Reviews for Desiring Revolution: Second-Wave Feminism and the Rewriting of Twentieth-Century American Sexual Thought

The average rating for Desiring Revolution: Second-Wave Feminism and the Rewriting of Twentieth-Century American Sexual Thought based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-04-03 00:00:00 Edward S Smith This is a very specific book that focuses on the way that young, privileged, white, middle-class women understood and utilized sex in the context of the Second Wave. The ideas that the author covers are well-written -- if you can forgive her for the very specific focus of the narrative. Personally, I could have understood this specificity if the text had been more than 195 pages. I was shocked and confused by the brevity of this book. It seems to me, that if the author can condense her argument into such a short text, perhaps she needed to expand her scope a bit. Because of its narrow focus and concise text, this book comes off as essentialist, with minimal discussion of the role of lesbians and women of color during the Second Wave. Overall, this book reminded me a lot of A Vital Force by Anne Taylor Kirschmann. Both books held my interest, but both books were over before they really picked up any steam. Another 100 pages of text could have completely redeemed this narrative. Unfortunately, it comes off as a book that was sent to press before the research was complete.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-08-04 00:00:00 frankie eubanks Dammit, I read the other reviews just now (after having finished the book.) Now I have to write a review since there are only three of them. This is a history book. Gerhard isn't arguing for the rightness or wrongness of any particular strands of feminist thought. I came to read this book trying to understand generational differences in US feminisms that had to be way more complex than the three wave reduction. And so, with that in mind, I thought this book was great. That author is an academic, and though I found this book very readable (ooops, I'm one of those academics, but not a historian. Grain of salt.), I can see how some folks may feel it is dry or less engaging. As per concern about excluding voices, the critique of US mainstream feminisms' whiteness and middle classness was throughout the book. I'm not sure how you cover this history without acknowledging that. Gerhard includes women of color's critiques pre and up-to the Barnard convention setting the stage for a next wave to come. What is absent for me are any voices speaking to trans experience... though I know trans folks were around, I don't know when those critiques were gaining steam or how/when they intersected with feminism. Not sure if Gerhard missed something or if this is just post-82. The last two sections of the book felt rushed to me, though I don't think they were shorter than any other. I just am still scratching my head at the shift to rape/pornography focus with the anti-pornography feminists. What else was going on then politically and economically that made that have some much energy behind it? A benefit of this book: A giant reading list. Gerhard covers major nonfiction texts, as well as novels that would have brought feminism to a larger audience or reflected back to them.