12/04/2017
"At just a little over 100 pages, Women & Power: A Manifesto may seem slight, but don't let its size fool you. This book speaks volumes and will not be silenced by Telemachus or anyone else."
"A clear, rich, subversive and witty argument about what power has meant to Western civilization from ancient times, and how its meaning could be changed in the future."
San Francisco Chronicle - Anita Felicelli
"[A] sparkling and forceful manifesto…The book is a straight shot of adrenaline."
New York Times - Parul Sehgal
"Mary Beard is a fearless writer with the gift of writing the right book at the right moment, and I’ve been emboldened by her brilliant analysis of women’s voice and role in society since antiquity, Women & Power. "
The Guardian - Diana Athill
"There’s something about Women & Power that ensures it stands out from the rest though. Beard’s is a manifesto firmly grounded in rigorous academic study made legible for the masses, and her proposal for change as radical as it is reasonable and – we can but hope – realistic."
"Beard always fights back, with humor and the confidence of intellectual authority…It’s fun to read Women & Power. Beard’s slim, elegant, well-illustrated book would fit nicely into a Christmas stocking."
The Washington Post - Elaine Showalter
"A pithy exploration of misogyny’s tangled cultural roots. Based on a series of lectures, this slim volume draws on Beard’s deep knowledge of the classical world and her personal experience as a target of online sexist abuse. She reflects on the gendered structures of power, from voiceless women in Ovid’s Metamorphoses to feminists “reclaiming” Medusa. With clearsightedness and wry humour, this self-described “gobby woman” proves public speech is no longer the preserve of maleness. More power to her."
"Based on Beard’s lectures on women’s voices and how they have been silenced, Women & Power was an enormous publishing success in the “#MeToo”’ year 2017. An exploration of misogyny, the origins of “gendered speech” in the classical era and the problems the male world has with strong women, this slim manifesto became an instant feminist classic."
"Beard's thrilling manifesto turns to ancient times to find the seeds of misogyny, beginning with Homer's Odyssey (the first instance of a woman told to shut up) and continuing through Elizabeth Warren's 2017 silencing in the Senate. An irresistible call for women to speak up, act and redefine their power."
The author—who also narrates this audiobook—is a highly respected professor of classics at Cambridge University. With insight and humor, she makes a case for redefining how women should be perceived—and perceive themselves—if they are to coexist with those of other genders on equal terms. She argues that as women have the opportunity to assume more power, their models of behavior shouldn’t be based on male templates. One example she discusses is attitudes towards women’s voices, which are often considered by men—and women—to be inappropriate for public speaking. So women, whether Hillary Clinton or the late UK prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, are urged to take lessons to modify them. Whether schooled or not, the author has a deep, sonorous voice and a wonderful English accent. L.W.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
The author—who also narrates this audiobook—is a highly respected professor of classics at Cambridge University. With insight and humor, she makes a case for redefining how women should be perceived—and perceive themselves—if they are to coexist with those of other genders on equal terms. She argues that as women have the opportunity to assume more power, their models of behavior shouldn’t be based on male templates. One example she discusses is attitudes towards women’s voices, which are often considered by men—and women—to be inappropriate for public speaking. So women, whether Hillary Clinton or the late UK prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, are urged to take lessons to modify them. Whether schooled or not, the author has a deep, sonorous voice and a wonderful English accent. L.W.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
★ 2017-11-14
