely about you (or you the reader). I think there is something that could be said about feminism still being a group movement, and not an individual movement. Another thing, "Pshaw's" and cursing might be cute to a high schooler, but it really ruins some of your academic and wide spread credibility. I think you could...more
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recommends it for:
women
This is a very comprehensive overview of what feminism is -- I believe the author's frank funny vernacular will appeal to those young women who say, "I'm not a feminist, but..." even though she comes from a Women's Studies major. She says "high theory" is fine but it isn't what changes things. She calls for activism.
Jessica Valenti deftly explains why she is a feminism and why feminism has a bad rap. She has a good list of suggested reading for deeper research. It's a...more
Jessica Valenti deftly explains why she is a feminism and why feminism has a bad rap. She has a good list of suggested reading for deeper research. It's a...more
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Read in May, 2007
I love visiting feministing.com but felt the book was trying too hard to be cool and hip. Perhaps the reason I love the website is that it is the place to go for quick hits of smart feminist analysis and the book felt like a collection of some of her postings (which is was not). Probably a good book for someone who doesn't know much about feminism, but for an old feminist like myself, who likes reading academic feminist texts, it feels a little like your parents trying to invoke cool-speak to ge...more
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Read in May, 2007
I had high hopes for this book, but I have to say I was disappointed. The author has a great purpose for her book, to reach out to young women who might think feminism is uncool or won't benefit them. But she comes up short. Her use of profanity and basic all around "eff you" attitude is off putting. She wants young women to see themselves as intelligent and capable, but talks down to them throughout the text.
For a (very) brief introduction to some of the problems the latest ...more
For a (very) brief introduction to some of the problems the latest ...more
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I really enjoy reading Valenti's (and her fellow writers') blog, Feministing.com, because it's witty, straight forward and diverse. These elements are present in her first book which makes it a really fun run - not walk, because there's a lot that's covered in a small space - through modern feminism and issues women in their teens through let's say 40s face. And I see no wrong in the amount of swearing she does because it keeps you interested and you know it's a true voice. However, I'm not y...more
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