3.84 avg rating — 1,654 ratings

"In reading this book I've come to realize that the history of wife is the history of women because until recently, women have been viewed as wives and mothers ("relative creatures") instead of autonomous people."

3.87 avg rating — 327 ratings

"This book synthesizes a lot of information including history to illustrate specific ways in which specific policies (cultural, legal, political, and economic) use women's biology against them under the guise of "good mothering""

3.81 avg rating — 1,214 ratings

"This was a fascinating read about the biological and cultural research thus far explaining the basis of human society: parents and children, but without moralizing. The book also illustrates when society's systems are counterproductive to our species' abilities to thrive."

3.97 avg rating — 59 ratings

"This offered a lot of insight to the biological portion of parenthood, but from mostly a non-human perspective. This helped illustrate how much we need society and appropriate cultural practices to make the work of reproduction fair across adults."

3.76 avg rating — 1,892 ratings

"While this book may be a little outdated, it is a great starting point for understanding the biological, economic, and cultural hindrances that primary caregivers (mostly moms) have to deal with on top of or in place of their own careers, mental health, and active participation in the broader society."

4.29 avg rating — 5,260 ratings

"This book started this journey. A deep dive into the basis of modern day oppression: the exploitation of property is exercise in power. Those who own property and are able to extract value from that property at low cost are powerful. This book illustrates how white women slaveowners knew this and recognized that the only property they could keep in marriage was their slaves. This conflict among women still persists - look at the low wages for cleaning staff and childcare workers - and will continue until sufficient power can be achieved without accumulated wealth & exploitation of property or labor."

4.24 avg rating — 6,484 ratings

"I loved this book as it showed the shifts in beauty perceptions from 1600s to 2000s. If you only read one chapter, read the 1900s because it explains the convergence of moralism, medicine, and beauty standards that we still have today with diet culture. Particularly where thinness is perceived as a sign of health, fitness and good habits or morals, and is a requisite for white women to retain their moral high ground and power. This leaves all women in a precarious position of holding themselves to white standards in an effort to power (white women) or gain some respect (non-white women) or deal with the medical & societal ramifications of fat shaming."

4.13 avg rating — 1,272 ratings

3.38 avg rating — 120 ratings

3.42 avg rating — 12 ratings

3.63 avg rating — 18,826 ratings

4.36 avg rating — 108,858 ratings

3.98 avg rating — 490,617 ratings

3.58 avg rating — 571 ratings