Recommended Books by and about Women
The list below was compiled based on the recommendations of members who participated in the Women’s History book discussion, March 29, 2006.

A Moment on the Edge, Elizabeth George (editor)
Anthology of short stories written by well-known women of the crime/mystery genre compiled by noted mystery author Elizabeth George.

Against Our Will:  Men, Women, and Rape, Susan Brownmiller
Explores the concept of rape and the issues around it.  From the author—“In the violent landscape inhabited by primitive woman and man, some woman somewhere had a prescient vision of her right to her own physical integrity, and in my mind’s eye I can picture her fighting like hell to preserve it.”

Don’t Assume I Don’t Cook, National Organization for Women
A wonderful cookbook filled with tasty recipes from feminist kitchens, photos and stories from 30+ years of advancing women’s equality.

Gender Outlaw, Kate Bornstein
Kate Bornstein is a woman (she underwent a male-to-female sex change operation in 1986) with a mission to dismantle the “gender system” that forces everyone to conform to one of only two gender options.  She is dedicated to educating others about what she feels is the inherent oppression of the binary gender system.

Lighting the Way:  Nine Women Who Changed Modern America,  Karenna Gore Schiff
Recently published, authored by the daughter of Al Gore. Described by the New York Times as an, “engaging and superbly researched collection” about inspiring women.

Misconceptions:  Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected Journey to Motherhood, Naomi Wolf
Focuses on the emotional and physical changes women go through during pregnancy.  Apart from a personal account, it is also a sociological study of motherhood in the industrialized world which is characterized by patriarchal and profit-orientated institutions.

The Bean Tree, Barbara Kingsolver
Taylor Greer grew up poor in rural Kentucky with two goals: to avoid pregnancy and to get away. She succeeds on both counts when she buys a '55 Volkswagen and heads west where she meets the human condition head-on – a memorable novel about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging.

The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Dystopias are a kind of thought experiment which isolates certain social trends and exaggerates them to make clear their most negative qualities. Atwood here examines some of the traditional attitudes that are embedded in the thinking of the religious right and which she finds particularly threatening.

Where the Girls Are:  Growing Up Female with the Mass Media, Susan J. Douglas
A tour through and a look at how pop culture has affected girls and women, this book is a thought provoking, sarcastic, and very witty portrayal from a woman who admits to having an "attitude problem."

With Liberty and Justice for All:  A life Spent Protecting the Right to Choose, Kate Michelman
President of the National Abortion Rights Action League from 1985-2004—her story.

Women’s Reality: An Emerging Female System in a White Male Society, Anne Wilson Schaef
The insights provided regarding the cultural differences between genders offer many "Aha!" moments, as one truth after another is affirmed, giving a deeper understanding of our struggles and the reasons behind various life choices.

Calendar of Events

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April 19
Macomb County NOW Annual Meeting and Elections

April 19
Planned Parenthood Volunteer Night,
7:30 p.m. at Trixie’s Café, 25925 Gratiot, Roseville.

April 25
Second Anniversary of March for Women’s Lives, sponsored by Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Michigan, Lansing, 12:00-4:30. Lobby day plus rally on
Capitol lawn at 3:30 p.m. For more information,
go to www.mimarch4choice.net.

April 25
Equal Pay Day. Wear red on April 25 to symbolize
how far women are “in the red” with their pay.
Visit www.pay-equity.org.

April 25
March for Peace Justice and Democracy,
New York City. More info at www.now.org.

April 27
Take Back the Night,
6:00 Roseville Recreation Center

April 27
2006 Environmental Fair at Freedom Hill, Free,
Sterling Heights 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. & 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Visit with local and regional environmental groups,
learn what they do and become involved.
For more information call, Terry Gibb
at MSU Extension at 586-469-6430.

April 27
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.

April 29
Great Lakes Regional NOW Conference,
“If You’re Not Angry, You’re Not Paying Attention,”

May 5
12th Annual Planned Parenthood Luncheon ,
11:15 registration, 12:00 lunch.
Keynote speaker: Faye Wattleton,
President of the Center for the Advancement of Women, Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Drive, Rochester 48307. $75.00 Student tickets available,
Deadline April 14. For more information,
call 313-822-7285.

May 14
Mother’s Day.

May 17
Macomb County NOW Executive Board
Meeting and Program

May 20
Michigan NOW State Conference

June 18
Father’s Day.

June 30
NOW founded 40 years ago—1966

July 21-23
National NOW Conference &
Young Feminist Summit