No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women

I initially read this book a few years ago and enjoyed reading it thoroughly! This book is packed with plenty of information about the history of feminism and the future of women living around the world. This book discusses such topics as "gender and power", "gender and violence", "women's rights", "Reproduction: The Politics of Choice", the "economic gender gap", just to name a few of the topics explored and discussed by the author. I liked reading this book because I felt it was very well written and researched. "No Turning Back" provides the foundational knowledge for further exploration of feminism. I highly recommend reading this book, especially if you want to learn the basics of feminism!

Freedman has managed to write a history and a survey of global feminism that is at once accessible, activist and academic. The compact size and the colorful comic-inspired cover design of the trade paperback edition bely its serious scope. It is truly comprehensive, opening with a powerful argument for feminism (lingering on the term's ever-troubled, never-popular nature), proceeding through the history of various feminisms, marching on through topics as diverse as the impact of globalization on female laborers in the developing world to contrasting feminist opinions on the agency of sex workers. While the focus is primarily on the U.S., the global perspective does comes through. She manages to tone down the usual prominence of European and Euro-American influences while elevating the profile and contributions of feminists throughout the world. For the global sections, examples are drawn as readily from China and West Africa as from the United States. Freedman raises the bar for creating a feminist narrative that is continually mindful of the influences of class, race and culture as well as gender concerns. I recommend this book for committed feminists, those lamenting the so-called `death of feminism,' and for closet feminists who are bothered by the f-word.

Estelle Freedman's writing is coherent, concise and interesting. I found everything especially the information about international feminist movements very exciting. I have recommended this book to everyone I know.

I think this book would be a great present for any independent high school/college-aged woman in your life who is starting to wonder if "feminist" is a dirty word.If you're unfamiliar with the history of the feminist movement in the U.S., or even what feminism means, this is a great book for you. Professor Freedman is an engaging writer who doesn't get bogged down in academic gibberish, nor does she insult your intelligence. Not surprisingly, Freedman teaches an "Intro to Feminism" course at Stanford, and therefore if you've taken such a class in the past 15 years, much of the material may seem quite familiar.Her book takes readers on a whirlwind tour of feminism in the United States. She makes an effort to not fall victim to the first wave feminist tendency of assuming that all women in the U.S. are upper middle class, heterosexual, and white, yet touches only briefly on international feminism and the future of women outside of the United States. While this is understandable, as the book would otherwise be 1000 pages long, perhaps a title clarifying that it is focused on the U.S. would be helpful.