Sexism & Sensibility is a well written and layman accessible monograph on structural societal misogyny and sexism by Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein. Released 3rd Sept 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Rodale/Harmony imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

It was an uphill climb to succeed professionally, personally, and societally as a woman in the past, but also in the present western world. Girls are told from the cradle about society's expectations for *their own* wants and needs and to sublimate the things they *need* and the people they *are* to fulfill someone else's (often anyone else's) desires.

The author makes many cogent points about where we are now, what improvement could look like, and some concrete suggestions on how to help the next generations of girls/women achieve self fulfilled, strong, necessary lives.

The book is written in entirely accessible, non-rigid language, but is also meticulously annotated throughout, and the chapter notes are likely worth the price of admission with lots of peer-reviewed references for further reading.

If progress is to be made, we must work together to achieve it. Especially given the current political climate and backlash against progressive, egalitarian ideals, fairness, equitability, and women's rights in general, this is a vitally important subject which needs to be discussed at all levels.

Five stars. Highly recommended to families, professionals who work with children (school counselors, psychologists, medical professionals, etc), as well as being a solid support text for allied studies (gender studies, psychology, education, etc). The research and references are up to date and as modern as possible, given the schedule for book publishing.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy of SEXISM & SENSIBILITY.

Captivating, raw, real—this book is so important for today’s children. Parents never want to scare their children with certain harsh realities of the world like violence, sexism, rape, assault. But the truth is, the only way to change how the world views these issues is by talking about them. Preparing children with the right tools to protect themselves, and the way in which we should all treat and think about one another. It begins with us, in the home. Finkelstein does a wonderful job of using real examples in her profession to steer parents in the right direction for how to approach these topics and help our society view these issues in order to talk about them with our children. A must read for any parent whether you have a son or daughter, especially in our current climate.

🙌🏻 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 • 𝑺𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒎 & 𝑺𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 🙌🏻

𝚀𝙾𝚃𝙳 : 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚊 𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚌 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜, 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗?

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ .25

Ever since I became a mother, I’ve been reading about how to raise my daughter so she becomes a self-reliant, strong, and confident young woman. Feminist issues had always peaked my interest as I had previously read a few books on the topic. 𝘚𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘮 & 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 is a really interesting nonfiction book written by Jo-Ann Finkelstein about raising resilient daughters in the modern world.

As parents, it’s our job to be aware of the challenges our children may face and to learn how to support them throughout the hardship those might bring. I found that this book was extremely interesting, especially when it comes to changing our own biases, trying to deconstruct patterns we may not even be aware of that were deeply rooted in society for decades. A great example of that would be the never ending comments girl receive from a young age about their appearances, whilst boys get praised for being courageous or smart. It’s about time our discourses become more inclusive and gender neutral.

I absolutely devoured this book — each chapter brought me a new perspective about topics I was familiar with or that were new to me. I highlighted many passages I intend on going back to as my daughter grows older. I think it’s a resource parents could go back to in different stages of their daughters’ lives, adapting their interventions along the way.

I would absolutely recommend picking it up if you are the mother of a daughter, or even to a son, an educator or anyone who interacts with small humans often. It’s essential that we break the cycle of gender biased by educating ourselves and those around us — speaking up when we notice situations that may create inequities or impede a child’s development by putting them into boxes. ‘Boys will be boys’ is a saying we should all leave behind as we start saying ‘children will all be whatever they want to be.’

#bookreview #sexismandsensibility #joannfinkelstein

As a mom of a young daughter, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book. Having grown up in a world full of mixed messages about what it means to be a woman, how we should and should not embrace our sexuality, and what we should and should not accept, this book was a breath of fresh air. Finkelstein provides real evidence, real solutions, and real talk. There is no preachy-ness or shame tactics, just straight talk. A must read for parents of daughters.

This a a very good book that I think was very helpful for me if I have kids and will have to educate them about sexism. It gave a lot of good points.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

this book dives into how to raise girls to overcome the sexism that dominates our society. I picked this up based on the title and synopsis but must have missed the part about it being a parenting guide. Or maybe thought raising included educators, like me! Well, I don’t have children so I didn’t find it the most relatable. However, I did really like all of the points and ideas Finkelstein wrote about! Even though I don’t have children, I think parents should definitely pick this up and read it. It’s important so that girls can grow up knowing already how to overcome the patriarchy.

I grew up in the same climate as the author. I was told he and him were just pronouns for everyone. It was accepted and easy. I was told women changed their names when they became married and sometimes were refered to as their husband’s name. It was tradition. It was an honor. Mankind was humankind. Language did everything to tell us that we were just a part of men. The less important part.

A woman ran for vice president. I was told that a woman would never be the leader of our country. You couldn’t put one a heart-beat away from the presidency. It was just accepted fact. Women weren’t made for it. The world would not accept it. It could never happen. Just learn that and be proud of your place.

I left the home of my mother and stepfather and entered a whole new world. My father and his 5 daughters. He told me and my sisters that we were strong. He said we shouldn’t take anything from anyone. We should always be self-sufficient so we don’t stay with a man because we have to. I credit moving in with my father as a teenager with my feminism.

We all need that voice. This book is for those who weren’t lucky enough to have my father in their lives. We don’t have to accept. We can question. We can challenge. My father boasted to everyone when I kept my last name when I got married. This book was like hearing his voice again. I wish my mother could have been that voice. Everyone needs that voice. If you don’t have it, read it here.

This book is both enlightening and practical. Even though I’m familiar with the topic, I found it so engaging that I couldn’t put it down. Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein’s book is essential for everyone, not just parents. It provides a thorough look at how sexism affects children from a young age, backed by research. Understanding these issues is key to improving how we interact with and support kids. Dr. Finkelstein offers a clear and accessible discussion on sexism in the U.S. and practical advice for talking about these issues with children of all genders.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC

An essential books for parents who want to help their children recognize and navigate sexism written with empathy and verve. Thank to Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein for laying out how kids face sexism early, often, and in so many aspects of their daily lives with continued reference to research. So many times what I read about gender and discrimination does not match up with what we’re experiencing day in and day out at school, activities, the neighborhood, and even within families. The book is full of understanding not only for the kids but also parents who can feel lost. This line really stuck with me: “The single most helpful thing we can do as parents is to examine our own biases so we aren’t parenting from a place of fear.” There is a great emphasis on the fact that there isn’t a single talk like many of us grew up with. To be there for our kids means being open to a series of varied conversations and a willingness to listen, even when we will get it wrong sometimes. Each chapter ends with practical advice and provides nuance on how the conversation can change between parenting a tween and an older teen. Through a combination of scientific literature, clinical experience, and personal reflection, Dr. Finkelstein create a fast-paced and empowering narrative to make a subject that many of us find both terrifying and infuriating as something that we have the power to support our children through.

This is a must read for anyone (I thought long and hard about qualifying this. "...any parent," "..,anyone interacting with a child," "...anyone interacting with anyone of the female persuasion," but decided that the world would be a better place if everyone was considering these topics. Dr. Finkelstein provides clear, approachable discourse on the state of sexism in the United States. She also provides practical advice, including client examples from her own practice to illustrate how parents can discuss these topics with children of all genders to help them navigate their own experiences of sexism and the mixed signals that society sends us about how gender "should" present.

I felt incredibly seen reading this book, there were many times that Dr. Finkelstein's case examples rang true with my own experience of gender. I highlighted many passages for future parenting discussions with my daughter.

Thank you to Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein and Rodale Inc. for the ARC in exchange for a honest review of Sexism and Sensibility.

As the mother of an 11 year old daughter, I found this to be a marvelous encapsulation of so many issues and topics... I am not generally a self-help or parenting-book reader, but found Dr. Finkelstein's presentation to be thoughtful and thought-provoking without feeling like it was chastising me or telling me how I was wrong and why. Instead it provided insightful looks into behaviors, attitudes and perceptions - several of which I had never given more than a cursory thought before - and offered alternative approaches to handling tough conversations that I had not considered. There is a lot of food for thought here, and it is definitely the type of thought that does not get enough attention in the modern world!

Gives a comprehensive understanding of the many ways sexism manifests in the the lives of girls and young women, and provides very helpful advice on how to counteract that with a foundation of equality, empowerment, justice, and a refusal to tolerate mistreatment. Great stuff!

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)