The most recommended books on patriarchy

Who picked these books? Meet our 109 experts.

109 authors created a book list connected to the patriarchy, and here are their favorite patriarchy books.
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Book cover of The New Don't Blame Mother: Mending the Mother-Daughter Relationship

Rosjke Hasseldine Author Of The Mother-Daughter Puzzle: A New Generational Understanding of the Mother-Daughter Relationship

From my list on to read about the mother-daughter relationship.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion started as a personal quest in my twenties, struggling with my relationship with my own mother. When my daughter was born, I knew that I could not repeat the difficult dynamics between my mother and I. What started as a personal quest to understand the underlying dynamics between mothers and daughters quickly grew into a professional quest. Today, I have worked as a mother-daughter therapist with thousands of mothers and daughters of all ages and from different countries and cultures and have developed the Mother-Daughter Attachment® model that helps therapists and mothers and daughters uncover the hidden dynamics in their relationship and create a roadmap for change.

Rosjke's book list on to read about the mother-daughter relationship

Rosjke Hasseldine Why did Rosjke love this book?

Mothers are too often blamed for their children’s and adult daughters’ problems. I regard Paula Caplan’s book as the quintessential text on understanding how patriarchy blames mothers and how mother-blaming harms mothers, women, and the mother-daughter relationship. Paula exposes the myths surrounding motherhood – revealing that there is no such thing as a “perfect mother.” 

By Paula Caplan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The New Don't Blame Mother as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.


Book cover of Work Like a Woman

Han-Son Lee Author Of You’re Going to Be a Dad!

From my list on modern day fatherhood.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the founder of DaddiLife—the leading online platform that focusses on modern day dads, who are becoming more equalised in their day to day parenting. We’ve covered a range of different areas from early stage post partum and mental health for dads, through to new research projects on dads at work and young fathers. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over my time as a father myself is that there’s no such thing as perfect parenting, but there are lots of insights that can challenge our fatherly approaches for the better, both at home and at work.

Han-son's book list on modern day fatherhood

Han-Son Lee Why did Han-son love this book?

This is more than a book—it’s an incredible call to change, and in many ways the other side of the coin for the advice for working dads. 

Mary Portas has a strong insight here—that the patriarchy has driven much of what we see, hear, and feel as ‘the world’ today, and that to start to change that, we all need to lean much more into traditionally ‘feminine’ qualities such as cooperation, collaboration, and more to start to live humanities fuller potential. 

I saw Mary speak after getting this book, and it was a double whammy of incredible change. It’s one of the most inspiring books I’ve read in an awfully long time.

By Mary Portas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Work Like a Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'There aren't many books that can claim to change your life, but this one will.' Clare Balding

'A force for good, for change. This book will make you change the way you think. Mary is my hero.' Scarlett Curtis, author of Feminists Don't Wear Pink

Are you ready to be your best self at work?

Packed with advice, tips and decades of business experience from Mary Portas, this is a book for every one of us: whatever level you are, wherever you work.

It's about calling time on alpha culture and helping every one of us to be happier, more…


Book cover of Recipe for a Perfect Wife

Rob Shapiro Author Of The Book of Sam

From Rob's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Dad Obsessive movie watcher Avid reader Toronto sports Fan

Rob's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Rob Shapiro Why did Rob love this book?

Recipe for a Perfect Wife is elegant and intriguing and hits on many of the character and thematic notes that I look for. The relationship between the main character, Alice, and the house that she moves to and comes to resent is palpable and relatable.

I was all in from the moment Alice finds a mysterious cookbook in the house, waiting for her next move and for Brown to reveal more about Alice and what makes her tick.

The best compliment I can pay to any novel is that I was sad when it ended. I don’t know how to explain that feeling, but I know it when I feel it. 

By Karma Brown,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Recipe for a Perfect Wife as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*LJ-"Brown kills it, a captivating winner" BL-"The pacing is brisk, the characters are appealing, and both time lines are equally well realized. Thoughtful, clever" Kirkus-"engaging and suspenseful."


Book cover of Jean de Florette

Alan Elsner Author Of The Diplomatic Coup

From my list on women who beat the patriarchy at its own game.

Why am I passionate about this?

For a long time I’ve been fascinated by the challenge of writing novels with strong female protagonists—this is what I set out to do with my books Romance Language and The Diplomatic Coup. Is a male author capable of doing this? Read the books and judge for yourself. I’m fascinated by history, politics, and the pursuit of power both in real life and fiction. Lately, I’ve become more alarmed about the threat posed to the world by a resurgent Russia determined to undermine western democracy and that interest also influenced my choices. As a former journalist, I covered some of the world’s most important leaders and biggest stories and got to see them operating firsthand. 

Alan's book list on women who beat the patriarchy at its own game

Alan Elsner Why did Alan love this book?

This is a pair of novels, French classics that were also made into two memorable movies. In a rural village in Provence, an old man and his only remaining relative cast a greedy eyes on some land. They need a hidden spring that is on the land to irrigate the flowers they intend to grow which they think will make them a fortune. But first, they need to drive out the owner and his family.The father of this family is a hunchback trying to succeed in a hostile world. An evil plot slowly unfolds and comes to tragic fruition. Ten years later, the daughter of the family returns to seek her revenge. A moral tale full of wonderful local detail, like my other choices it features a brave, invincible female protagonist battling overwhelming odds. 

By Marcel Pagnol,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Jean de Florette as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Marcel Pagnol
Jean de Florette

Au village des Bastides Blanches, on hait ceux de Crespin. C’est pourquoi lorsque Jean Cadoret, le Bossu, s’installe à la ferme des Romarins, on ne lui parle pas de la source cachée. Ce qui facilite les manœuvres des Soubeyran, le Papet et son neveu Ugolin, qui veulent lui racheter son domaine à bas prix…

Jean de Florette (1962), premier volume de L’Eau des collines, marque, trente ans après Pirouettes, le retour de Pagnol au roman. C’est l’épopée de l’eau nourricière sans laquelle rien n’est possible.


Book cover of The Other Daughters of the Revolution: The Narrative of K. White (1809) and the Memoirs of Elizabeth Fisher (1810)

Hoda Mahmoudi Author Of Children and Globalization: Multidisciplinary Perspectives

From my list on childhood and globalization.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been interested in children’s lives for as long as I can remember. I think my own childhood experiences provoked my curiosity about the world as observed and perceived by children. My own childhood was affected by globalization in the broadest sense. When I was a child, my family moved to the United States from Iran. I grew up in Utah where I encountered a different way of life than the one I left behind. The shift from one culture to another was thrilling and scary. The encounter with a new world and a different culture has taught me important lessons about children’s creativity, strength, and curiosity as well as their fears, insecurities, and vulnerabilities.  

Hoda's book list on childhood and globalization

Hoda Mahmoudi Why did Hoda love this book?

This book is very emotional and affecting to read for me. It presents two of the earliest autobiographical accounts from American women, with an introduction by Sharon Halevi. As they trace their lives, they depict a world in which childhood, as modern readers understand, does not exist, and even young women need to navigate the intricacies of their controlling and patriarchal world. I often ask what has changed and what has unfortunately stayed the same.

By Sharon Halevi (editor), K. White, Elizabeth Fisher

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Other Daughters of the Revolution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Presents two of the earliest autobiographies of American women.


Book cover of On Call: Political Essays

Arlene Voski Avakian Author Of Lion Woman's Legacy: An Armenian-American Memoir

From my list on social consciousness in historical contexts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was an angry girl, railing against the difference between the expectations and restrictions on me and my younger brother. I was also the child of survivors and victims of the Armenian genocide, and I grew up in 1950 when my immigrant family didn’t fit the representations of “Americans” as they were then depicted. And I was white. I wanted to change myself, the world and learn why there was so much injustice in the U.S. I went back to school at UMass, got connected to faculty in the Afro-American Studies Department, and joined the group that was creating the Women’s Studies Program. I am still learning and trying to change the world.  

Arlene's book list on social consciousness in historical contexts

Arlene Voski Avakian Why did Arlene love this book?

A poet, playwright, essayist, teacher, and activist, Jordan had more than 25 published works, including seven books of essays. 

As a feminist and women’s studies teacher and scholar who was focused on bringing race into the center of my activism and analysis, I learned so much from June Jordan. 
On Call, includes essays that explored intersectionality years before Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term and theorized the overlapping social constructions of race, class, and gender. 

The topics of the 18 essays are wide-ranging, from patriarchy, to Black English, to the enslaved 18th-century poet Phillis Wheatley, and a hilarious short essay on the election of Ronald Reagan written in Black English.  I taught “Report from the Bahamas” in almost all of my courses. 

Like all of her essays, it is written with a poet’s sensibility. Every word matters.  

By June Jordan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked On Call as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Book of political essays by a great Feminist.


Book cover of So You Want to Talk about Race

Wendy-O Matik Author Of Redefining Our Relationships: Guidelines for Responsible Open Relationships

From my list on to ignite the revolution and smash patriarchy.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a rebellious woman who is passionate about words and the revolutionary force of books, I know the power of stories. Stories are the seeds that give life to your purpose. Stories give you a reason to fight the good fight, care about something bigger than yourself, and want to be a part of social justice and positive change. The daily grind can kick you down, but a good story can remind you that there's still time to rise up, speak truth to power, help others less fortunate, and commit to what you value most. The books that I’m recommending are meant to be your personal guide to what really matters most in life to you.

Wendy-O's book list on to ignite the revolution and smash patriarchy

Wendy-O Matik Why did Wendy-O love this book?

If you seriously care about racial healing, you have to read this book. White people are so damn afraid to say the wrong thing or to offend anyone when it comes to the topic of race, that we end up not saying anything at all. And silence is death to a movement. If you care about Black and Brown lives, then this book will shake you up in a good way, and remind you of the importance of being a good listener to the concerns of people of color. When you listen, you can have empathy. When you have empathy, you can start to be a part of the racial reckoning and healing that’s starting to take place in our nation.

By Ijeoma Oluo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked So You Want to Talk about Race as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

n So You Want to Talk About Race, editor-at-large of The Establishment Ijeoma Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the "N" word. Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions readers don't dare ask, and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans.

Oluo is an exceptional writer with a rare ability to be straightforward, funny, and effective in her coverage of sensitive, hyper-charged…


Book cover of Complicit

Alli Vail Author Of Brooklyn Thomas Isn't Here

From my list on The best novels where women fight the patriarchy at work.

Why am I passionate about this?

Let’s face it—we spend a lot of time at work. Work is a big part of our lives, but sometimes it’s terrible and feels like there is no winning against institutionalized sexism and capitalism. And you really want to win! I love reading about women who are finding ways to overcome massive obstacles at work no matter what gets in their way, whether it’s by destroying an industry with a spreadsheet, breaking a curse, ditching a bad boss, or just finding a way to survive. Because sometimes that’s all you can do—survive it. Stories of women working feel endlessly relatable because we have so many shared experiences, and that’s why what happens at work shows up in my reading and my writing.

Alli's book list on The best novels where women fight the patriarchy at work

Alli Vail Why did Alli love this book?

I had to read this when it came out because it felt ripped from the headlines. Sarah Lai has left behind her Hollywood dreams of filmmaking for a quieter, simpler life. But a journalist reaches out and drags her past to the forefront by asking questions about Sarah’s experiences working with a celebrated producer. There have been… complaints. From women. A lot of women.

Sound familiar? This is a wholly fictional take on past events, but it also forces the reader to examine the ways in which we might be complicit in holding up systems, and what we can do to break bad patterns.

Engaging, timely, and I couldn’t put it down. Again, women find their voices and stand up for other women around them. That’s a narrative I can’t miss. 

By Winnie M. Li,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Complicit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Powerful' Harriet Tyce
'Brave' Liz Nugent
'Compulsive' John Marrs
'Dazzling' Chris Whitaker
'Fearless' Anna Mazzola
'Masterful' Araminta Hall
'Timely' TM Logan

You know what it's like.
A comment here, a closed door there, turning a blind eye to get ahead.

My name is Sarah Lai. You won't have heard of me. A decade ago I was on the cusp of being a big deal. But that was a long time ago.

Now, instead of working in Hollywood, I teach students about it.

And these are the two most important lessons you need to know about the film industry:

1) Those…


Book cover of Strangely Familiar: Protofeminist Interpretations of Patriarchal Biblical Texts

Joy Schroeder Author Of Voices Long Silenced: Women Biblical Interpreters Through the Centurie

From my list on women who interpreted the Bible.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a historian with expertise in the early church, Middle Ages, and Reformation, I am obsessed with finding the writings and stories of women of the past. Whenever we discover works written by an unknown or forgotten woman in an archive or historical record, my co-author Marion Taylor and I excitedly email one another: “We rescued another woman!” I study the history of biblical interpretation and the history of women in religion. In most of my books, these two interests intersect—as I write about men throughout history who viewed stories of biblical women through patriarchal lenses and how women themselves have been biblical interpreters, often challenging men’s prevailing views. 

Joy's book list on women who interpreted the Bible

Joy Schroeder Why did Joy love this book?

The Bible contains stories of unspeakable violence and brutality against women: the rape of Abraham and Sarah’s enslaved servant Hagar, the incestuous assault of David’s daughter Tamar, the human sacrifice of the warrior Jephthah’s unnamed daughter, and other horrifying accounts. Scripture also contains passages by the Apostle Paul and men writing in his name—passages that restrict women’s roles in churches and which subordinate women in households. In the late twentieth century, feminist scholars challenged these passages and critiqued the patriarchy found in the Bible. But women’s challenge to patriarchal biblical texts did not begin in the twentieth century, In this essay collection, authors identify women working in the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s who had similar insights into the gendered problems found in the Bible. 

By Nancy Calvert-Koyzis, Heather E. Weir,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Strangely Familiar as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Until recently, the voices of women who interpreted the Bible prior to the feminism of the late twentieth century had been largely forgotten. However, the current recovery of these women's interpretive works reveals writings that seem "strangely familiar" in their anticipation of later feminist approaches to the biblical text and their thematic interest in liberation. In this volume, the contributions of seventeenth- to nineteenth-century women-including Arcangela Tarabotti, Aemelia Lanyer, and Josephine Butler-are addressed in their historical and cultural contexts. Each of these recovered authors worked to liberate women from interpretations of the Bible that proved oppressive to them. Leading feminist…


Book cover of The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium

Warren Treadgold Author Of A History of the Byzantine State and Society

From my list on understanding the Byzantine empire.

Why am I passionate about this?

I first became interested in Byzantium in high school, when I read Edward Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, and I’ve been interested in Byzantine subjects ever since. I’ve traveled to almost every country that was once part of the Byzantine Empire, all around the Mediterranean seaboard. I’ve written ten books and many articles on Byzantine politics, Byzantine scholarship, Byzantine literature, the Byzantine economy, the Byzantine army, Byzantine religion, and Byzantine art (with my wife, a Byzantine art historian). It’s such an enormous field, spanning thirteen centuries, three continents, and Greek, Roman, Christian, and many other cultures, that there’s always something new, surprising, and marvelous to discover.

Warren's book list on understanding the Byzantine empire

Warren Treadgold Why did Warren love this book?

If you want a comprehensive reference work on Byzantium, this is much the best, with short articles on every aspect of Byzantine civilization that you can think of and on many aspects that you wouldn’t have thought of. Kazhdan, who emigrated from Russia to America, was the most learned of recent Byzantinists and was interested in almost everything about his chosen field. Although a great many scholars contributed to this dictionary, Kazhdan’s point of view and profound erudition influenced almost every article. 

Anyone interested in Byzantium (and some readers who hadn’t realized that they would be interested) will spend hours looking through these three volumes and will consider those hours well spent.

By Alexander P. Kazhdan (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium is the most comprehensive dictionary available on Byzantine civilization. It features more than 5,000 entries written by an international group of eminent Byzantinists covering all aspects of life in the Byzantine world. Major entries treat such topics such as agriculture, art, literature, and politics, whilte shorter entries examine topics that relate to Byzantium, such as the history of Kiev and personalities of ancient
and biblical history. It is truly interdisciplinary with entries on patriarchy and emperors sitting alongside those on surgery and musical instruments. Each article is followed by a bibliography, and numerous maps, tables,…