Sexism in America : alive, well, and ruining our future /

Berg started her analysis of sexism based on data gleaned from her survey of 500 diverse women. In addition, she conducted in-depth interviews of 500 women over time. However, those data are not as integrated into her work as they might be. Berg critiques gender roles, the status of women in education, workplace discrimination, and the wage gaps that women still face. One chapter focuses on women's health needs, including sex education, contraception, abortion, and women's body image issues leading to cosmetic surgery and anorexia. Berg dedicates one chapter to popular culture and personalities from Maureen Dowd to Sarah Palin. Another chapter focuses on "toxic males and tarty females," and it is not a critique. Berg's work ends with 8 pages of "helpful resources" and 70 pages of footnotes, comprising one fourth of the book. The work lacks purpose, substance, depth, and organization. Individual readers or public libraries may wish to purchase this book, but it is not appropriate for academic collections. Summing Up: Not recommended. J. A. Fiola Minnesota State University Moorhead

The history of feminism in America is measured in waves: the first swept in the era of suffragists; the second catapulted women's liberation onto the national consciousness. The third, however, may never rise above a trickle. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the sobering reality is that sexism not only still exists, it flourishes. Fueled by decades of right-wing rancor, many hard-won feminist victories of the 1960s and 1970s have been effectively eviscerated by sweeping and calculated reversals initiated by President Reagan and carried to their illogical conclusion under the second Bush administration. Dedicated womens' studies author, activist, and academician Berg gives a potent and animated status report on feminism's current deplorable condition, citing everything from pop culture to political cabals in support of her findings. With competing images of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin giving lie to the allegedly vaunted state of women's equality, Berg asserts that the women's movement isn't. Moving, that is. At best, it's at a standstill; at worst, it's losing ground.--Haggas, Carol Copyright 2009 Booklist

Sexism hasn't gone away, argues journalist/activist Berg, it has simply adapted to our changing culture. Berg offers a refresher course on the 20th-century women's rights movement and its unexpected devolution in recent years, drawing on aspects of culture like advertising and reality TV, scientific research and an online survey of 300 not-so-randomly selected women and interviews with 200 more. Contemporary women, Berg says, are encouraged to imitate vapid media darlings instead of breaking glass ceilings (or breaking even) in academia, business and government. Containing the requisite-and accurate-feminist media criticism and movement history, updates to the 2008 presidential election and Obama's first few months, this is an excellent, easily decipherable text for history, sociology and women's studies students-and even older feminists looking for an update. Berg uses short chapters for flowing discussions on work, reproductive rights, health and activism. She focuses on working women's issues, and more discussion on women who choose to be full-time homemakers and their particular concerns would have added balance. But Berg still offers a wakeup call for young women entering the cultural and career trenches on what went wrong and how to fix it. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

This book is Berg's extremely persuasive dismissal of the claim that the United States is a "post-feminist, post-racial" society. Using testimonies from her survey of hundreds of American women, as well as extensively documented research, this self-admitted second-wave feminist gives a rapid-fire account of the advancement of women's rights and the continuing backlash on feminist progress from the 1950s to the present. Berg's feminist critique of seemingly gender-neutral events are a revelation. The attacks of 9/11, the war in Iraq, the current economic crisis, and the continuing health-care debate are examined with a keen eye toward their impact on women. Equally insightful is Berg's analysis of the setbacks facing the third wave of feminists in the United States. Limitations on contraception and abortion, the sexual harassment of women in the military, the fight for gay and lesbian equality, and the never-ending pay gap are but a few of the "new" issues tackled by Berg. Verdict Each chapter of this book offers an impassioned plea: feminism is not dead, but there is still a great need for feminist women and men to fight for the rights of women in America. As Berg aptly states in her conclusion, "Everyone who believes in gender equality...must join together to push for progressive policies that will enhance all of our lives." Highly recommended.-Veronica Arellano, Univ. of Houston Libs., TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.