Which feminist book shall I buy for my 17 year old cousin?

[msrisotto]

She's into politics so might appreciate this present for christmas but i'm not sure which one is best.

I've read Living dolls which might be good considering all the facebook photos of her and her friends in next to nothing.....but maybe the Equality illusion as an intro? I haven't read that one yet though. What do you think?

Equality Illusion, even though much of the ground covered is the same Partly because Equality Illusion covers more stuff, partly because it's more political in style, partly because it's written by a younger feminist who is of a nearer generation to your cousin so it is more like the voice of her own generation.

I read the female eunuch at 18 and that changed my life... Infact I might just pull it iff the book shelf and reread

'THe WHole WOman' gets my vote for a generally good read. I read it at 18 and it blew me away, changed my life, you could say...

Or 'The Beauty Myth' . I read it recently and just remembered thinking it was so relevant to young women, and that I would give it to my daughter to read.

If it's an intro to feminism, the Equality Illusion would be good. It's a summary, I would say.
(save the others for subsequent christmasses )

Eve Ensler's I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World - I wish I had had this book at 17. It's absolutely brilliant.

There's a video link here jezebel.com/5458698/eve-ensler-on-embracing-your-inner-girl

Another vote for The Beauty Myth

Thanks everyone. I think she'd be new to feminist literature and might even take offence to me handing her a book entitled the beauty myth because she is stunning, it might be perceived as a dig or something!

haha, yes, see your point about The Beauty Myth, but she might be intrigued by the title

The topic is the first thing that drew me into feminism, but then I bought Living Dolls but probably because it was popular and well publicised at the right time for me.

Ariel Levy's "Female Chauvinist Pigs"

although again, it may be a bit offensive to give as a give...

Equality Illusion

(for me but now rather wrorying in some ways) The feminine Mystique

'Noughtie girl's guide to feminism', for all it's flaws, very good for the unitiated

'Noughtie girl's guide to feminism' includes rape in the section about sex. That is utterly wrong to me.

Thanks everyone, I think I will get her the equality illusion. I'm afraid I have to keep the costs down as I have a lot of people to buy for so one book it is and I want it to feel relevant to her now, to recruit her

earwicga

I agree, it's also remarkably and pointlessly defensive. But it might just be written for precisely the kind of woman-those feminisn'ts, the OP suggests her cousin is.

My friend read Jill Tweedies "In the name of Love" when she was 14 and it changed her life. She just realised what a load of shit women are supposed to put up with in the name of lurve and never bought into it because of that book.

Wish I'd read it when I was younger than my late twenties.

Ooh ooh HerBea - tell me more?

Love Jill Tweedie.

I vote Equality Illusion too. Easy to read, written by someone young, covers a range of issues. It's great.

Is she into English/History? I read A Room of One's Own at about 16 and it gave me a concept of women's history that I had never had before. Very short too. My dad and brother have both read it (and loved it) on my recommendation.