We Should All Be Feminists
-
-
4.7 • 634 Ratings
-
-
- $4.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The highly acclaimed, provocative essay on feminism and sexual politics—from the award-winning author of Americanah
"A call to action, for all people in the world, to undo the gender hierarchy." —Medium
In this personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from the much-admired TEDx talk of the same name—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century. Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her deep understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author’s exploration of what it means to be a woman now—and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Its tough to imagine anyone other than Adichie narrating the audio edition of her feminist manifesto, which originated as a TED Talk and was later adapted into a book. Many listeners will recognize the Nigerian writer's voice and words from pop star Beyonc 's song "Flawless," which featured sound bites from Adichie's original speech. Here, those sound bites are put into context and given weight as Adichie lays out her creed. Her voice is both gentle and confident as she takes listeners through the deeply conditioned sexism she has encountered, beginning with her encounters with the label "feminist" growing up and drawing on her own experiences as well as those of other women in her life. She coolly relays the story of a woman in Nigeria who decided to sell her house because she didn't want to intimidate a man who might want to marry her, followed by another story of an unmarried woman who wears a wedding ring to conferences so that her colleagues show her more respect. Adichie presents these anecdotes in a deliberate, matter-of-fact style. She keeps heightened emotions and urgency out of her voice, instead making use of poignant pauses to let what is she is saying sink in. It's a powerful message, recorded in a way that will make people listen again and again. A Vintage paperback. This review has been corrected. An earlier version listed the wrong paperback publisher.
Customer Reviews
Brilliant
Loved every word of it!
Bring on the Matriarchy
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “We Should All Be Feminists” fits neatly in the legacy of progressive writing that was trailblazer by the likes of James Baldwin, Nikki Giovanni, Angela Davis, and others. Adichie offers a perspective that aims to give us the freedom to think more broadly about gender. This work is concise and effective in its argument. To be fair, the discussion needs no nuance. Maintaining the status quo is an intellectually limiting attitude for our species.
Adichie’s take down of the usual defenses to keep things as they are is particularly effective. Through multiple examples, Adichie demonstrates how the default position results in constraints on both genders. Men are indirectly made achieve less than their own respective human potential by hoisting upon them false assertions and entitlements than they otherwise deserve. Moreover, there is no striving for real justice when you think the world was designed for you.
Furthermore, Adichie argues that culture and tradition are not reason enough to justify the dehumanizing and individually destructive aspects of a male centered society. Feminism itself is representative of a natural evolution of culture. Its positions are more representative of a social order far removed from feudalism, autocracy, and many other antiquated systems. This a swift and powerful read that I highly recommend.
YES !!
I chose this book since it’s on a school reading summer list and the word “feminist” always catches my eye, but it was so empowering to read and put feelings and experiences I’ve gone through into words which has always been difficult for me. I loved every word.