First published 2013
Debora L. Spar grew up believing the gender wars had ended. The battles of the 1960s seemed like ancient history. She and her generation expected to sail smoothly into careers with children, corporate positions, and supportive partners. Reality proved different. Spar became one of Harvard Business School's first female professors, raised three children, and chaired her department. She now leads Barnard College, one of America's most influential women's institutions. Her personal journey mirrors a broader cultural story. Drawing on extensive new research, Spar investigates how women's circumstances have shifted over five decades. She explores what has changed and what remains stuck. The book examines how the fight for power transformed into a pursuit of perfection. Spar writes with wisdom and humor about the human cost of these expectations. She asks fundamental questions about women's actual progress and what true equality requires.
Genres: gender-studies, american, feminism, non-fiction, 21st-century, academia
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, social-commentary
Setting: Harvard, Barnard College
Period: 1960s, 2010s
320 pages · Hardcover · Sarah Crichton Books