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The Feminine Mystique Paperback – September 3, 2013

by Betty Friedan (Author), Gail Collins (Introduction), Anna Quindlen (Afterword)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,905 ratings
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"If you’ve never read it, read it now." ―Arianna Huffington, O, The Oprah Magazine

Landmark, groundbreaking, classic―these adjectives barely do justice to the pioneering vision and lasting impact of The Feminine Mystique. Published in 1963, it gave a pitch-perfect description of “the problem that has no name”: the insidious beliefs and institutions that undermined women’s confidence in their intellectual capabilities and kept them in the home. Writing in a time when the average woman first married in her teens and 60 percent of women students dropped out of college to marry, Betty Friedan captured the frustrations and thwarted ambitions of a generation and showed women how they could reclaim their lives. Part social chronicle, part manifesto, The Feminine Mystique is filled with fascinating anecdotes and interviews as well as insights that continue to inspire. This 50th–anniversary edition features an afterword by best-selling author Anna Quindlen as well as a new introduction by Gail Collins.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    600 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    September 3, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.2 x 8.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393346781
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393346787
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brilliant…[Friedan] succeeded where no other feminist writer had. She touched the lives of ordinary readers."
― Louis Menand, The New Yorker

"Lively, astute, and ferocious…The Feminine Mystique should be required reading for anyone who cares about women."
― Rachel Shteir, Chronicle of Higher Education

"If you want to understand the passion that helped fire up the modern women’s movement, there may be no better place to start than with The Feminine Mystique."
― Lynn Neary, NPR

About the Author

Betty Friedan (1921–2006), a transformational leader of the women’s movement, founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) and authored many works, including The Second Stage, The Fountain of Age, and Life So Far.

Gail Collins, the best-selling author of When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present, is a national columnist for the New York Times. She lives in New York City.

Anna Quindlen is an award-winning columnist and novelist. She left journalism in 1995 to write fiction full time and has published three bestsellers. She lives in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; 50th Anniversary edition (September 3, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 600 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393346781
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393346787
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,905 ratings

About the author

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Betty Friedan

Betty Friedan

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,905 global ratings
Almost 50 years old but still in great condition!
5 Stars
Almost 50 years old but still in great condition!
The book came just as described, shows signs of use on the cover but I think it adds character and I’m sure it’s been a great read for a lot of people. The pages are in near perfect condition. This edition looks like it was printed in 1970, I wasn’t sure which edition I’d be getting but I love the cover on this one! I’ve read many excerpts from this book and can’t wait to read the entire thing. Very happy with my purchase.
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Top reviews from the United States

Lily
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this for every man and woman in your life
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
I absolutely love this book. I recommended it to my sister, my male and female friends, and my boyfriend. The theories/science/studies/stories are complex and interesting and really give you room to think
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Sky
5.0 out of 5 stars Mind Blowing
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2010
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When I first heard about this book I was immediately intrigued. I couldn't wait to read it and see how far women have come. Imagine my surprise when the author seemed to be describing the present day instead of a distant past. I couldn't believe how relevant a book from the 1960's is today.

Betty Friedan describes a generation of women who were manipulated into thinking that motherhood and housewifery is the be all and end all for women. She explained that in the 50's and 60's women defined themselves solely through their children and husbands instead of developing an identity of their own. Women were seen as childlike with limited capabilities and, thus, education for females was dismissed as unnecessary. However, many women were unsatisfied with their only career choice as wife and mother. They were desperate for a sense of meaning and true identity. Some attempted to fill this void by using sexual promiscuity, focusing on their appearance, and/ or buying an endless amount of material things for their homes. This is still true for a lot of women today.

Friedan thinks that women tried to elevate the status of housework and child rearing by obsessing over natural child birth, breast feeding, and homemade bread and clothes. Mothers became so over involved in the lives of their offspring that the kids could hardly develop into independent human beings. Researchers later found that children are actually happier, and develop better, when the mother has a career, or other purpose besides her children. Unfortunately, women seem to be falling into the same trap again. The media seems to be telling them, once again, that unless they give up everything and turn into helicopter-parents, their children are doomed for failure. It almost seems as if there is a second wave of this back- to-the- home trend. I see many women that are so preoccupied with their children that it appears as if they are trying to live their lives through them. Just think about shows like Toddlers& Tiaras- is it really the dream of those little girls to be presented like a show pony for the adults?

I have to admit, there have been times when I, too, have thought about how idyllic it would be to have a big family, prepare all their organic food at home, and even (gasp!) home school the children. But after reading this book, there is no way that I will ever give up my education and career. Defining yourself through your children and husband is simply not the way to live a fulfilling life. This book may have been a bit dated and repetitive at times, but obviously our generation hasn't gotten the message yet, and it can't hurt to hear it more than once. In my opinion, they should really make this work required reading in high school. It's very powerful.
38 people found this helpful
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Colin KK
5.0 out of 5 stars The Human Mystique
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2023
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I am reading this now, more than 50 years later, and it is as relevant and as true as it has ever been. The basic premise can be put simply as, "Every human being, across all nationalities, races, ethnicities, religions, sex and genders ought to be able to pursue a life plan that aspires to and actually fulfills the full genetic potential of each individual. If there are systemic obstacles to this they must be called out and changed by legal and political action. This is so simple and so compelling. On with research, study, education, economic advancement, and self-fulfillment! Who could argue with such things? But when you look at our history and the power of such opposing campaigns as that led by Phyllis Schafly, you need to engage. Let YOUR voice be heard.
10 people found this helpful
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Samantha Hafelin
4.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2024
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I know I’m about 50 plus years late, but this is well worth the read! Even as a millennial I still feel many of these things that Friedan addresses throughout her books. Everyone should take the time to read this.
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Lisa
5.0 out of 5 stars Two Thumbs Up!
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2018
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Ladies, the next time you decide you don't want to cook dinner that night, that you'd rather read a book instead... I want you to give a little fist-bump to the heavens in honor of Betty Friedan. It's because of her that you even have that opportunity to make that choice.

Let's clear something up right now - The Feminine Mystique is not a text on how to become a man-hating, radical. If that's what you think this is about, my review isn't going to change your mind so you might as well stop reading it now.

The Feminine Mystique does, however, bring attention and awareness to the mystique that is femininity - that women are good for use of their wombs and their cooking skills and maybe one or two other things, so long as those things benefit the husband (and maybe the children) more than anyone else. Friedan noticed that there was this "problem that could not be named" , this increase in fatigue in women across the country, a form of depression that made them want to sneak a few drinks when the kids were off to school or to pop a couple Valium while they vacuum the house every couple of days. What Friedan wanted to bring attention to was that it didn't need to be that way. That women could be educated, and they did not have to get married right after high school, that they could have a career as well as a family, if they so desired.

Her thesis is that women stop growing after a certain point - for some women it's in grade school, for some women it's in high school. Even the women who went to college (keep in mind that this book was published in 1963 so her focus was primarily on the fifties in America) went just to hone their skills as a woman and to (hopefully) find a man. Once the ring went on the finger, the women became housewives and had children, but then couldn't figure out why they were so unhappy. Because they hadn't actually finished growing....Duh! It makes perfect sense really - you're no good to anyone if you haven't evolved yourself.
41 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Annie Fons
5.0 out of 5 stars Una lectura poderosa
Reviewed in Mexico on January 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
Está será mi segunda lectura del año. Lo que no me agradó es que no venía sellado, sin embargo, no llegó maltratado. Fue buena compra a un precio accesible.
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Barbra
5.0 out of 5 stars Didn’t finish it, in fact, I only started it. Changed my life anyway
Reviewed in Canada on May 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
Someday I’ll get back to this and read the rest. Only took a few chapters to tell me what I needed at the time.
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Anupa
5.0 out of 5 stars Title: "The Feminine Mystique" - Empowering Insight into Women's Liberation
Reviewed in India on April 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
Betty Friedan's "The Feminine Mystique" is a groundbreaking exploration of women's roles and expectations in mid-20th century America. In this seminal work, Friedan challenges the prevailing notion of fulfillment through domesticity, shedding light on the dissatisfaction experienced by countless women trapped in the confines of traditional gender roles. With clarity and conviction, Friedan advocates for women's liberation and the pursuit of meaningful lives beyond societal expectations. While some arguments may feel dated, the book's core message remains relevant and empowering. "The Feminine Mystique" serves as a catalyst for societal change, inspiring generations of women to question and challenge gender norms. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the history of feminism and the ongoing struggle for gender equality.
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Nathaniel
5.0 out of 5 stars A important book, with a failed dream
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2022
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I wanted to understand how feminism has arrived at it's modern point. This is the best starting point as this is the book that galvanised second wave feminism. It highlights how she wanted the work women engaged with to be valued as much as the men's, with more protections put in place for women in the work place. She wanted the role of house wife and mother to be valued in society as much as the bread winner. But we now see that this has ultimately failed as the quality of parenting is much harder to judge than the monetary income for labour.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a historical perspective and where it started and what could have been. With a follow up for Sue Ellen Browder's "Subverted" to see where it was derailed by one Laurence Lund.
2 people found this helpful
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Anna L.
5.0 out of 5 stars Un classico imperdibile della letteratura femminista
Reviewed in Italy on March 27, 2022
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Il testo è parte delle letture obbligatorie per conoscere il femminismo storico statunitense e per comprendere la cultura femminista che su questo si è formata nel mondo.
One person found this helpful
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