Patriarchy

by Phyllis Chesler

Chesler, perhaps best known for Women and Madness (LJ 10/15/72), presents a collection of her essays and papers on a variety of feminist issues. She discusses patriarchy, psychiatric treatment of women, custody battles, child abuse, women and the criminal justice system, and Camp Sister Spirit, a space in Mississippi created for lesbian women. In one paper she epouses the cause of Mary Beth Whitehead of the Baby M case and in another criticizes Naomi Wolf's Fire with Fire (LJ 1/94) for sounding like "women's magazine advice." A scholar and a radical feminist, Chesler does not equivocate. Recommended for all women's collections in high school, public, and academic libraries.

More by Phyllis Chesler

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?