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A review by rebbbb
Woman: An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier
Did not finish book.
I really wanted to love this book because a lot of people I admire in the women's health space recommended it. However, this book feels like it belongs to another time - a time when it was no doubt revolutionary to write a book that gave such detailed and thoughtful attention to (continuously) under-researched aspects of women's health, but also a time 20+ years ago so some things have changed (though unfortunately not much in way of women's health being adequately invested in and researched).
While the topics of the book are interesting, it felt challenging to read it in 2023 because it fails to acknowledge intersectionality in many places and the way it talks about gender feels outdated. And honestly, I found the writing style painful and overly self-indulgent, when clear and simple language would have been much more enjoyable to read. But I also can't not acknowledge that this book was undoubtedly important and ahead of its time, and I do feel grateful to Angier for writing the book when she did. Would love to see an updated edition that is more aligned with the evolving conversation around gender, sex and our intersecting identities.
While the topics of the book are interesting, it felt challenging to read it in 2023 because it fails to acknowledge intersectionality in many places and the way it talks about gender feels outdated. And honestly, I found the writing style painful and overly self-indulgent, when clear and simple language would have been much more enjoyable to read. But I also can't not acknowledge that this book was undoubtedly important and ahead of its time, and I do feel grateful to Angier for writing the book when she did. Would love to see an updated edition that is more aligned with the evolving conversation around gender, sex and our intersecting identities.