Susan W. (Suz) reviewed Fire with Fire : The New Female Power and How It Will Change the 21st Century on + 721 more book reviews
From the dust jacket: "Talking with women around the country following the publication of her bestselling THE BEAUTY MYTH, Naomi Wolf found herself encountering a persistent question: at a time when the basic principles of the women's movement have become mainstream, when women have more economic and political clout than ever before, and when media images of strong and powerful women indicate a sea change in American consciousness, why do so many women resist the label 'feminist'?
In answer, Wolf has written a book of breath-taking originality and bold insight. As she makes clear, the problem lies not only with outside forces who have scapegoated feminism and painted it as something undesirable; the feminist movement itself has lost touch with the lives of most women. Infighting, orthodoxy, and a narrowing of feminist debate to the confines of college campuses and insider groups have all damaged the push for women's rights. By focusing solely on women's 'victim' status, particular strains of feminism-what Wolf calls 'victim feminism'-have missed the chance to attract large numbers of women who would respond better to an appeal to their strength and self-reliance.
FIRE WITH FIRE confronts this dilemma with a prescription for change. It is the first book to explain that we are living in a new era that requires a new vision. The Anita Hill hearings, the political advances of 'the Year of the Woman,' and the decline of a male monopoly on power have brought about a time of great opportunity for women. FIRE WITH FIRE brings a message of encouragement: if women can capitalize on recent gains, equality is within reach. But to do so, women need to move from a self-image of weakness to one of great strength, developing a new psychology of female ability in which it is desirable and sexy to wield power.
In answer, Wolf has written a book of breath-taking originality and bold insight. As she makes clear, the problem lies not only with outside forces who have scapegoated feminism and painted it as something undesirable; the feminist movement itself has lost touch with the lives of most women. Infighting, orthodoxy, and a narrowing of feminist debate to the confines of college campuses and insider groups have all damaged the push for women's rights. By focusing solely on women's 'victim' status, particular strains of feminism-what Wolf calls 'victim feminism'-have missed the chance to attract large numbers of women who would respond better to an appeal to their strength and self-reliance.
FIRE WITH FIRE confronts this dilemma with a prescription for change. It is the first book to explain that we are living in a new era that requires a new vision. The Anita Hill hearings, the political advances of 'the Year of the Woman,' and the decline of a male monopoly on power have brought about a time of great opportunity for women. FIRE WITH FIRE brings a message of encouragement: if women can capitalize on recent gains, equality is within reach. But to do so, women need to move from a self-image of weakness to one of great strength, developing a new psychology of female ability in which it is desirable and sexy to wield power.
