It's not really that Tanenbaum brings any new information to light. As an aware young feminist, I know see the double standard in action every day. I saw it in high school, I see it in college. But these stories are so heartbreaking! And so true. They remind me of my own life. And even I, a liberated woman, saw some of myself in the girls labeling the others. Even though I consider myself open-minded, I have used the word "slut" to describe others on occasion. Who hasn't? But now it has been permanently stricken from my vocabulary. This book should seriously be required for high school and college age women. I feel so much more free and aware after reading it.

This book was a gift to me for my unbridal shower. Yes, I celebrated my re-entry into single life with an unbridled un-bridal shower! I put it on my gift-list as a side thought and I am so glad it was selected! I had no idea how powerful it would be to me nor could I have imagined how healing reading it would be. Leora Tanenbaum explores the many reasons in depth that girls pick up this title and the effects it has on on the girl and her peers. Through all of the reasons, one thing remains constant, no woman deserves this title, not the virgins and not the ones who have played around. Not when men are praised for their sexual escapades. The author does not demand that everyone accept promiscuity in women if that is against their personal ethics, rather she insists that the ethics be applies equally to men as they are to women.
A fascinating point in this book is that women's sexuality is a common target when she does not fit in to social "norms" for whatever reason, reguardless of her sexual experiences or lack of. Another issue brought to light is that once labeled a slut, a woman suddenly find herself being treated as though she is subhuman and is often subjected to verbal, physical, and sexual assault while no one will attempt to stop it or punish the offenders. If you have ever been called a slut, known someone who has, lived in fear of being called a slut, or called someone else a slut, read this book! I would bet money if you bought this for the women you love, (once they get over the shock LOL) they will love you for it.

I have recommended this book to everyone I know, and I hope that I will be able to pass it onto my daughters. Or rather, I hope my daughters will not be in a society that encourages the sexual double standard and punishes young women for natural feelings.

The book is non-fiction, and the author interviewed many women and girls about their experiences. Some of the book is quite academic, quoting from various studies and going over the history of this kind of behaviour. Other parts are retellings of people's experiences, and analyses of those.

Reading this book brought back many memories and emotions. I realized that my experience as a teenager was not unique. I had already done my own thinking, but it was great to read that someone else had come to the same conclusions. That there still is a sexual double standard, despite the sexual revolution, and that women are punished by both men and women for having sexual urges.

One redeeming factor was that she definitely doesn't place all the blame for the harassment on teenage boys. She talks a lot about competitiveness between girls and how the girls are usually worse to each other. Kinda like the person who seems most homophobic is the gay one? Yeah, like that. And also about how often the adults don't report it, or stop it, or ignore complaints because they see it as correct behaviour that keeps girls in line even as it is damaging their self-esteem forever.

It's amazing, the more people I talk to about it, the more people bring up their own experiences. Everyone knows someone who experienced the phenomena, or they went through it themselves. Even so-called "good girls" will be able to relate to the book in that the ways in which they constrained themselves.

It's about time someone wrote a book about this.

This book poses as a feminist text, but is really a guilty pleasure fest of stories of women cutting each other down in bathrooms and streetcorners. It portrays women in a very poor way, with the justification that "I concentrate on the bad aspects of women in competition cause that is what we need to change" Or maybe because it sells books to talk about women fighting over men, obsessing over their weights or badmouthing each other. There is no serious intellectual analysis here. Try Michael Messner for a balanced,intelligent and fun discussion of women in sport.

My husband was watching me put makeup on last month, shaking hs head. "What?", I said. He chuckled a bit and said, "You know, men don't really care if you have goop on your eyelashes and gloss on your lips. Women wear makeup for other women." And, although I deperately looked around for a soapbox to stand on to defend Sisterhood, I had to admit that he's right. When's the last time your significant other said, "You know, you could use some more blush on"? Hmm- pause for thought.

Leora Tanenbaum has so accurately hit the nail on the head with her new book "Catfight". In it, she relays how she finds herself in constant competition with other women, no matter how much she likes them. If she walks into a party, she notices that it's the women, not the men, that size her up and constantly watch her and the other women's moves all night. For all our efforts to catapult Sisterhood screaming into equality, Tanenbaum displays the fact that we are holding ourselves back with our competitive nature. Her story of feeling like she had to equal other women in the areas of breastfeeding, child rearing, and the always controversial working Mother saga rang all too true. Never have I devoured a non-fiction book so quickly (well, with the exception of "Reviving Ophelia", another female must-read). I have also emailed and called all my girlfriends to alert them to this marvelous book. A winner!

I read Tannenbaum's book cover to cover in one sitting. I found myself calling female friends and family to read parts of the book to them. This is new stuff...Competition is an old subject but Tannenbaum has highlighted so elequently the competition that exists between all women. Today I went out into my normal day to day activities and witnessed and observed myself in at least 15-20 competitive situations. This was a mirror for myself and should be a mirror for all women to see a reflection of what we are doing to one another. It's keeping us all down to behave in this way. There is so much truth to this books it's impossible to describe in 1000 words.. It's a must read for all women. I know I will begin to change my behaviour immediately! I thought this was about other women but it's about me too. Darn!

Thank you Leora...