Book Review 92
Name Of The Book : The Periodic Table of Feminism
Author : Marisa Bate
Publisher : Pop Press (an imprint of Ebury Publishing, Penguin Random House)
Year : 2018
Category : Non-Fiction
Review :
The history of feminism told through its most prominent advocates, including a diverse range of international names and faces. The Periodic Table of Feminism is an empowering, engaging and informed look at the feminist movement through the international figures who have shaped it, from Mary Wollstonecraft to Caitlin Moran by way of Simone de Beauvoir and Oprah. Featuring 130 figures as well as 10 additional ‘top ten’ lists, the book will offer new angles on famous faces as well as introduce you to some unsung heroes. While the narrative takes the reader through feminist struggles from the first wave to the fourth, the table offers a key to understanding how these women and the battles they fought speak to each other across time and continents: if you’re inspired by Sheryl Sandberg, prepared to be equally wowed by Frances Harper and Alison Bechdel. With unique illustrations and pull-out quotes peppered throughout, this is an essential guide to Feminism and a place to turn to for courage and inspiration from history’s heroic women.
I stumbled upon this book accidentally and the name intrigued me. The topic is something that I love reading and knowing about so I decided to pick up this book instantly. The cover page of this book is breathtakingly beautiful. The idea of using the periodic table is brilliant and innovative. An interesting fact about this book is that it was published on 8 March 2018, which is celebrated as International Women’s Day. The book starts off from with the beginning of feminism and feminist movements and then chronologically explains the different waves of feminism and their related events through the women who were involved in it. This is not to say that men were not part of the movement, but this book’s primary purpose is to throw light on the women who are not as popular as the male icons from history. The book includes events as recent as 2017 and mentions contemporaries like Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, Malala Yousafzai and Emma Watson among others. I have read about some of the women who have been mentioned in the book and it was interesting to know about the lesser known others. Though the book does not delve into the finer details, we are able to obtain enough knowledge to further work upon. I think our school curriculum only mentions in passing about the women’s suffrage movement, the different waves of feminism and their economic and social impacts and the glorious women who were part of our history. This book is excellent for students to gain a basic understanding of feminism and its history. It will make us appreciate who we were, how far we have come and those who have been behind these achievements. What we now take for granted has been achieved by the toil of hundreds and thousands of women who lived before us. The book has also mentioned some men who have played a pivotal role in the feminist movements. An illustration of each of the women accompanied by a quote by them makes the book aesthetically appealing. One of the shortcomings of this book is the fact that it has only included the Western World. Women from other parts of the world and their movements have not been excluded. This, however, cannot be seen as a deliberate attempt to alienate the others; rather, this book aims to focus on the Western world. At the end of this book, there is an excellent list of feminist literature that has been suggested for further reading. I extremely loved the idea and the list given. I have read a few books from the list and I intend to read the rest. This book is an excellent choice for those who wish to get an overview of the history and the journey of the feminist movement.
Rating : 5/5
Name Of The Book : The Periodic Table of Feminism
Author : Marisa Bate
Publisher : Pop Press (an imprint of Ebury Publishing, Penguin Random House)
Year : 2018
Category : Non-Fiction
Review :
The history of feminism told through its most prominent advocates, including a diverse range of international names and faces. The Periodic Table of Feminism is an empowering, engaging and informed look at the feminist movement through the international figures who have shaped it, from Mary Wollstonecraft to Caitlin Moran by way of Simone de Beauvoir and Oprah. Featuring 130 figures as well as 10 additional ‘top ten’ lists, the book will offer new angles on famous faces as well as introduce you to some unsung heroes. While the narrative takes the reader through feminist struggles from the first wave to the fourth, the table offers a key to understanding how these women and the battles they fought speak to each other across time and continents: if you’re inspired by Sheryl Sandberg, prepared to be equally wowed by Frances Harper and Alison Bechdel. With unique illustrations and pull-out quotes peppered throughout, this is an essential guide to Feminism and a place to turn to for courage and inspiration from history’s heroic women.
I stumbled upon this book accidentally and the name intrigued me. The topic is something that I love reading and knowing about so I decided to pick up this book instantly. The cover page of this book is breathtakingly beautiful. The idea of using the periodic table is brilliant and innovative. An interesting fact about this book is that it was published on 8 March 2018, which is celebrated as International Women’s Day. The book starts off from with the beginning of feminism and feminist movements and then chronologically explains the different waves of feminism and their related events through the women who were involved in it. This is not to say that men were not part of the movement, but this book’s primary purpose is to throw light on the women who are not as popular as the male icons from history. The book includes events as recent as 2017 and mentions contemporaries like Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, Malala Yousafzai and Emma Watson among others. I have read about some of the women who have been mentioned in the book and it was interesting to know about the lesser known others. Though the book does not delve into the finer details, we are able to obtain enough knowledge to further work upon. I think our school curriculum only mentions in passing about the women’s suffrage movement, the different waves of feminism and their economic and social impacts and the glorious women who were part of our history. This book is excellent for students to gain a basic understanding of feminism and its history. It will make us appreciate who we were, how far we have come and those who have been behind these achievements. What we now take for granted has been achieved by the toil of hundreds and thousands of women who lived before us. The book has also mentioned some men who have played a pivotal role in the feminist movements. An illustration of each of the women accompanied by a quote by them makes the book aesthetically appealing. One of the shortcomings of this book is the fact that it has only included the Western World. Women from other parts of the world and their movements have not been excluded. This, however, cannot be seen as a deliberate attempt to alienate the others; rather, this book aims to focus on the Western world. At the end of this book, there is an excellent list of feminist literature that has been suggested for further reading. I extremely loved the idea and the list given. I have read a few books from the list and I intend to read the rest. This book is an excellent choice for those who wish to get an overview of the history and the journey of the feminist movement.
Rating : 5/5