Perhaps my problem with the book came from the fact that it was written by two people working together, which probably contributed to its uneven tone. Jennifer and Amy (as they call themselves) try to encompass quite a bit of description and critique of certain youth-oriented trends in feminism, and sometimes it falls apart by the sheer width of their scope. And even though they continually point out that they are members of the Third Wave, the younger wave of feminist women, sometimes they seem strangely removed from the ideas that they purport to describe. For instance, they feel obliged to dismiss Girlie feminists as ineffectual, when this brand of feminism probably attracts more young people to the movement than any other. They were also dismissive to the huge contributions that Third Wavers have made to incorporating men to the cause. On the other hand, they were particularly adept at dismantling some of the myths that are commonly believed about feminism, which is a valuable task for anyone, Second or Third Wave. It's worth reading, but don't accept it as encompassing as a manifesta should be. Even the authors ask this of the reader.

Manifesta is truly inspirational and a call to action for all people, but third wave feminists in particular. Women today live better lives as a result of changes feminism has made in society; this book examines these changes and where we need to go in order to make more progress in the future. Manifesta also includes extensive appendices detailing a great deal of information and other media resources related to modern feminist activism.

MANIFESTA is an important writing because the young feminist movement needs focus. The authors have clearly been involved with the movement for long enough to realize many of its strengths and weaknesses. They also know that it needs to be shaped to meet the demands of young women today, while at the same time addressing the needs of older women. They discuss the issue of abortion, which alienates many women who would otherwise consider themselves feminists. MANIFESTA is a book for men to read also. It helps them to understand the daily struggles in life women are facing. Although the authors are living in more cosmopolitan areas than most women, men and women will learn from this book. I hope this effort by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards will inspire many young women to write books on what feminism means to them, too. I believe only then will the older generation of feminist really understand the revolution that has occurred.

(Somehow my review for "The Whole Woman" ended up under "The Female Eunuch". )

Although I found this book to be an extremely compelling read and even a "feminist classic" I wouldn't consider it necessary to studying the movement. The main thesis and arguments are interesting and she manages to drive her points home fairly well and effectually. But she offers very few solutions, making this book insightful but not substantial. I would, however, certainly recommend this book to anybody interested in learning the role Greer has played in the movement.

In "The Female Eunuch," Germaine Greer rebels against the stereotypical ideal of the "Eternal Feminine" that she perceives other women trying to live up to. This sort of femininity requires women to be beautiful, fashionable, sexually available, passive, subordinate, empty-headed, silent, unambitious, without a sense of self or ability for true intimacy. The "Eternal Feminine" is quite similar to the "Feminine Mystique" that Betty Friedan railed against, except that Friedan focused on the issue of the demanding, unfulfilling labor of homemaking while Greer focused on sexual psychology. According to Greer, the female has become a metaphorical eunuch because "The characteristics that are praised and rewarded [in a woman] are those of the castrate--timidity, plumpness, languor, delicacy and preciosity. * * * She absolutely must be young, her body hairless, her flesh buoyant, and she must not have a sexual organ."

Her conceptual analysis of femininity is brilliant, fascinating, inspired, and well-written. Her prose is flawless. It is a bit disorienting, like being shot with Cupid's arrow. I read this book in one sitting of five hours.

Unfortunately, Greer presents the Eternal Feminine as *the* one ideal that *all* women try to live up to. Even if one assumes that her reference to "women" and "femininity" is constrained to England in the middle of the 20th century (her center of experience), there is still room for great diversity within that group. Differences of economic class and subculture barely peek out from the periphery of Greer's arguments; race and religion are not even mentioned. These omissions make it impossible to believe that her perception of *the* feminine ideal and *the* female experience are indeed the one true analysis. It would have been interesting to see a more complex analysis of how marriage-minded women define themselves, rather than assuming that they're all empty-headed and incapable of self-definition.

Furthermore, her philosophical claims are not substantiated by any historical or sociological claims. (Her collection of anecdotes and quotations were gathered randomly, and do not pretend to support any thesis about intellectual history; therefore they merely illustrate, not bolster, her idea of the Eternal Feminine.) Greer complains that women have been deprived of their voices and have bought into the stereotype/ideal that they are supposed to be dumb and silent, and it is true that there were few works of feminist scholarship available in the 1960s, but surely she could have found some examples of outspoken, self-conscious, empowered, angry women if she had tried. For Greer to fail to cite any examples of such women, for her to state that she is the only woman with the rudimentary self-consciousness to notice that rape is driven by misogyny, for her to presume that she knows the meaning of these violent acts better than the victims and perpetrators themselves, is inexcusably narrow--even for a manifesto-style work.

Her recurring use of male-to-female transgenderism as a metaphor, in fact almost a synonym, for women's pursuit of an oversexualized feminine stereotype is an inaccurate portrayal of the motivations and self-identity of most transgendered people.
She also mistakenly identifies homosexuality as a dissatisfaction with one's birth gender role and an incapability for intimacy. She does, however, keep an open mind about that issue, noticing that some lesbians rebel against feminine stereotypes in a healthy, effective way, and inviting someone to "rationalize" male homosexuality in a similar fashion.

One important strength is Greer's treatment of masculine psychology. She sustains a critique of a misogynistic mentality without losing sight of the fact that men are vulnerable, fallible, usually well-meaning creatures. She astutely observes that if it is male chauvinism to assume that a woman prefers a penis in her vagina, it is female chauvinism to assume that a man prefers a vagina around his penis. In other places she notes that men also aim for impossible, unhealthy masculine ideals, suffer from sexual performance pressure, have emotional needs, and can get bored with wives who are entirely passive, inauthentic, and empty. The work comes out in favor of a future where men and women can work together and liberate each other.

It is not at all clear how her complaint is to be addressed. She exhorts women to stop buying into their own oppression; her goal is the overthrow of "marriage, morality, and state," a revolution inspired by enlightenment, using words as weapons. But she offers no strategy.

As one starts this book, she will startle, wondering what is the world it is describing, wondering what kind of Medieval society is displayed here. Without surprise, she will discover it was published in London, 1970.

The argumentation of Ms. Greer is rough, pungent, beautifully written. She manages to get to the chore of an issue that, more than 30 years later, is still at the center of our thoughts, of our life and of our destiny. All does not apply - thanks heavens!!! - any more. Some is mostly historical information, yet it can explain why some behaviour are so safely embedded in our habits. Some is hair-raising, real, poignant in its realism. Sometimes we can recognize our mothers' way of life and reactions... if we are not lucky.

Mostly, we have to recognize Ms. Greer as a great writer, a powerful woman, and a human being of exceptional clarity. The book reads easily, as it is very anectotical. There is no display of science, but mostly a portrait of a way of life that is prevalent in our world.