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Invisible Women
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Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez - 4 stars
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I'm just happy that we are finally seeing books like this. Things have come a long way since my mother was single in the 1950s, but they still have a long way to go!
Karin wrote: "I'm just happy that we are finally seeing books like this. Things have come a long way since my mother was single in the 1950s, but they still have a long way to go!"I agree. The lack of data is a bit scary since we are moving towards AI and it's going to perpetuate the issue. She touches on the implications on it slightly in the book. Being in tech I see AI everywhere and having it modeled with a gender bias is scary for generations to come.
I am glad that I'm in a position that I can affect change for women that come behind me. I've asked my HR to implement cultural sensitivity training for all of our employees that covers gender as well. Even in the couple of decades that I've been in the work force, I've seen a change.
This is so interesting Charlotte. For me, the Crash test information does not surprise me. I am 5 foot tall-the seat belts have never fit, I worry not about going through the wind shield in an accident, but the impact of the air bags and what that will do to me. It saddens me that the work place still shows such discrepancies in women representing and their voices being heard. I started in the work force in the 70's and I am grateful that my generation was able to help make some changes, but obviously not enough. I have been astounded by daughters own stories of what she has had to endure as a reporter. I can hope that you and she will make some headway and things will continue to change.
Great review - thanks so much! I should get this book - privacy and ethics are my day job, including automated decision making and, increasingly AI, so it’s super-relevant. I hear you about the seatbelt conundrum, JoAnne - I’m 2 inches taller than you but I have similar problems and concerns!
Ooo, I have seen this book on some Best of 2019 lists but honestly did not really know what it was about! Your review is great and I am adding this to my TBR right now.
I listened to it instead of read it, so I don't know how the reading would go with all the facts and figures, but a good friend of mine read the print version and suggested it to me. She had the same reaction as I did about it. The only really thing that I struggled with is her hypothesis that if there was socialized child care that there women would move into the work force. I think that simplifies it too much. I think that not all women who are stay at home mothers would move into the workforce, either because they genuinely enjoy being a stay at home mom, or because of shame and guilt.
I noticed I must have been fired up when writing the review as I remembered parts of the book because my spelling and grammar are atrocious!
I have this book on my wishlist and am glad to see a review. I always say that cars are not dezigned for short people. It isn't just seat belts, bad as those are. I am 5'2" with a long torso and very short legs and arms. To reach any gas pedal at all, I need to have seat all the way up. In Nissan, for example, that means only the tip of my shoe connects to it. This is safe? Since I only rent cars, I have to be really picky on make. And because I have a long torso with seat all way up, I endlessly bump my head getting in and out because of the aerodynamic design of the roof at that point.
We need more women designing. Period.
On the other hand, when I first started as a young lawyer in the mid-1980s, closing commercial deals was only men except for the paralegals and legal secretaries. I was for a long time the only woman attorney in the room. That has gonevto the opposite extreme.
I am 5'1 and probably shrinking. My seat is all the way up in every car. But if women designed cars, we would never have this keyless car business. Where keys land in your purse or in odd places and you lose them everywhere. Ridiculous innovation designed by men. A woman would have known better.
Ooh. This sounds fascinating and infuriating. Adding to my TBR.
They even talk about how cell phones aren't designed for us since they are too big for the average female to operate with one hand.
Great review. I'm definitely interested in reading this book.
Just bought it - I’ll hold onto it for now until I see whether the non fiction challenge wins for next year
Joanne wrote: "This is so interesting Charlotte. For me, the Crash test information does not surprise me. I am 5 foot tall-the seat belts have never fit, I worry not about going through the wind shield in an acci..."Ah, but the fact is this is real physics! A 10 pound baby requires 300 pounds of restraining force in a crash when a vehicle is going 30 mph--imagine the force air bags have to have when we are going faster and weigh more!
Sadly, physics makes it virtually impossible to design an airbag that can work for all heights and weights of adults. The challenge with airbags is that the sheer force involved makes it hard to work for all heights and weights--if it is going to work for the majority of people, it will decapitate people below a certain height. Also, for safety, you have to sit at least 10 inches back from the steering wheel if it has an airbag, so you have to be able to reach that far. Also, if they were designed to protect someone who is five foot, they will be used by children under 12 whose head size is still to large in proportion to their bodies and whose skeletal system can't yet withstand it. I am tall, but because I am not tall compared with men, I'm okay. But all of my children reached five feet tall before the age of 12 even if they didn't all reach the required weight and my eldest is only a little above average height for a woman.
Then there is the weight. If you are five feet tall you can be healthy and not weigh enough to take the impact of an air bag.
I am not sure if someone can develop one that would work for adults below a certain height and weight that would be both safe and effective--but then it would have to be a custom design for a minority of people that would be expensive.
I do know that friends of ours have an adult daughter who is four foot 9 inches, and they had to adopt the attitude that she was going to have to risk driving without an airbag just as people have for over 100 years--many of them without seatbelts!
I'd love to see a good seatbelt designed like race car drivers with enough give so that it doesn't break your neck on impact because that would help a lot.
PS eventually all cars are going to drive on AI so it's less likely there will be speeding or car crashes.
Amy wrote: "I am 5'1 and probably shrinking. My seat is all the way up in every car. But if women designed cars, we would never have this keyless car business. Where keys land in your purse or in odd places an..."Once all cars are self driving you can sit back, although I for one am not a fan of self driving cars. Well, I am for bad drivers and people who drive like suppositories, but otherwise, no.
4 stars
I really enjoyed this book... it really made me think through things and take a step back. I didn't necessarily agree with all of the author's points but there were a lot that she was able to base on fact or rather lack of facts.
Being in the tech industry I've seen some of the points in the author was making in person. I've lost count on the number of meetings where I was the only female in the meeting. I've had conversations with male bosses and co-workers and they were shocked about all the things that I've experienced and/or go through to be heard.
The part about how crash test dummies fitting the "average" man and how those of us that don't fit into that, especially women are driving or passengers in unsafe conditions. How when they ran the tests using female dummies the safety ratings went fro 5 stars to 2 stars, so they decided to just leave it out.
Or the part about how because of women's hormone, how we react to various drugs are complicated so the majority of drug companies do clinical trails made up on mostly men and because of that the drugs either have unknown effects on women or don't even work.
Or the fact that nothing has been done to research or help the pain women go through when it comes to PMS and periods. Instead, they'd rather focus on erectile dysfunction because the don't have the data to know if they did anything to help with PMS, if they would actually make any money from it.
There was so much that made me mad, made me uncomfortable, made me want to act. Made me want to make a difference, make a change.
I highly recommend this book!! I listened to it and she talked really fast. There were A LOT of facts and figures in it.