It began with the Nazis. This is perhaps the most important thing to know about sex testing for women athletes. "The Other Olympians" traces the roots of athletic sex testing for women, which began at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin by the Nazi regime because of sexist and eugenicist paranoia about sex and gender. Michael Waters, a strong storyteller, shows that when two high-profile athletes transitioned their gender, women Olympians—but not men—had to “prove” their gender through physical exams. This practice continued through the end of the twentieth century and was succeeded by hormone and genetic testing. To anyone concerned about sex testing and transphobia, "The Other Olympians" provides a chilling historical backdrop.
Named a Most Anticipated Book by Esquire, Town & Country, and Electric Literature
"Michael Waters performs an Olympian act of storytelling, using the stories of these extraordinary athletes to explore in brilliant detail the struggle for understanding and equality." ―Jonathan Eig, author of King: A Life, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
The story of the early trans athletes and Olympic bureaucrats who lit the flame for today’s culture wars.
In December 1935, Zdeněk Koubek, one of the most famous sprinters in European women’s sports, declared he was now living as a man. Around the same time, the celebrated British field…
Reah Bravo experienced repeated acts of workplace sexual harassment by her boss, the television host and cultural icon Charlie Rose, for a year and a half. She asked herself: Why did she not protest when the harassment was occurring? After all, had she spoken out at the time, rather than years later, perhaps Rose would not have been able to harass or abuse others. Indeed, 35 women eventually came forward with accusations of workplace sexual harassment and abuse.
Bravo explores the complexities of her response, which was to be—in her word—complicit. This research-laced memoir delves into the messiness of unwanted yet tolerated behavior for women at work. I appreciate her candor about the limits of personal agency and reminder that no one truly has control over their behavior because of systemic inequities. Above all, "Complicit" demonstrates that we need to be kind to ourselves, and to others, who justify the bad behavior we endured—while at the same time ensuring that every perpetrator is held accountable.
A thoroughly researched and deeply personal examination of how women unintentionally condone workplace abuse in a post-#MeToo world-and what we can do to change things for the better.
When Reah Bravo began working at the Charlie Rose show, the open secret of Rose's conduct towards women didn't deter her from pursuing a position she thought could launch her career in broadcast journalism. She considered herself more than capable of handling any unprofessional behavior that might come her way. But she soon learned a devastating truth: we don't always react to abusive situations as we imagine we will.
The title of Chapter 1 says it all: “Abortion Is Good, Actually.”
Finally! This truth is out in the open. Jessica Valenti writes, “It is not tragic, something to be apologized for, or a ‘necessary evil.’ It is proactively, objectively, good.” She continues, “Forcing someone to be pregnant when they don’t want to be is dangerous and cruel.” And: “America supports abortion. It’s time we acted like it.”
Abortion is good because it is basic health care. Because all women—not only those who have been raped or whose health is in danger—need access to it. Because pregnancy is not a punishment for sluttiness. Valenti’s "Abortion" is a book-length explainer with arguments, facts, and corrections of widespread misinformation. Wake up, read this book, vote, and demand our rights back.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In a stirring and succinct examination of post-Roe America, “one of the most successful and visible feminists of her generation” (Washington Post) takes on what’s become the country’s most resonant political issue.
In her most urgent book yet, New York Times bestselling author Jessica Valenti shines a light on the conservative assault on women’s freedom, cutting through the misinformation and overwhelm to inform, engage, and enrage. From the attacks Americans know about to the ones anti-abortion lawmakers and groups are trying to hide, Valenti details the tactics and horrors that she’s been painstakingly tracking in…
In this eye-opening new work, slut-shaming expert Leora Tanenbaum explains that when we criticize young women for wearing body-revealing outfits and sharing sexy selfies, we are losing the plot. The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to. Tanenbaum created a safe space for young women and nonbinary people to speak with brutal candor about their decisions. She shares how they cope with the theft of their bodily autonomy in person and online. Young people are fed up with being held responsible for others’ inability to keep their eyes off their bodies. They explain that most of the time, they aren’t even trying to sexualize themselves—and, when they do, they are taking control over their bodily autonomy and standing up for themselves. Beginning in childhood, women of all racial and ethnic identities are relentlessly sexualized against their will. This sexualization occurs with:
* Gendered dress codes, which allow teachers and administrators to scrutinize and comment on girls’ bodies; * Nonconsensual sharing of intimate images (“revenge porn” and “deepfakes”), which portray girls and women as sexual objects deserving of public humiliation; * The aftermath of sexual harassment and assault, when victims are told—still today, even after #MeToo—that they were “asking for it.”
Tanenbaum demonstrates that “sexy” does not mean “inviting sex,” and that when young women and nonbinary people embrace a sexualized aesthetic or post sexy pictures, they do so on their own terms. There’s nothing wrong with taking and sharing intimate pictures. There’s nothing wrong with feeling good about one’s body. Everyone should be able to shape and share their image on their own terms. If you like cultural criticism that supports women of all identities, then you'll love "Sexy Selfie Nation."
