The Power of Rude

by Rebecca Reid

"Of all the things in the world to worry about, why would anyone put the right for women to be rude at the top of the list? It's a fair question. Happily, there is a very simple answer. Because I believe that an inability to be rude is one of the biggest issues which still inhibits the equality of women today."

The Power of Rude will discuss the way women are constantly worrying about being polite, even putting themselves in situations they'd rather avoid due to this fear of saying the wrong thing. For example, we'll learn about the woman who paid for an entire hen do that she wasn't even invited on (because she didn't want to be rude!), the woman who let her cousin practice kissing on her (because she didn't want to be rude!) and the vegan woman who ate an entire pork chop (because she didn't want to be rude!) It will take the reader chapter by chapter through dating, family relationships, sex, the workplace, money, customer service, and more and show women how we can reclaim the word 'rude' and use it to advantage. For decades, women have been called 'bossy' 'hysterical' 'neurotic' in situations where men might simply be dubbed 'assertive.' We need to change the narrative around women and we need to use our voices to take control. Rebecca Reid isn't afraid to show us how.

Genres: Nonfiction

235 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2020

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish my younger self had read this before I'd already had to learn some of it the hard way! Most of it I had already heard, but was nice to be reminded of the right times to stand up for yourself. Only downside for me was the Health chapter - this one felt more of a list of the differences between women and men's healthcare without the possible actions to make it better like there were in other chapters

[Evie 🌙 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5* Whilst this was an interesting read with some decent points, I felt the author wrote from a point of privilege and sometimes just blatant ignorance. Perhaps I’m just rude and assertive enough as it is but I found some of the points quite jarring. I think maybe deeper research would have made this more convincing but overall there was nothing particularly profound in this.

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provided many moments of clarity. It is a passionate call to all women to stop accepting poor treatment from others.
I enjoyed this book an awful lot more than I was anticipating. Absolutely five stars. Bravo 👏🏻

[mimisee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book's purpose is to teach the art of balancing assertiveness without appearing rude, bitchy or unpleasant, but from the very first pages, you understand that the author frequently misuses the word "rude." Instead of accurately describing impolite or offensive behavior, she often employs it to encourage honest and truthful expression, which leads to some confusion on her intended message.

The book was an easy read, but I couldn’t completely relate to this book as I felt an underrepresentation of the struggles faced by queer women and women of color - a lack that she acknowledges in the very first pages of the book. I did feel like this book was written from a place of privilege and while it explores assertiveness and honesty, it often overlooks the unique challenges and perspectives of individuals who may not have said privileges.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is a must read to every women. Very insightful.

It shows that it really is okay to be the rude in a positive way in our daily lives , whether if it’s related to relationships, family, money, customer service, etc.
Some ideas of the right kind of rude :
- it’s okay to complain if the service you received as a customer is not up to standard
- it’s okay to ask for a pay rise
- it’s okay to say no for a joint account or hen do.
- don’t say sorry too often for mistakes, rather say thank you for the correction.

However being assertive does not mean we can be rude in a bad way ; yelling at waiter when the food is bad , body shaming, or even getting physical.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! A truely empowering read! Some of the aspects of being a women that Rebecca talks about, I had never really thought about: how we are conditioned from birth to be quiet, accepting, passive and to always be 'polite'. The chapters about work and asking for a pay rise I found really interesting!

I will certainly take on board lots of what Rebecca has said and may even be more 'rude' in my everyday life. Fabulous read!

[strawberrydragon123 · Rating 4 out of 5]

really really good, eye opening and full of facts and shocking statistics along with really insperational and interesting stories.
Remaining as a taylor swift and greta stan 4 eva and understand how to properly stand my ground for the future without fearing being rude.
Favourite section to read was the health and money ones because those are the ones i would probably struggle with the most in terms of being blunt.

[Dani Sitnik · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite quote in the whole book:
'The problems with the word 'bossy' are well documented, but here's a quick refresher course: it's a word, almost never applied to men, which you often hear used to describe little girls who like to organise or exhibit leadership skills'

I'll never call my daughter bossy again!

[Amelia Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant read. Timely and well-written, full of interesting facts, humorous tone and ultimately shouting the message we all need to hear: being rude will change your life. This book has made me think, made me smile and inspired me to start living life with boldness and intentionally advocate for myself and others as a woman in her twenties.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chose this book hoping for something a little less shallow. The title and description made me think it would be more insightful but much of the messaging in the book feels like common sense. ‘Be firm but polite’ is the main message here - I expected more, something deeper, more complex? Very disappointed and glad I borrowed this book, not bought.

[Luiza SB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a good book for people who are entering the world of researching about feminism and how societal issues (i.e the patriarchy) damages women worldwide. It did feel more superficial and anecdotal than I would’ve liked, but still an okay read. I’d give it 3.5 stars.

[Sarah Zerrouk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the overall message of generally being more self-assertive, though I found it very personal to the author’s life which made it quite narrow. Could have been amazing if it was more rounded and took into account that other people have very different lives.

[Ellen Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this! Could be genuinely life-changing.

[Elaine M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it all depends of the reader- some relevant bits for me, some I don't need help with, but all in all, a decent read and it actually made me laugh several times.

[Alina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite shallow to spend your time to read it. More like a compilation of magazine articles, I mean not that deep and comprehensive as I expected.

[Jas Callaway · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although there were some good point made this book didn’t inspire me as much as I expected

[Maelstrom_xo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.87 ✨⭐

[Amira Kaadan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I read this earlier in life.