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Politics & Society » Gender

Most Recommended Books

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

“It’s a very traumatic book, it illustrates a lot of problems of cross-gender, or gender-variant, living at the time.”

Juliet Jacques, Journalist

Read more

The Essential Difference by Simon Baron-Cohen

“This is one of the best popular books on the evolved sex differences in the brain. It explains how and why men’s and women’s brains have their distinct strengths and weaknesses.”

Satoshi Kanazawa, Psychologist

Read more

Browse book recommendations:

Politics & Society

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Well over 200 years after Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women, gender politics remain a minefield.  Our interviews will help you navigate your way, recommending the best books on gender from every angle.

Some look at women’s experience in particular conditions. Professor Athene Donald chooses her best books on women in society and author Gayle Lemmon looks at women and war. Historian Helen Castor, meanwhile, chooses her best books on queens and power.

Some of our interviews are of a scientific bent. Science journalist Angela Saini chooses her best books on the scientific differences between women and men and Professor Carol Gilligan chooses her best books on gender and human nature. Others look at gender from a more political angle. Feminist biographer Susan Ware discusses women’s suffrage and Bidisha, writer, feminist and critic, talks about gender politics. Erica Jong chooses her best books on women in society. Maria Sveland, author of Bitter Bitch, in her interview on feminism discusses where equality is yet to be won.

Peggy Orenstein, author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter, talks about the gender trap. Eric Berkowitz in his interview on sex and society talks about the perennial attempts by all societies to control people’s sexuality. Lastly, Kate Bornstein chooses her best books on gender outlaws.

    The best books on Women’s Suffrage, recommended by Susan Ware

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    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - The Myth of Seneca Falls by Lisa Tetrault

    1

    The Myth of Seneca Falls
    by Lisa Tetrault

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    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - The Concise History of Woman Suffrage by Mari Jo Buhle & Paul Buhle

    2

    The Concise History of Woman Suffrage
    by Mari Jo Buhle & Paul Buhle

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    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830-1900 by Martha S. Jones

    3

    All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830-1900
    by Martha S. Jones

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    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss

    4

    The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote
    by Elaine Weiss

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    The best books on Women’s Suffrage - The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States by Alexander Keyssar

    5

    The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States
    by Alexander Keyssar

The best books on Women’s Suffrage, recommended by Susan Ware

How many suffragists can you name? Feminist historian Susan Ware, author of a new history of the American women’s suffrage movement, urges us to remember how important suffrage was in the fight for women’s rights, on the cusp of its US centennial—and reveals the story of women getting the right to vote didn’t just begin at Seneca Falls.

    The best books on Gender Politics, recommended by Bidisha

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    The best books on Gender Politics - Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality by Gail Dines

    1

    Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality
    by Gail Dines

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    The best books on Gender Politics - Pimp State: Sex, Money and the Future of Equality by Kat Banyard

    2

    Pimp State: Sex, Money and the Future of Equality
    by Kat Banyard

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    The best books on Gender Politics - Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger by Soraya Chemaly

    3

    Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger
    by Soraya Chemaly

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    The best books on Gender Politics - Living a Feminist Life by Sara Ahmed

    4

    Living a Feminist Life
    by Sara Ahmed

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    The best books on Gender Politics - What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape by Sohaila Abdulali

    5

    What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape
    by Sohaila Abdulali

The best books on Gender Politics, recommended by Bidisha

The 21st century has seen an explosion of feminist activism, with movements like #MeToo and the Women’s March. Accompanying this heightened attention to the lived experience of women, several extraordinary books have been published. Writer, feminist, critic and broadcaster Bidisha selects the best ones.

    The Best of Trans Literature, recommended by Susan Stryker

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    The Best of Trans Literature - Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg

    1

    Confessions of the Fox
    by Jordy Rosenberg

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    The Best of Trans Literature - I've Got a Time Bomb by Sybil Lamb

    2

    I've Got a Time Bomb
    by Sybil Lamb

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    The Best of Trans Literature - Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C Riley Snorton

    3

    Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity
    by C Riley Snorton

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    The Best of Trans Literature - Histories of the Transgender Child by Julian Gill-Peterson

    4

    Histories of the Transgender Child
    by Julian Gill-Peterson

  • Read
    The Best of Trans Literature - Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility edited by Reina Gossett, Eric A Stanley and Johanna Burton

    5

    Trap Door: Trans Cultural Production and the Politics of Visibility
    edited by Reina Gossett, Eric A Stanley and Johanna Burton

The Best of Trans Literature, recommended by Susan Stryker

Many of the current controversies over trans rights and identities derive from false beliefs, explains the author and academic Susan Stryker. Here she selects five excellent contemporary trans titles with depth, complexity and heart, to help us reframe what has all too often become a toxic debate

    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men, recommended by Angela Saini

  • Read
    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - A Lab of One’s Own: Science and Suffrage in the First World War by Patricia Fara

    1

    A Lab of One’s Own: Science and Suffrage in the First World War
    by Patricia Fara

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    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - Eve to Evolution: Darwin, Science, and Women's Rights in Gilded Age America by Kimberly Hamlin

    2

    Eve to Evolution: Darwin, Science, and Women's Rights in Gilded Age America
    by Kimberly Hamlin

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    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer by Sue Nelson

    3

    Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer
    by Sue Nelson

  • Read
    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - The Woman That Never Evolved by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

    4

    The Woman That Never Evolved
    by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

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    The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men - The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal by Desmond Morris

    5

    The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal
    by Desmond Morris

The best books on Scientific Differences between Women and Men, recommended by Angela Saini

Consideration of differences between men and women has been obscured by centuries of biological essentialism, argues Angela Saini – author of Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong. Here she discusses five books that examine or demonstrate the misogynistic lens through which female capability has been viewed.

    The best books on Alternative Futures, recommended by Catherine Mayer

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

    1

    Brave New World
    by Aldous Huxley

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Idoru by William Gibson

    2

    Idoru
    by William Gibson

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

    3

    The Left Hand of Darkness
    by Ursula Le Guin

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

    4

    Binti
    by Nnedi Okorafor

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    The best books on Alternative Futures - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

    5

    The Handmaid's Tale
    by Margaret Atwood

The best books on Alternative Futures, recommended by Catherine Mayer

Catherine Mayer—author, journalist and president of the Women’s Equality Party—talks to Five Books about her optimism for a more equal future for society by way of her favourite science fiction visionaries and their work.

    The Best Autofiction, recommended by Juliet Jacques

  • Read
    The Best Autofiction - Trawl by B. S. Johnson

    1

    Trawl
    by B. S. Johnson

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    The Best Autofiction - Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

    2

    Stone Butch Blues
    by Leslie Feinberg

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    The Best Autofiction - I Love Dick by Chris Kraus

    3

    I Love Dick
    by Chris Kraus

  • Read
    The Best Autofiction - How Should A Person Be? by Sheila Heti

    4

    How Should A Person Be?
    by Sheila Heti

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    The Best Autofiction - I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Lagercrantz

    5

    I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic
    by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Lagercrantz

The Best Autofiction, recommended by Juliet Jacques

Autofiction is writing that blurs the boundaries between autobiography and fiction. The writer of Trans: A Memoir, Juliet Jacques, picks her top five examples of the genre.

    The best books on Women and Work, recommended by Myra Strober

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    The best books on Women and Work - Getting to 50/50: How Working Parents Can Have It All by Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober

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    Getting to 50/50: How Working Parents Can Have It All
    by Sharon Meers and Joanna Strober

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    The best books on Women and Work - A Grand Gender Convergence: Its Last Chapter by Claudia Goldin

    2

    A Grand Gender Convergence: Its Last Chapter
    by Claudia Goldin

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    The best books on Women and Work - Tempered Radicals by Debra E Meyerson

    3

    Tempered Radicals
    by Debra E Meyerson

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    The best books on Women and Work - Behind the Kitchen Door by Sarumathi Jayaraman

    4

    Behind the Kitchen Door
    by Sarumathi Jayaraman

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    The best books on Women and Work - Living Wages, Equal Wages: Gender and Labour Market Policies in the United States by Deborah M. Figart and Ellen Mutari and Marilyn Power

    5

    Living Wages, Equal Wages: Gender and Labour Market Policies in the United States
    by Deborah M. Figart and Ellen Mutari and Marilyn Power

The best books on Women and Work, recommended by Myra Strober

Despite having slightly higher education levels, women working full-time in the US still only earn 79% of what men do. Stanford economist and author of Sharing the Work, Myra Strober, picks the best books—and one article—that explain the gender wage gap, and, more importantly, show us what we can do about it.

    The best books on Popular Culture, recommended by Susan Bordo

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    The best books on Popular Culture - The Age of Movies: Selected Writings of Pauline Kael by Pauline Kael

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    The Age of Movies: Selected Writings of Pauline Kael
    by Pauline Kael

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    The best books on Popular Culture - Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media by Susan J. Douglas

    2

    Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media
    by Susan J. Douglas

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    The best books on Popular Culture - The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America by Daniel J. Boorstin

    3

    The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America
    by Daniel J. Boorstin

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    The best books on Popular Culture - On Photography by Susan Sontag

    4

    On Photography
    by Susan Sontag

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    The best books on Popular Culture - Maus by Art Spiegelman

    5

    Maus
    by Art Spiegelman

The best books on Popular Culture, recommended by Susan Bordo

Popular culture shapes our fantasies, our expectations and our beliefs about what is real, argues Susan Bordo. She picks five books that shed light on popular culture.

    The best books on Feminism, recommended by Maria Sveland

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    The best books on Feminism - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

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    Mrs Dalloway
    by Virginia Woolf

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    The best books on Feminism - Fear of Flying by Erica Jong

    2

    Fear of Flying
    by Erica Jong

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    The best books on Feminism - The Women’s Room by Marilyn French

    3

    The Women’s Room
    by Marilyn French

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    The best books on Feminism - The Terror Dream by Susan Faludi

    4

    The Terror Dream
    by Susan Faludi

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    The best books on Feminism - Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

    5

    Wetlands
    by Charlotte Roche

The best books on Feminism, recommended by Maria Sveland

The feminist author chooses liberating literature for women, from Virginia Woolf to Erica Jong. She says that men still don’t share equal responsibility in the home, and that life after divorce can be easier.

    The best books on Gender and Human Nature, recommended by Carol Gilligan

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - The Feeling of What Happens by Antonio Damasio

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    The Feeling of What Happens
    by Antonio Damasio

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - Deep Secrets by Niobe Way

    2

    Deep Secrets
    by Niobe Way

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - Mothers and Others by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

    3

    Mothers and Others
    by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    4

    The Scarlet Letter
    by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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    The best books on Gender and Human Nature - Living in Denial by Kari Marie Norgaard

    5

    Living in Denial
    by Kari Marie Norgaard

The best books on Gender and Human Nature, recommended by Carol Gilligan

The idea that girls are emotional and “boys don’t cry” is ridiculous, says the feminist and psychologist. She tells us about books that debunk the gender myths that continue to restrict and distort our lives.

    The best books on Women in Society, recommended by Erica Jong

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    The best books on Women in Society - Of Woman Born by Adrienne Rich

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    Of Woman Born
    by Adrienne Rich

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    The best books on Women in Society - The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer

    2

    The Female Eunuch
    by Germaine Greer

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    The best books on Women in Society - The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing

    3

    The Golden Notebook
    by Doris Lessing

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    The best books on Women in Society - Frankenstein (Book) by Mary Shelley

    4

    Frankenstein (Book)
    by Mary Shelley

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    The best books on Women in Society - The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

    5

    The Second Sex
    by Simone de Beauvoir

The best books on Women in Society, recommended by Erica Jong

The celebrated feminist gives us her view of essential reading for women – and says the gender revolution is far from over

    The best books on Women in Science, recommended by Athene Donald

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    The best books on Women in Science - In a Different Voice by Carol Gilligan

    1

    In a Different Voice
    by Carol Gilligan

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    The best books on Women in Science - Whistling Vivaldi by Claude Steele

    2

    Whistling Vivaldi
    by Claude Steele

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    The best books on Women in Science - A Voice For Now by Anne Dickson

    3

    A Voice For Now
    by Anne Dickson

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    The best books on Women in Science - Reflections on Gender and Science by Evelyn Fox Keller

    4

    Reflections on Gender and Science
    by Evelyn Fox Keller

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    The best books on Women in Science - Dorothy Hodgkin by Georgina Ferry

    5

    Dorothy Hodgkin
    by Georgina Ferry

The best books on Women in Science, recommended by Athene Donald

Award-winning British physicist, Athene Donald, tells us how to fight preconceived ideas about gender and suggests reading that could inspire women to pursue careers in science.

    The best books on Sex and Society, recommended by Eric Berkowitz

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    The best books on Sex and Society - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

    1

    The Picture of Dorian Gray
    by Oscar Wilde

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    The best books on Sex and Society - Disorder in the Court by George Robb and Nancy Erber (editors)

    2

    Disorder in the Court
    by George Robb and Nancy Erber (editors)

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Society - The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman

    3

    The Children’s Hour
    by Lillian Hellman

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Society - Roman Sexualities by Judith P Hallett and Marilyn B Skinner (editors)

    4

    Roman Sexualities
    by Judith P Hallett and Marilyn B Skinner (editors)

  • Read
    The best books on Sex and Society - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    5

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    by Harper Lee

The best books on Sex and Society, recommended by Eric Berkowitz

For thousands of years, human societies have tried to regulate sexual activity. The author of Sex and Punishment tells us why this should be so, and how what’s permissible has varied according to time and place.

    The best books on Gender Outlaws, recommended by Kate Bornstein

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Outlaws - Mother Camp by Esther Newton

    1

    Mother Camp
    by Esther Newton

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Outlaws - Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

    2

    Stone Butch Blues
    by Leslie Feinberg

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Outlaws - The Sandman by Dirk Maggs (audiobook adaptation), Full Cast & Neil Gaiman

    3

    The Sandman
    by Dirk Maggs (audiobook adaptation), Full Cast & Neil Gaiman

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Outlaws - Whipping Girl by Julia Serano

    4

    Whipping Girl
    by Julia Serano

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Outlaws - Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein and S Bear Bergman (editors)

    5

    Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation
    by Kate Bornstein and S Bear Bergman (editors)

The best books on Gender Outlaws, recommended by Kate Bornstein

The author, gender theorist and self-described “SM femme tranny dyke” tells us why gender isn’t binary, and recommends books that give long-suppressed voice to the transgender community

    The best books on The Gender Trap, recommended by Peggy Orenstein

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    The best books on The Gender Trap - Pink Brain, Blue Brain by Lise Eliot

    1

    Pink Brain, Blue Brain
    by Lise Eliot

  • Read
    The best books on The Gender Trap - Packaging Girlhood by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown

    2

    Packaging Girlhood
    by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown

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    The best books on The Gender Trap - Packaging Boyhood by Lyn Mikel Brown, Sharon Lamb and Mark Tappan

    3

    Packaging Boyhood
    by Lyn Mikel Brown, Sharon Lamb and Mark Tappan

  • Read
    The best books on The Gender Trap - Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons

    4

    Odd Girl Out
    by Rachel Simmons

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    The best books on The Gender Trap - Horace and Morris but Mostly Delores by James Howe and Amy Walrod

    5

    Horace and Morris but Mostly Delores
    by James Howe and Amy Walrod

The best books on The Gender Trap, recommended by Peggy Orenstein

From an early age, girls learn to be pretty in pink while boys are marketed a prepackaged masculinity. The author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter explains how parents can give their children a broader, more imaginative outlook

    The best books on Women and War, recommended by Gayle Lemmon

  • Read
    The best books on Women and War - The Selected Letters of Martha Gellhorn by Caroline Moorehead

    1

    The Selected Letters of Martha Gellhorn
    by Caroline Moorehead

  • Read
    The best books on Women and War - Emma’s War by Deborah Scroggins

    2

    Emma’s War
    by Deborah Scroggins

  • Read
    The best books on Women and War - Mighty Be Our Powers by Leymah Gwobee

    3

    Mighty Be Our Powers
    by Leymah Gwobee

  • Read
    The best books on Women and War - The Girls Come Marching Home by Kirsten Holmstedt

    4

    The Girls Come Marching Home
    by Kirsten Holmstedt

  • Read
    The best books on Women and War - Burqas, Foulards et Minijupes by Anne Lancelot

    5

    Burqas, Foulards et Minijupes
    by Anne Lancelot

The best books on Women and War, recommended by Gayle Lemmon

When war comes, women pick up the pieces, providing for families and taking up jobs previously done by men. Increasingly, women are to be found on the frontlines of combat too, as the author and journalist explains

    The best books on Queens and Power, recommended by Helen Castor

  • Read
    The best books on Queens and Power - The Empress Matilda by Helen Castor & Marjorie Chibnall

    1

    The Empress Matilda
    by Helen Castor & Marjorie Chibnall

  • Read
    The best books on Queens and Power - My Heart Is My Own by John Guy

    2

    My Heart Is My Own
    by John Guy

  • Read
    The best books on Queens and Power - The Weaker Vessel by Antonia Fraser

    3

    The Weaker Vessel
    by Antonia Fraser

  • Read
    The best books on Queens and Power - Monuments and Maidens by Marina Warner

    4

    Monuments and Maidens
    by Marina Warner

  • Read
    The best books on Queens and Power - The King’s Two Bodies by Ernst Kantorowicz

    5

    The King’s Two Bodies
    by Ernst Kantorowicz

The best books on Queens and Power, recommended by Helen Castor

Women’s historical role in politics wasn’t always as limited as we might assume. Medieval historian Helen Castor tells us about powerful women in British history and how they were constrained or conspired against.

    The best books on Dutch Women (and Happiness), recommended by Ellen de Bruin

  • Read
    The best books on Dutch Women (and Happiness) - French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

    1

    French Women Don’t Get Fat
    by Mireille Guiliano

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    The best books on Dutch Women (and Happiness) - Women and the Birth of Capitalism in Western Europe by Tine de Moor and Jan Luiten van Zanden

    2

    Women and the Birth of Capitalism in Western Europe
    by Tine de Moor and Jan Luiten van Zanden

  • Read
    The best books on Dutch Women (and Happiness) - On Blondes by Joanna Pitman

    3

    On Blondes
    by Joanna Pitman

  • Read
    The best books on Dutch Women (and Happiness) - The Encyclopedia of Stupidity by Matthijs van Boxsel

    4

    The Encyclopedia of Stupidity
    by Matthijs van Boxsel

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    The best books on Dutch Women (and Happiness) - Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

    5

    Freedom
    by Jonathan Franzen

The best books on Dutch Women (and Happiness), recommended by Ellen de Bruin

The Dutch science journalist takes a light-hearted look at national stereotypes: why Dutch women are happy, and what it means to be blonde. She picks the best books on Dutch women.

    The best books on Asian Women, recommended by Vishakha Desai

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    The best books on Asian Women - May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons by Elisabeth Bumiller

    1

    May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons
    by Elisabeth Bumiller

  • Read
    The best books on Asian Women - Dear to Behold by Krishna Hutheesing

    2

    Dear to Behold
    by Krishna Hutheesing

  • Read
    The best books on Asian Women - Songs of Blood and Sword by Fatima Bhutto

    3

    Songs of Blood and Sword
    by Fatima Bhutto

  • Read
    The best books on Asian Women - Wild Swans by Jung Chang

    4

    Wild Swans
    by Jung Chang

  • Read
    The best books on Asian Women - Women Writing in India by Susie Tharu and K Lalita (editors)

    5

    Women Writing in India
    by Susie Tharu and K Lalita (editors)

The best books on Asian Women, recommended by Vishakha Desai

The president of the Asia Society discusses the changing role of women in Asian countries and how women have reached positions of leadership there

    The best books on Women’s Empowerment, recommended by Zainab Salbi

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    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - A Thousand Sisters by Lisa J Shannon

    1

    A Thousand Sisters
    by Lisa J Shannon

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

    2

    Half the Sky
    by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - The Essential Rumi by Jelaluddin Rumi

    3

    The Essential Rumi
    by Jelaluddin Rumi

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - Paradise Beneath her Feet by Isobel Coleman

    4

    Paradise Beneath her Feet
    by Isobel Coleman

  • Read
    The best books on Women’s Empowerment - Identity and Violence by Amartya Sen

    5

    Identity and Violence
    by Amartya Sen

The best books on Women’s Empowerment, recommended by Zainab Salbi

Founder and CEO of Women for Women International Zainab Salbi says we need to make the 21st century the time for women’s rights, and describes how reading Rumi’s poems helps her to find inner peace

    The best books on Gender Equality, recommended by Nicola Jones

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Equality - Engendering Democracy in Brazil by Sonia E Alvarez

    1

    Engendering Democracy in Brazil
    by Sonia E Alvarez

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Equality - International Handbook of Gender and Poverty by Sylvia Chant

    2

    International Handbook of Gender and Poverty
    by Sylvia Chant

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Equality - The Invisible Heart by Nancy Folbre

    3

    The Invisible Heart
    by Nancy Folbre

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Equality - Women and Confucian Cultures by Dorothy Ko, JaHyun Kim Haboush, Joan R Piggott

    4

    Women and Confucian Cultures
    by Dorothy Ko, JaHyun Kim Haboush, Joan R Piggott

  • Read
    The best books on Gender Equality - Gender Equity in Health by Gita Sen and Piroska Östlin

    5

    Gender Equity in Health
    by Gita Sen and Piroska Östlin

The best books on Gender Equality, recommended by Nicola Jones

The ODI research fellow discusses gender equality in the developing world and says that the authority to insist on safe sex and access to medical care is vital to establishing the most basic forms of gender equality

    The best books on Islam and Feminism, recommended by Margot Badran

  • Read
    The best books on Islam and Feminism - Islam and Democracy by Fatima Mernissi

    1

    Islam and Democracy
    by Fatima Mernissi

  • Read
    The best books on Islam and Feminism - Secular and Islamic Feminist Critiques in the Work of Fatima Mernissi by Raja Rhouni

    2

    Secular and Islamic Feminist Critiques in the Work of Fatima Mernissi
    by Raja Rhouni

  • Read
    The best books on Islam and Feminism - Inside the Gender Jihad by Amina Wadud

    3

    Inside the Gender Jihad
    by Amina Wadud

  • Read
    The best books on Islam and Feminism - Counter Legal Draft of the Compilation of Islamic Law by Siti Musdah Mulia

    4

    Counter Legal Draft of the Compilation of Islamic Law
    by Siti Musdah Mulia

  • Read
    The best books on Islam and Feminism - Iranian Women’s One Million Signatures by Noushin Khorasani

    5

    Iranian Women’s One Million Signatures
    by Noushin Khorasani

The best books on Islam and Feminism, recommended by Margot Badran

The historian and gender studies specialist Margot Badran has devoted her life's work to the Muslim world. Here she explains what feminism means in the context of Islam and chooses five books that have been critical in its evolution.

    The best books on Women and Islam, recommended by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

  • Read
    The best books on Women and Islam - The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel Huntington

    1

    The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
    by Samuel Huntington

  • Read
    The best books on Women and Islam - The Koran

    2

    The Koran

  • Read
    The best books on Women and Islam - Hadith

    3

    Hadith

  • Read
    The best books on Women and Islam - The Constitution of Liberty by Friedrich A von Hayek

    4

    The Constitution of Liberty
    by Friedrich A von Hayek

  • Read
    The best books on Women and Islam - Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef

    5

    Son of Hamas
    by Mosab Hassan Yousef

The best books on Women and Islam, recommended by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

American Enterprise Institute and campaigner for women’s rights against militant Islam discusses five books ranging from the Koran to Hayek’s Constitution of Liberty

    The best books on Men and Women, recommended by Satoshi Kanazawa

  • Read
    The best books on Men and Women - The Essential Difference by Simon Baron-Cohen

    1

    The Essential Difference
    by Simon Baron-Cohen

  • Read
    The best books on Men and Women - The Evolution of Desire by David M Buss

    2

    The Evolution of Desire
    by David M Buss

  • Read
    The best books on Men and Women - Biology at Work by Kingsley R Browne

    3

    Biology at Work
    by Kingsley R Browne

  • Read
    The best books on Men and Women - The Sexual Paradox by Susan Pinker

    4

    The Sexual Paradox
    by Susan Pinker

  • Read
    The best books on Men and Women - Genes, Girls, and Gamow by James D Watson

    5

    Genes, Girls, and Gamow
    by James D Watson

The best books on Men and Women, recommended by Satoshi Kanazawa

The differences between men and women are innate, argues the evolutionary psychologist, and men's relative success in the workplace a reflection of desire rather than discrimination. 

    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity, recommended by Sue Palmer

  • Read
    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph

    1

    Raising Boys
    by Steve Biddulph

  • Read
    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - The Essential Difference by Simon Baron-Cohen

    2

    The Essential Difference
    by Simon Baron-Cohen

  • Read
    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - The Nurture Assumption by Judith Rich Harris

    3

    The Nurture Assumption
    by Judith Rich Harris

  • Read
    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - A Mind So Rare by Merlin Donald

    4

    A Mind So Rare
    by Merlin Donald

  • Read
    The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity - Creating Ever-cool by Gene Del Vecchio

    5

    Creating Ever-cool
    by Gene Del Vecchio

The best books on Boys and Toxic Masculinity, recommended by Sue Palmer

The child development expert Sue Palmer explains why modern life is making boys more sad, isolated and materialistic.

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