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Women & Power: A Manifesto

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Women & Power: A Manifesto

By: Mary Beard
Narrated by: Mary Beard
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About this listen

An updated edition of the Sunday Times best seller.

Britain's best known classicist, Mary Beard, is also a committed and vocal feminist. In Women & Power she revisits the gender agenda and shows how history has treated powerful women, using examples ranging from the classical world to the modern day. Beard explores the cultural underpinnings of misogyny, considering the public voice of women, our cultural assumptions about women's relationship with power and how powerful women resist being packaged into a male template.

A year on since the advent of #MeToo, in a new afterword, Beard reflects on the successes and the future of that movement, probing the narratives of rape and consent. She asks about the stories men tell themselves to justify their treatment of women. Which stories endure, and who controls them? With wry wit Beard argues it's time for change. 

From the author of international best seller SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our desktop site.

©2017 Mary Beard (P)2017 Hachette Audio UK
Gender Studies Social Sciences Thought-Provoking
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Loved all this obv. As a personal highlight when Mary Beard described wearing blue stockings to an interview reminded me of a moment in my life when I had to go to an obligatory feedback session with a male NHS manager after failing to get a management job despite highest marks in the written paper. I had heard the latest buzz word for their requirement was someone "bubbly" (the role was almost certainly going to a woman as it was for nurses or midwives in early 90's).
Sure enough on entering the room and having to remove an ash tray full of dog ends from the desk between myself and the manager, I was given the tirade about being too serious, coming across as dour etc etc (This was to manage women's services, why be serious?) . As I went to leave I reached into my bag and brought out a tin of kids' bubbles and placed it on the desk saying, "So sorry I disappointed you , I hope this goes some way to making up for it....." and left. So Mary Beard, thank you for this plethora of lightbulb moments. At six foot tall I would never have done in the role which was really to be a fluffy presence to give male scripted directives to a mainly female workforce. The person who got the job had made a good marriage and could afford much better suits.

Recalled my own "Blue Stocking " moment in a new l

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I really enjoyed Mary as always, her narration and story telling are wonderful. She always gives you a new insight and challenges our perceptions.

excellent and thoughtful

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a fascinating listen, a must in modern days for all genders and ages !

a fascinating listen!

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It has become a little bit outdated because of frequent references to the then current events (e.g Clinton). However, many bits very informative and revealing. For example, I had no idea that Sojourner Truth's original 1851 speech never even included the iconic phrase 'Ain't I a woman?'. Recommendable, short read.

Intersting.

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This book gives great insight into how our current modern society and the deep sexism imbedded therein traces back to Ancient Greece and Rome.

Must read for all men

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