Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters

by Jessica Valenti

Book Overview

Newly revised and updated, the #1 must-read book for a new generation of feminists who refuse to accept anything less than equality and justice for all women Now in its updated second edition, Full... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580052010
• ISBN13: 9781580052016
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Seal Press (CA)
• Length: 271 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Great read!

I didn't agree with every opinion of the author (maybe 90%), but she certainly made me ponder issues that haven't made my own radar screen because they haven't effected me personally. It opened up my mind more to how women are portrayed in the media, how they're effected by political / legislative decisions, etc. I haven't read much feminist literature since my college days where I picked up a minor in women's studies. The book is a refreshing (despite the author's self-proclaimed proclivity for cursing!) and easy read and reminded me that I need to do more to advance women's issues. I've been looking for a new volunteer opportunity (something I'm terribly passionate about) and I am now very clear what the focus will be! I want to be involved in making my community a better place for the next generation of women, especially my new little niece!

Good book for emerging feminists

Casually written book that does a great job of reaching out to young women who may not think of themselves as feminists. The casual tone can be a tad deceptive, because the book is absolutely stuffed full of information about the current state of feminism, the current state of sexism, and why feminism is still relevant and why any young woman with a reasonable amount of self-respect should embrace it. Jessica makes the case for being a feminist not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's personally important, and she draws on a number of personal anecdotes to show how often a little feminist theory can help you navigate many a personal situation where you might otherwise find yourself making decisions you won't like. The book drives home how feminism isn't some airy academic pursuit, but a social justice movement that goes right to the root of things in your daily life. I see the book getting slipped into a lot of high school graduation gift baskets, since it's perfect for that. With all the anxiety about young women and early independence in college ramping up--especially the fear of the dangers of sexual experimentation and the feminist fears that the pressure to live for boys will overwhelm girls' internal need to live for themselves--this book really comes at a good time. Jessica addresses these issue for what they are, and doesn't engage in moralistic finger-wagging, far from it. She gives good, self-affirming advice to young women about the importance of feminism to help stiffen your backbone to face the onslaught of pressure on you to live a self-denying existence.

Honest, Funny and Relevant Source for Anyone Interested in Feminism

Jessica's wit and candor are unmatchable in this book I wish I had read ten years ago, while in the midst of the shame-filled, female sex-negative environment of Catholic school. She's honest, hilarious and positive about feminism while shredding its opponents' tired, sexist arguments. Full Frontal Feminism is a fantastic souce about why feminism is such a hip and necessary movement for young women to reclaim their bodies and their cultures.

An excellent book for any young person

I received this book in the mail less than a week ago and couldn't wait to start it. Since I'm an avid reader of the author's website [...] I had high hopes for the book. From the moment I ordered the book I was sure I would enjoy it, but I wondered if it would actually be accessible to people who don't already think of themselves as feminists. As I started to read the book I quickly found that it was even more fun to read than I had anticipated and that it could easily be a great introduction to modern feminism (or my brand of modern feminism at least) for anyone. As a college student at an institution whose students seem to be less and less interested in anything activism related every year, I was very excited to read a book with this much energy. As the next president of my campus' feminist group,which is very low on membership, and a passionate person who can't understand why people are apathetic about issues that affect their lives, I've been searching for ways to communicate to people the importance of caring and being involved. This book gave me new ideas and new energy to keep pushing for people to get involved in their lives, and it helped me find a better understanding of what I believe and why it's so important. Informative but not overly technical, the book's casual tone makes it very accessible to young people. The writing style finds the book reading like a friend or older sibling telling the reader about all the cool, worldly things they've learned since going to college. One of my favorite aspects of the book is that it makes things clear and easy to understand so that anyone could get a useful message from it. "Experienced" feminists can use it as a refresher course and a boost for their belief in feminism as a movement, newer feminists can use it to gain confidence in their oppinions and to sort of clarify thier understanding of modern feminist issues, young people who do not identify as feminists, or who don't have much of an idea as to what feminism actually is can learn about feminism and why it is important so they can develop oppinions of their own. All in all a fantastic book, I would recommend it to anyone, and I probably will recommend it to everyone.