What do you think?
Rate this book
The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off!: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion
A beautifully illustrated collection of Gloria Steinem's most inspirational and outrageous quotes, with an introduction and essays by the feminist activist herself.
For decades--and especially now, in these times of crisis--people around the world have found guidance, humor, and unity in Gloria Steinem's gift for creating quotes that offer hope and inspire action. From her early days as a journalist and feminist activist, Steinem's words have helped generations to empower themselves and work together.
Covering topics from relationships ("Many are looking for the right person. Too few are trying to be the right person.") to the patriarchy ("Men are liked better when they win. Women are liked better when they lose. This is how the patriarchy is enforced every day.") and activism ("Revolutions, like trees, grow from the bottom up."), this is the definitive collection of Steinem's words on what matters most. Steinem sees quotes as "the poetry of everyday life," so she also has included a few favorites from friends, including bell hooks, Flo Kennedy, and Michelle Obama, in this book that will make you want to laugh, march, and create some quotes of your own. In fact, at the end of the book, there's a special space for readers to add their own quotes and others they've found inspiring.
The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off! is both timeless and timely. It is a gift of hope from Steinem to readers, and a book to share with friends.
For decades--and especially now, in these times of crisis--people around the world have found guidance, humor, and unity in Gloria Steinem's gift for creating quotes that offer hope and inspire action. From her early days as a journalist and feminist activist, Steinem's words have helped generations to empower themselves and work together.
Covering topics from relationships ("Many are looking for the right person. Too few are trying to be the right person.") to the patriarchy ("Men are liked better when they win. Women are liked better when they lose. This is how the patriarchy is enforced every day.") and activism ("Revolutions, like trees, grow from the bottom up."), this is the definitive collection of Steinem's words on what matters most. Steinem sees quotes as "the poetry of everyday life," so she also has included a few favorites from friends, including bell hooks, Flo Kennedy, and Michelle Obama, in this book that will make you want to laugh, march, and create some quotes of your own. In fact, at the end of the book, there's a special space for readers to add their own quotes and others they've found inspiring.
The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off! is both timeless and timely. It is a gift of hope from Steinem to readers, and a book to share with friends.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2019
338 people are currently reading
13034 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Steinem
115 books3,228 followersGloria Marie Steinem (born March 25, 1934) is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s. A prominent writer and key counterculture era political figure, Steinem has founded many organizations and projects and has been the recipient of many awards and honors. She was a columnist for New York magazine and co-founded Ms. magazine. In 1969, she published an article, " After Black Power, Women's Liberation", which, along with her early support of abortion rights, catapulted her to national fame as a feminist leader.
In 2005, Steinem worked alongside Jane Fonda and Robin Morgan to co-found the Women's Media Center, an organization that works to amplify the voices of women in the media through advocacy, media and leadership training, and the creation of original content. Steinem currently serves on the board of the organization. She continues to involve herself in politics and media affairs as a commentator, writer, lecturer, and organizer, campaigning for candidates and reforms and publishing books and articles.
In 2005, Steinem worked alongside Jane Fonda and Robin Morgan to co-found the Women's Media Center, an organization that works to amplify the voices of women in the media through advocacy, media and leadership training, and the creation of original content. Steinem currently serves on the board of the organization. She continues to involve herself in politics and media affairs as a commentator, writer, lecturer, and organizer, campaigning for candidates and reforms and publishing books and articles.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 424 reviews
June 24, 2021
This book is a collection of powerful quotes from Gloria Steinem that are worth reading and considering
‘Invading bodies is still less punished than invading property’
‘Invading bodies is still less punished than invading property’
January 3, 2020
Really easy read but it felt more like I'd done a night on Pinterest than actually read a book.
January 14, 2020
I like books made solely of quotes, but I love books made of quotes and essays about issues. Even more so about racism, feminism and etc. Gloria Steinem has the voice of a young 24 year old woman, but she is 85. An I know what I your thinking age shouldn’t matter and I agree wholeheartedly. But when a voice is strong, clear and can relate to a younger generation that is extremely important. I love her and I love how fierce and determined she is to bring human rights to the forefront.
I will definitely be reading more from her.
I will definitely be reading more from her.
March 7, 2023
This was a sort of 50,000 ft level tour of Steinem's life and the concepts that she values, complete with quotes. Some ideas/quotes that resonated with me for Women's History month:
A quick and accessible read with great reminders of strength, resistence and perseverance in this incredibly frought, current state/time in the US.
3.75 Stars
Read on kindle
The less gender-polarized the culture, the lower the degree of violence and the greater the degree of democracy.
No wonder studies show that women’s intellectual self-esteem tends to go down with every year of higher education. We’ve been studying our own absence.
Women are required to be strong, then are punished for our strength.
“Sometimes people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power—not because they don’t see it, but because they see it and don’t want it to exist.”
“If any female feels she needs anything beyond herself to legitimate and validate her existence, she is already giving away her power.” BELL HOOKS
“Your silence will not protect you.” AUDRE LORDE
A quick and accessible read with great reminders of strength, resistence and perseverance in this incredibly frought, current state/time in the US.
3.75 Stars
Read on kindle
January 25, 2020
This is a collection of quotes, adages and pithy advice. Some have brief introductions by its author, Gloria Steinem and illustrations by friends.
The short entries are upbeat, inspiring and empowering.
The audience is women, but the quotes, adages and advice are universally applicable.
I would recommend it as a gift book - perfect for birthdays or graduations.
The short entries are upbeat, inspiring and empowering.
The audience is women, but the quotes, adages and advice are universally applicable.
I would recommend it as a gift book - perfect for birthdays or graduations.
January 13, 2020
4.5 stars rounded down to 4 stars.
The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off by Gloria Steinem is one of those books that manage to be really concise and straightforward yet inspiring and heartfelt. Gloria Steinem is an American feminist, journalist and political activist. She is widely recognized as a leader for the American feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
I have been meaning to read one of her books for a long time. I thought I would start with My Life On The Road that has gathered amazing reviews. But, then I heard about The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off. I didn’t really know what to expect, if I’m being honest. It’s been described as “a beautifully illustrated collection of Gloria Steinem’s most inspirational and outrageous quotes, with an introduction and essays by the feminist activist herself.”
But I said “Hell, yes! Let’s read it! It’s Steinem, after all!”. It’s definitely a beautiful illustrated collection! The quotes are truly inspiring. Steinem is able to put into words my thoughts, reflections, beliefs and fear. Like a true leader, she conveys what’s in our feminist souls. And, the essays are very short but prominent and straight to the point. I mean, I shared a bunch of quotes on my stories and you went crazy: WHAT’S THAT BOOK? THIS IS THE BOOK, BOOKWORMS! THIS IS OUR BOOK, YOU FEMINISTS! Do I recommend it? One thousand times YES! I felt so inspired by it! Like I had the enough strength and trust in myself to give my own speech! And that’s what we need!
Thanks to @murdochbooks for the amazing copy!
For more reviews, follow me on instagram @booksturnyouon
The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off by Gloria Steinem is one of those books that manage to be really concise and straightforward yet inspiring and heartfelt. Gloria Steinem is an American feminist, journalist and political activist. She is widely recognized as a leader for the American feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
I have been meaning to read one of her books for a long time. I thought I would start with My Life On The Road that has gathered amazing reviews. But, then I heard about The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off. I didn’t really know what to expect, if I’m being honest. It’s been described as “a beautifully illustrated collection of Gloria Steinem’s most inspirational and outrageous quotes, with an introduction and essays by the feminist activist herself.”
But I said “Hell, yes! Let’s read it! It’s Steinem, after all!”. It’s definitely a beautiful illustrated collection! The quotes are truly inspiring. Steinem is able to put into words my thoughts, reflections, beliefs and fear. Like a true leader, she conveys what’s in our feminist souls. And, the essays are very short but prominent and straight to the point. I mean, I shared a bunch of quotes on my stories and you went crazy: WHAT’S THAT BOOK? THIS IS THE BOOK, BOOKWORMS! THIS IS OUR BOOK, YOU FEMINISTS! Do I recommend it? One thousand times YES! I felt so inspired by it! Like I had the enough strength and trust in myself to give my own speech! And that’s what we need!
Thanks to @murdochbooks for the amazing copy!
For more reviews, follow me on instagram @booksturnyouon
October 26, 2019
First of all I love the cover, and the illustrations are beautiful! I want so many of them hanging on my walls!
I love this book. I think there are some lovely quotes and I didn’t think it was too heavy or overdone.
There are some great discussion points and I agree with the majority of them.
I love that Gloria discusses the inherent racism that is so often in feminism, and that it doesn’t always completely represent everyone that it should.
I think this is a lovely book you can dip in and out of, share quotes from and have as a coffee table book.
I love this book. I think there are some lovely quotes and I didn’t think it was too heavy or overdone.
There are some great discussion points and I agree with the majority of them.
I love that Gloria discusses the inherent racism that is so often in feminism, and that it doesn’t always completely represent everyone that it should.
I think this is a lovely book you can dip in and out of, share quotes from and have as a coffee table book.
Read
April 13, 2021Gloria Steinem is a role model and someone I have learned from about how to succeed.
She has shown throughout her life that success is achieved through vision, hard work, and, most importantly, determination.
Steinem sees quotes as "the poetry of everyday life", and I agree wholeheartedly. These quotes, her quotes, are so beautiful and profound. I annotated this book like crazy - highlighting and marking every page with sticky notes. These quotes really make you think about your life and how you've led it so far. I don't feel inclined to write a comprehensive 'review' for this book rather than gather a collection of my favorite parts of the book (since the purpose of this book is to gather quotes). I will just say that Steinem has been a role model of mine for a really long time now, and she's an amazing writer. The illustrations by Samantha Dion Baker are also so well-done, and I love the fact that there is a blank space at the end of the book where we can put quotes of our own.
Anyways, here is a non-exhaustive list of my favorite quotes from the book!
❀ "We all need people we trust, who understand us and will tell us when we're messing up, who support us and celebrate when we reach a personal goal. This is our chosen family."
❀ "Revolutions, like trees, grow from the bottom up."
❀ "To write is to bring an inner voice into the outer world, to believe that our thoughts are worth entering the thinking of others, and to make real what has never existed in quite the same way before. What could be a better path to self-value than that?"
❀ "If you have more power than others, remember to listen as much as you talk. If you have less power than others, remember to talk as much as you listen. This is instant democracy."
❀ "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel."
❀ "Promise me that in the next twenty-four hours, you will commit one outrageous act in the cause of justice.
❀ "Make your heart too rebellious for patriarchy to plant itself within you. Make your mind too free for fascism to claim your imagination."
She has shown throughout her life that success is achieved through vision, hard work, and, most importantly, determination.
Steinem sees quotes as "the poetry of everyday life", and I agree wholeheartedly. These quotes, her quotes, are so beautiful and profound. I annotated this book like crazy - highlighting and marking every page with sticky notes. These quotes really make you think about your life and how you've led it so far. I don't feel inclined to write a comprehensive 'review' for this book rather than gather a collection of my favorite parts of the book (since the purpose of this book is to gather quotes). I will just say that Steinem has been a role model of mine for a really long time now, and she's an amazing writer. The illustrations by Samantha Dion Baker are also so well-done, and I love the fact that there is a blank space at the end of the book where we can put quotes of our own.
Anyways, here is a non-exhaustive list of my favorite quotes from the book!
❀ "We all need people we trust, who understand us and will tell us when we're messing up, who support us and celebrate when we reach a personal goal. This is our chosen family."
❀ "Revolutions, like trees, grow from the bottom up."
❀ "To write is to bring an inner voice into the outer world, to believe that our thoughts are worth entering the thinking of others, and to make real what has never existed in quite the same way before. What could be a better path to self-value than that?"
❀ "If you have more power than others, remember to listen as much as you talk. If you have less power than others, remember to talk as much as you listen. This is instant democracy."
❀ "People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel."
❀ "Promise me that in the next twenty-four hours, you will commit one outrageous act in the cause of justice.
❀ "Make your heart too rebellious for patriarchy to plant itself within you. Make your mind too free for fascism to claim your imagination."
March 16, 2020
I’m a sucker for good quotations. But more importantly, I’m a sucker for clear, specific steps to keeping a movement forward. Great recap of many of her pieces of work. A few of my favorite quotes:
“As long as females are valued only for our wombs, we will never be valued for our minds and hearts”
“Voting isn’t the most we can do, but it’s the least”
“Democracy begins with owning our bodies. By that measure, women have rarely lived in a democracy”
“We don’t grow better with age, just more like the unique selves we were born to be before made up gender roles took over our central years”
“Moving beyond words”
“As long as females are valued only for our wombs, we will never be valued for our minds and hearts”
“Voting isn’t the most we can do, but it’s the least”
“Democracy begins with owning our bodies. By that measure, women have rarely lived in a democracy”
“We don’t grow better with age, just more like the unique selves we were born to be before made up gender roles took over our central years”
“Moving beyond words”
January 16, 2023
“A pedestal is as much a prison as any other
small space.”
This was written as a collection of quotes and essays, a style that I found to be slightly disappointing. Steinem goes against organized religion, something i personally disagree with but still found value in her other works on feminist theory and the patriarchy. Great ideas on being part of a movement, rebellion, etc. Not sure it’s the best of its kind but was a good filler.
small space.”
This was written as a collection of quotes and essays, a style that I found to be slightly disappointing. Steinem goes against organized religion, something i personally disagree with but still found value in her other works on feminist theory and the patriarchy. Great ideas on being part of a movement, rebellion, etc. Not sure it’s the best of its kind but was a good filler.
November 10, 2020
Shame he dies in the end.
October 24, 2020
It's a quotebased book where Steinem reflects over some of the quotes of her life (having been a political activist most of her life), both her own and some of her friends.
It feels like a very powerful read!
It feels like a very powerful read!
June 25, 2020
Reading this will fire up your feminist fervour. And make you smile. And make you want to do something. And give you hope.
November 6, 2019
This book is comprised of essays and illustrations of Gloria Steinem’s (and some friends) most inspirational and outrageous quotes. She’s chosen the ones that will be useful in arguments, comforting in bad times, the most inspirational and ones most likely to make you laugh. If you aren’t familiar with her work this is a great introduction. The artwork is wonderful too. This would be a fantastic book to gift this holiday season.
January 9, 2020
I didn't realize this was predominately a quotes collection. I would have been more interested in reading Steinem's thoughts on today's political and cultural environment. We get some of that, but I craved more. Still, there's a reason she has been such a heroine in the feminist movement—her compassion.
May 20, 2020
The title of this had caught my attention and I was curious to read something of Steinem’s, but having it mostly be page after page of short quotes didn’t really resonate for me.
July 11, 2024
3.5
Typically not my type of book. Enjoyed it. The quotes and drawings in it.
Typically not my type of book. Enjoyed it. The quotes and drawings in it.
March 26, 2020
Fabulous! Gloria Steinem has been fighting the fight for decades and her continued involvement bodes well for the continuation of the movement for women's rights. Too many great quotes to list here, but I will refer to this book often! "Each quote is an entry in the diary of humankind." Thanks, Ms. Steinem!
"The voting booth is the one place on earth where the least powerful and the most powerful are equal."
"There can be no true democracy with racism and without feminism."
"Your daughters are watching you."
"Don't change women to fit the world; change the world to fit women."
"The voting booth is the one place on earth where the least powerful and the most powerful are equal."
"There can be no true democracy with racism and without feminism."
"Your daughters are watching you."
"Don't change women to fit the world; change the world to fit women."
March 14, 2020
I didn’t realize this was a book mostly made up of quotes, which I was mildly disappointed by since I prefer narrative structure. Nevertheless, I appreciated the powerful words and explanations provided by a wise, considerate, and amazing woman.
March 20, 2024
I knew going into this book it was going to be on the lighter side of feminism and filled with quotes. I enjoyed it! It felt inspiring and uplifting and made me laugh out loud many times. I love anything Gloria Steinem.
September 23, 2020
Absolutely amazing and powerful! I will be reading this again and again and again
July 10, 2022
Endlessly inspiring, although not entirely fleshed out
July 17, 2021
*It’s not only that racism is all around us, it’s that racism is in us."
I have loved, followed and met Ms Steinem on numerous occasions in my lifetime. This is the one book I don't own of hers ( this is. a library copy). I enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it
I have loved, followed and met Ms Steinem on numerous occasions in my lifetime. This is the one book I don't own of hers ( this is. a library copy). I enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it
October 21, 2021
I love a quote and this book was full of good ones to inspire hope and activism. I wish there were more essays to understand how to start and keep the feminist movement going strong.
“Hate generalizes, love specifies.” -Robin Morgan
“There is always one true inner voice: Trust it!” - Gloria Steinem
“Hate generalizes, love specifies.” -Robin Morgan
“There is always one true inner voice: Trust it!” - Gloria Steinem
February 12, 2020
really enjoyed this! review to come soon.
—
thank you to Times Reads for a wonderfully kick ass feminist read!
—
thank you to Times Reads for a wonderfully kick ass feminist read!
August 6, 2020
Thank you for making the world a better place
September 27, 2022
“feel the fear and do it anyway”
“for women the only alternative to being feminist is being a masochist”
are just two of the MANY quotes throughout this book, i’ve never read a quote book, but i loved this and it was certainly inspirational <3 love gloria
4.79
“for women the only alternative to being feminist is being a masochist”
are just two of the MANY quotes throughout this book, i’ve never read a quote book, but i loved this and it was certainly inspirational <3 love gloria
4.79
February 29, 2020
I had the distinct pleasure of sitting in the front row at the 2020 Distinguished Carlson Lecture: An Evening with Gloria Steinem recently. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Steinem is definitely one of my heroes! As soon as I got home, I ordered a couple of her books, including "The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It will Piss You Off!: Thoughts on Life, Love, and Rebellion." Much of what she covered in her interview with MPR host, Keri Miller, can be found in the pages of this book.
Thoughts:
1. The book is a collection of quotes - both her own and those of her friends - and short pieces organized loosely into chapters such as "Families Born and Chosen" and "Among Co-conspirators and Adversaries."
2. This is definitely a bedside table book. Though I read it quickly, I could definitely go back several times and reread, consume, and contemplate each of the quotes and short pieces included in the book.
3. Some of my favorites:
- p. xi - "A quote can turn a tweet into a haiku because it evokes a story. Indeed, if you poured water on a quote, it would become a story. 'Tell me a fact and I'll forget,' as a Native American quote goes, 'but tell me a story and I'll always remember.'"
- p.xvii - "...if there were a Nobel Prize for the right quote at the right time, it would go to Michelle Obama for saying to the whole country, 'When they go low, we go high.' We don't win by imitating what we're against."
- p.xxiii - "A quote is the essence of a story. We all need stories to convey ideas, justice, anger, humanity, hope, laughter, learning, and whatever makes us understand or feel understood. We all need words that tell our own story."
- p. 4 - "Dorothy Dinnerstein, a very wise philosopher, once said that a crucial purpose of birth families is to make sure we know, value, and even love people we don't agree with. Learning to accept and even love difference, as she pointed out, is important for the future of the human race. There is great comfort in realizing that differences within a family have an important purpose."
- p. 7 - Robin Morgan - "'The personal is political.'"
- p. 9 - "The less gender-polarized the culture, the lower the degree of violence and the greater degree of democracy."
- p. 15 - "As long as females are valued only for our wombs, we will never be valued for our minds and hearts."
- p.17 - "...when 'mother' is a verb- as in to be mothered and to mother - ah, then the very best of human possibilities come into our imaginations."
- p. 19 - "We need to learn across generations that there is as much to learn as there is to teach."
- p. 23 - "Democracy begins in the family. But really, we could change 'Democracy' to 'Violence,' 'Empathy' - anything. What happens in the family doesn't stay in the family. And I don't just mean the biological family, I mean whoever we live with and trust. If that trust is broken by violence or abuse, it takes generations to heal."
- p.26 - "It's not only that we live in a patriarchy, it's that patriarchy lives in us."
- p. 32 - "Women are not going to be equal outside the home until men are equal inside it."
- p. 44 - "Women may be the only group that grows more radical with age."
- p. 46 - "As Carolyn Heilbrun explained so well in 'Writing a Woman's Life,' a woman may become a completely different person after fifty."
- p. 49 "I'm beginning to realize the pleasure of being a nothing-to-lose, take-no-shit older woman." (I could not agree more!)
- p. 61 - "Promise me that in the next twenty-four hours, you will commit one outrageous act in the cause of justice. It could be as simple as saying, 'Pick it up yourself,' or as radical as telling each other our salaries. And if you do, I promise you two things: First, the world will be better by the very next day. Second, you will have such a good time that you will never again wake up saying, 'Will I do an outrageous act?' Only, 'Which outrageous act will I do today?'"
- p. 63 - "There are black doctors and doctors and women novelists and novelists. Any less powerful group gets the adjective, while the powerful group takes the noun. The less powerful group usually knows the more powerful one much better than vice versa. People of color have to understand white people in order to survive; women have had to know men. Only the powerful group can afford to regard the less powerful one as a mystery."
- p. 73 - "Feel the fear - and do it anyway (speak up).
- p. 76 - "If you feel yourself drawn to an event against all logic, go. The universe is telling you something." (That is soooo true!)
- p. 78 - Indira Gandhi - "My grandfather told me that there were two kinds of people - those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition."
- p. 85 - "We can't always know what bruise from the past is making a current touch painful."
- p. 87 - "People in the same room can understand and empathize with each other in a way that isn't possible on the page or screen. I am happy that you are reading this book, but I hope you will also put the book down and spend at least as much time talking and listening to the stories of other human beings. We need to be together to empathize, and our minds are organized by narratives. We haven't been telling stories around campfires for hundreds of thousands of years for nothing."- p. 87 - "People in the same room can understand and empathize with each other in a way that isn't possible on the page or screen. I am happy that you are reading this book, but I hope you will also put the book down and spend at least as much time talking and listening to the stories of other human beings. We need to be together to empathize, and our minds are organized by narratives. We haven't been telling stories around campfires for hundreds of thousands of years for nothing." (The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off by Gloria Steinem - p. 87)
- p. 102 - “Beware of any motto that glorifies the past. It’s code for restoring hierarchy. For example: ‘Make America great again.’”
- p. 109 - “There is still no ‘right’ way to be a woman in public power without being considered a you-know-what. Said another way: A woman who aspires to be something will be called a bitch.”
- p. 112 - “Women are required to be strong, then are punished for our strength.”
- p. 119 - “Sometime people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power - not because they don’t see it, but because they see it and don’t want it to exist.”
- p. 130 - Woman taxi driver quoted by Flo Kennedy and Gloria Steinem - "If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament."
- p. 147 - "Every movement has come from people sharing their stories."
- p. 149 - "The source of every social justice movement is people sitting in circles saying the unsayable thing - and discovering it's happened to other people, too. If you come together, you can change it."
- p. 125 - "Had enough of Trumpian tweets? Remember the past tense of 'tweet' is 'twat.'"
- p. 125 - "The art of saying 'fuck' is to put it in the middle of a word, as in: 'Fan-fucking-tastic!'
- p. 125 - If movies about relationships are called 'chick flicks,' why aren't movies about violence called 'prick flicks'?"
Anyway, "The Truth Will Set You Free" is full of important reminders, things to chew on, and inspiration. A good read.
Thoughts:
1. The book is a collection of quotes - both her own and those of her friends - and short pieces organized loosely into chapters such as "Families Born and Chosen" and "Among Co-conspirators and Adversaries."
2. This is definitely a bedside table book. Though I read it quickly, I could definitely go back several times and reread, consume, and contemplate each of the quotes and short pieces included in the book.
3. Some of my favorites:
- p. xi - "A quote can turn a tweet into a haiku because it evokes a story. Indeed, if you poured water on a quote, it would become a story. 'Tell me a fact and I'll forget,' as a Native American quote goes, 'but tell me a story and I'll always remember.'"
- p.xvii - "...if there were a Nobel Prize for the right quote at the right time, it would go to Michelle Obama for saying to the whole country, 'When they go low, we go high.' We don't win by imitating what we're against."
- p.xxiii - "A quote is the essence of a story. We all need stories to convey ideas, justice, anger, humanity, hope, laughter, learning, and whatever makes us understand or feel understood. We all need words that tell our own story."
- p. 4 - "Dorothy Dinnerstein, a very wise philosopher, once said that a crucial purpose of birth families is to make sure we know, value, and even love people we don't agree with. Learning to accept and even love difference, as she pointed out, is important for the future of the human race. There is great comfort in realizing that differences within a family have an important purpose."
- p. 7 - Robin Morgan - "'The personal is political.'"
- p. 9 - "The less gender-polarized the culture, the lower the degree of violence and the greater degree of democracy."
- p. 15 - "As long as females are valued only for our wombs, we will never be valued for our minds and hearts."
- p.17 - "...when 'mother' is a verb- as in to be mothered and to mother - ah, then the very best of human possibilities come into our imaginations."
- p. 19 - "We need to learn across generations that there is as much to learn as there is to teach."
- p. 23 - "Democracy begins in the family. But really, we could change 'Democracy' to 'Violence,' 'Empathy' - anything. What happens in the family doesn't stay in the family. And I don't just mean the biological family, I mean whoever we live with and trust. If that trust is broken by violence or abuse, it takes generations to heal."
- p.26 - "It's not only that we live in a patriarchy, it's that patriarchy lives in us."
- p. 32 - "Women are not going to be equal outside the home until men are equal inside it."
- p. 44 - "Women may be the only group that grows more radical with age."
- p. 46 - "As Carolyn Heilbrun explained so well in 'Writing a Woman's Life,' a woman may become a completely different person after fifty."
- p. 49 "I'm beginning to realize the pleasure of being a nothing-to-lose, take-no-shit older woman." (I could not agree more!)
- p. 61 - "Promise me that in the next twenty-four hours, you will commit one outrageous act in the cause of justice. It could be as simple as saying, 'Pick it up yourself,' or as radical as telling each other our salaries. And if you do, I promise you two things: First, the world will be better by the very next day. Second, you will have such a good time that you will never again wake up saying, 'Will I do an outrageous act?' Only, 'Which outrageous act will I do today?'"
- p. 63 - "There are black doctors and doctors and women novelists and novelists. Any less powerful group gets the adjective, while the powerful group takes the noun. The less powerful group usually knows the more powerful one much better than vice versa. People of color have to understand white people in order to survive; women have had to know men. Only the powerful group can afford to regard the less powerful one as a mystery."
- p. 73 - "Feel the fear - and do it anyway (speak up).
- p. 76 - "If you feel yourself drawn to an event against all logic, go. The universe is telling you something." (That is soooo true!)
- p. 78 - Indira Gandhi - "My grandfather told me that there were two kinds of people - those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition."
- p. 85 - "We can't always know what bruise from the past is making a current touch painful."
- p. 87 - "People in the same room can understand and empathize with each other in a way that isn't possible on the page or screen. I am happy that you are reading this book, but I hope you will also put the book down and spend at least as much time talking and listening to the stories of other human beings. We need to be together to empathize, and our minds are organized by narratives. We haven't been telling stories around campfires for hundreds of thousands of years for nothing."- p. 87 - "People in the same room can understand and empathize with each other in a way that isn't possible on the page or screen. I am happy that you are reading this book, but I hope you will also put the book down and spend at least as much time talking and listening to the stories of other human beings. We need to be together to empathize, and our minds are organized by narratives. We haven't been telling stories around campfires for hundreds of thousands of years for nothing." (The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off by Gloria Steinem - p. 87)
- p. 102 - “Beware of any motto that glorifies the past. It’s code for restoring hierarchy. For example: ‘Make America great again.’”
- p. 109 - “There is still no ‘right’ way to be a woman in public power without being considered a you-know-what. Said another way: A woman who aspires to be something will be called a bitch.”
- p. 112 - “Women are required to be strong, then are punished for our strength.”
- p. 119 - “Sometime people try to destroy you, precisely because they recognize your power - not because they don’t see it, but because they see it and don’t want it to exist.”
- p. 130 - Woman taxi driver quoted by Flo Kennedy and Gloria Steinem - "If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament."
- p. 147 - "Every movement has come from people sharing their stories."
- p. 149 - "The source of every social justice movement is people sitting in circles saying the unsayable thing - and discovering it's happened to other people, too. If you come together, you can change it."
- p. 125 - "Had enough of Trumpian tweets? Remember the past tense of 'tweet' is 'twat.'"
- p. 125 - "The art of saying 'fuck' is to put it in the middle of a word, as in: 'Fan-fucking-tastic!'
- p. 125 - If movies about relationships are called 'chick flicks,' why aren't movies about violence called 'prick flicks'?"
Anyway, "The Truth Will Set You Free" is full of important reminders, things to chew on, and inspiration. A good read.
August 18, 2022
It was mostly 'quotes' that she made up herself, some just general observations about the world. Honestly as much as she tries to make it intersectional and acknowledges intersectionality, a lot of this is white feminist circle-jerking. There aren't any mentions of trans women or nonbinary people and she says 'half the population' a few times. Even in the bits where there is actual writings, a lot of it is faux inspirational or just feel-good stories from her time as an activist. Which isn't necessarily bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting when I saw the book. 2 stars because it was fine, I guess. Maybe I'm a little cynical when I want everything to be hyper-radical, but this was a little disappointing.
August 10, 2020
2.5 Stars.
I bought this book mostly for its title, because it just sounds totally cool. The book itself was, however, was only okay. I didn't expect it to be mostly a compilation of quotes (yes, it's written on the back, but not on the front, so not entirely my fault for missing that) and the handful of essays inside, while well-written and imparting some information and knowledge, aren't revolutionary or especially "new" in content. I honestly expected a more from this, depth-wise, but I think its a quick and easy read for newbies to feminism.
I bought this book mostly for its title, because it just sounds totally cool. The book itself was, however, was only okay. I didn't expect it to be mostly a compilation of quotes (yes, it's written on the back, but not on the front, so not entirely my fault for missing that) and the handful of essays inside, while well-written and imparting some information and knowledge, aren't revolutionary or especially "new" in content. I honestly expected a more from this, depth-wise, but I think its a quick and easy read for newbies to feminism.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 424 reviews