When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present

spectacular

The most important book I have ever read. I was born in 1948 & I felt the book was about my life. I bought copies for my friends & children.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

All women should read this book.

This book was amazing. A must-read for women. I find myself referencing it in conversations. It brought to life experiences and stories that I never could have fully understood before this book. I can talk with my grandma and mom about things that happened in their lifetime that I could not have talked with them about before. Gives you an appreciation for what so many women did before us to make our lives what they are today.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Fabulous, Balanced, and Fascinating History of the Role of American Women

Let me start out by clearly stating the I am not a raving feminist or "women's libber", but I wanted to read this book as I am a major history lover. Gail Collins writes in such an interesting way that is hard to stop thinking about. It is an unbiased, agenda-free, well-researched history of the way the role of women has changed in America over the past sixty years or so, and how we got where we are today. Discusses the broader trends and ideology while humanizing the story with interviews and stories of specific people, mostly women of course, and how they were affected.

I was born in 1962, so it has been weird remembering part of what happened in the sixties, but not really being old enough to understand it all. This book has done a lot to explain to me why the seventies were as they were, why the suburban mothers in the sixties seemed so depressed and drank alot, and why so many women suddenly seemed to enter the work force during my high school years. Mostly, however, it has made clearer what women have courageously done in the past to allow me to have the opportunities that I have today. Superbly written, and highly recommended to anyone interested in women's issues, or recent American history.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a book everyone should read to begin to grasp what has happened the past 40+ years for women and to some extent men in the US.

I was born in 1961 - this was like reading a news-reel script of events that happened in my lifetime and that effected me personally. Thank you Gail Collins for writing this book

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Update on current book club selection

Not getting through this book very easily........I lived through most of what it is relating and find it dry. I read primarily for entertainment....m.m..

A must read!

Buy this for all the women and men in your family.

Today, most women take for granted rights won through very difficult political battles. The history is enlightening and sheds light on previous generations patterns of behavior. You will never look at your Mother or Grandmother's life the same way again.

A wonderful and often shocking read and a realization that as women, we still have a lot of growth coming.

Great overview of women's accomplishments over the past 50 years

Ms. Collins covers a tremendous amount of ground in "When Everything Changed." The stories that she includes run the gamut from personal interviews and accounts of every day women to historical events involving powerful, influential female figures such as First Lady, Michelle Obama. While each individual story may not go into as much depth or detail as I would have liked, the overview style works to carry the reader from events well before the 1960's through present day. This book is a great read, frankly a must-read for every woman in America. Young women especially can learn a great deal about the gains that women made before them and how their trials are 100% responsible for women's rights today.

excellent book

I found this book a fascinating study of the history of women's rights. Since the chapters were divided into short subject sections, it was very readable. Ms. Collins did an excellent job demonstrating the connections of African-Americans and the Civil Rights movement to women's rights. Much of the story is recent history. It was interesting to see how much has changed and how far we still have to go. I did find the final chapters a little skimpy. I would have liked for the author to have delved more into the behavior of young, modern women who seem to use sex and their bodies for attention and self-esteem (sexting, for example, and the rise in breast implants and other plastic surgeries). Women may have more opportunites than ever before but I often feel we are our own worse enemies.

A Must Read for Women!

Can you figure out this answer to this riddle?
"A man and his son were in a car accident. The man died on the way to the hospital, but the boy was rushed into surgery. The surgeon said "I can't operate, for that's my son!" How is this possible?"

When I first heard this riddle as a girl in the `70's I was stumped for the answer. Thanks to the women's movement modern girls are probably (hopefully!) quickly able to discern the answer. This is because everything has changed for women. While the glass ceiling still exits and stereotypes abound, generally, women are free to be, do, and own almost anything that was once reserved for men only.

When Everything Changed by Gail Collins details the historical changes from 1960 to the present, and examines the impact of these events on the lives of ordinary women. As Collins explains, once upon a time, men and women existed in different societal spheres, with men occupying the higher level:

Then, suddenly, everything changed. The cherished convictions about women and what they could do were smashed in the lifetime of many women living today. It happened so fast that the revolution seemed to be over before either side could really find its way to the barricades. And although the transformation was imperfect and incomplete, it was still astonishing.

When Everything Changed is an entertaining, but more importantly, a knowledgeable book of recent history that should be read by women of all ages!


Oh and here is the answer to the riddle: the surgeon is the boy's mother.


Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 14, 2009), 480 pages
Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

When Everything Changed

A must read! An important and informative work that is also compelling. I couldn't put it down and have been thinking and talking about it ever since finishing it. Gail Collins covers the history of the Women's Movement in the US, and she imparts information of great significance that incredibly has escaped common knowledge: such as, the facts that a woman founded SNCC during the Civil Rights Movement, Nixon vetoed a comprehensive Childcare Bill that had easily passed (with bipartisan support!) both the House and the Senate, and that contrary to popular belief there was NEVER a bra burned by feminists. "When Everything Changed" works as a wonderful resource book as well as a wonderful read.

Loved this book and everything about it.

This book was really eye opening. I attended an all women's college and learned about some of the things covered in the book, but there was so much I didn't know. I was unaware that women were criticized for wearing slacks, not being able to buy a house or get a loan without a male co-signer, and I now understand why the divorce rate in America is so high. Its because women were once not even allowed to get divorces without some extreme form of abuse from their husband or with his agreement to the divorce. I did think some of the writing was all over the place at times, with the author jumping from one subject to another without some good transitions. This didn't make the book any less interesting or enjoyable to read and I would certainly recommend it to friends. Wonderful book and great research.

Wonderful book

Collins has done an exceptionally clever job of detailing recent history in a way that is both informative and entertaining. I got it for a daughter who had complained she did not know the history of the women's movement and expect it will fill many gaps in her knowledge. The book is fun to read but it also reminds us we are not finished with the task of achieving equality.

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