Our Shared Shelf discussion

What do you think about the book suggested by Emma?

I've really enjoyed it-such a fascinating woman.

Mary wrote: "I've really enjoyed it-such a fascinating woman."
Thank you Mary :D

I'm totally in love with it. It's an amazing read. I feel good :D

I didn't know what to expect but I really enjoy it! Lots of things to take away and apply to my own life.

Weston wrote: "I didn't know what to expect but I really enjoy it! Lots of things to take away and apply to my own life."

Kunal wrote: "I'm totally in love with it. It's an amazing read. I feel good :D"

I can't wait now to read my copy!
Thank you :D

I liked it, especially the last few stories about Native culture. When I told my mom I was reading the book, she told me she's met Ms. Steinem. So, that was pretty cool.

I liked it, especially the last few stories about Native culture. When I told my mom I was reading the book, she told me she's met Ms. Steinem. So, that was pretty cool.

I've finished the book already, and I've learned so much that I will never be the same, or view feminism in the same light again.

I learned so much. My life on the Road should be a history book for schools on how to unlearn so much of history that was designed to keep women down.

This was honestly one of the best books ever. Gloria is an inspiration, and this book is very reflective of that. She's honest, funny, smart, and humble. You see she makes mistakes, but also that she acknowledges them. Her stories are great, and she has a lot of ideas that shift the way you look at some topics. I also really enjoyed the last part of the book, which focuses mainly on Native culture.

Nicole wrote: "This was honestly one of the best books ever. Gloria is an inspiration, and this book is very reflective of that. She's honest, funny, smart, and humble. You see she makes mistakes, but also that s..."

Barney wrote: "I learned so much. My life on the Road should be a history book for schools on how to unlearn so much of history that was designed to keep women down."

oh my Gosh, Thank you guys :DDD

It's so inspiring, totally loving it. I do agree it should be read in school, mandatory for any girl or boy building their character.

I did not know what to expect either, I just got the book yesterday and after reading the introduction and the first few chapters I'm hooked. I love that's it's about her travels and her freedom that she knows so well.
The way she describes life on the road is so insightful and it's really kind of opened my eyes to what else is out there. One of the first things that really caught my attention that she said in the first chapter, "perhaps our need to escape into media is a misplaced desire for the journey."
I never would have thought of it that way and yet is makes so much sense. I'm excited to get deeper into this read.

Excited to start reading

Me too Lori!! x

Just started reading it tonight. Steinem's writing style is so expressive it's like reading a spoken account. I will be eagerly trying to fit in the time to complete reading.

It is different, of course, from her earlier writing...perspective and 20/20 hindsight. It is such a good look at where she's been and what she's learned. I highly suggest you also read some of her earlier books that discuss patriarchy more specifically. Understanding patriarchy is a process in and of itself and is the root of most other discussions.

I'm getting ready to dive into chapter IV, and what's struck me the most so far is the way Ms. Steinem weaves other people's stories into her own. I enjoy the emphasis on how interconnected we all are and the idea that we can find common ground across cultures, across languages, and right across the aisle.

I'm reading it right now (yeah, a little behind) and I must say that I really am enjoying it. This is something that I would have never read on my own had it not been for this group.

Book: My Life on the Road
Author: Gloria Steinem
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

This is another Our Shared Shelf book. I will admit that I had never heard of Gloria Steinem or this book until I joined the group. I will say that it is worth the read and must read for anyone interested in women's studies.

What I really enjoyed about this book was how down to earth Gloria wrote. This book was filled with tales about her travels on the road and all of the people she meets. I will be honest I was expecting to get a lecture on feminism, but ended up being presently surprised that I didn't. However, this book really did make me pay attention. There was just something about Gloria's writing style that really made me listen. While I may not agree with every aspect of feminism, this was just one of those books that stuck out to me and made me stand back and really look at our world.

I really did like how this book addressed so many issues in American society. While I was familiar with some of the events and people, Martin Luther King, Jr., JFK, and Hilary Clinton, it was very refreshing to learn about new things. I was very pleased to learn about things that are not common knowledge, such as all of the women's conference she mentions. My only regret with these events was that they were not really placed in any kind of order. Everything just seemed to be thrown all together.

I really did like how personal this was. Gloria writes and speaks from the heart, which must be a difficult thing for anyone to do. She really got me thinking and noticing a bunch of things that I would have never picked up on. For example, I never noticed how differently the media presented Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Though I really am not a supporter of either one of those women, it just got me thinking. Why do we insist on making women an item instead of looking at the entire person? Why must a woman have to look good in order to matter in society?

One thing that I do really admire Gloria for is that during the course of this entire book, she did not once bash men. This is part of the reason why some many of female friends will not support feminism, no matter how many times you try to tell them otherwise. Feminism is about equality for all women. I do think that if we had equality between both genders, then everyone will have more freedom. Equality cannot be achieved if both genders hate each other, which I do think is something that many people do not understand.
I will say that this is a wonderful and thought provoking read. Anyone interested in women's studies will enjoy this one for sure!

This was my first book with OSS, and I just finished it not all that long ago (my to-read list feels never ending!). I was SO impressed with this book, and I feel like that's saying a lot, since I'm so.. analytical about everything I read. I like to pick it apart, and examine all of it's layers. This book did not disappoint in the least. I was so thrilled that this book caused me to pause, re-read certain passages, and caused me to reevaluate things that I normally wouldn't have really thought twice about. Thank you so much for suggesting this read, Emma. I had never heard of Ms. Steinem before, and wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into, but it was so worth it. I don't make a habit of rereading things that I have already read, but I could see me wanting to pick this up again years in the future.

This book has shaped me - in the way, that as a freelance journalist, you can kinda make not only your living, but your life.

If you want to rock, you can. You sure as hell can:)

I have just begun reading this book and I am really enjoying it so far.

I was a bit hesitant at first because of the comment she made about women voting for Bernie Sanders only to get to boys. It was really offensive to me and it just left me thinking...how could a feminist say such a thing? Why should I vote for a woman, Hillary Clinton, only because she is a woman and not because I agree with her policies? As if all young American women were uninformed voters.

Any opinions about this?

I think Steinham expressed herself badly in that interview, but I do have to say a couple of things about it, because I did see the interview and its not exactly as it sometimes gets portrayed. Maher asked her why younger women seemed to be going for Sanders over Clinton and she said that his economic arguments made sense to younger women because they are angry about the rising cost of college and the amount of debt they have to carry for their education and the difficulty in finding good jobs. Then he keeps pushing her on why young women prefer Sanders and she says this dumb thing about boys and then he says if I said that you'd yell at me and she says basically come on, you know that's not what I meant its the same for the boys...

So yeah, she put her foot in it a bit. And I do think she was being a bit condescending - although earlier in the same interview she said she thought young women were more activist than she was as a young woman, and that every generation fights the battles for what affects them in their time. But the point she was trying to make (not very well) is that Sanders' rallies are exciting and young people are finding each other and their political voice there. Not that girls are just going there to meet boys.

Plus she did apologize afterward and say that she expressed her point badly and didn't mean that at all. She's 82 years old and she had a moment of duh and apologized for it. Not exactly enough to tarnish a lifetime of activism, at least in my eyes.

Serena wrote: "I'm reading it right now (yeah, a little behind) and I must say that I really am enjoying it. This is something that I would have never read on my own had it not been for this group."
I wouldn't have either. And I must say that every student in high school should read this book, even in Austria. It teaches so much, not only on History but also on life.

Sandy wrote: "It is different, of course, from her earlier writing...perspective and 20/20 hindsight. It is such a good look at where she's been and what she's learned. I highly suggest you also read some of her..."

I think I am going to read at least one more book of Gloria's, she's rocking History. Honestly, I envy her for where she was able to be - Martin Luther King, Jr, Houston, and all the people she was able to meet and befried with. Wilma Mankiller must have been a very impressive person.