For Her Own Good: Two Centuries of the Experts Advice to Women

Loved this book. Persuasively argued and written for a lay audience. There's a foreword and afterword from 2004, but the 'motherhood as pathology' chapters will ring very true for anyone witnessing the modern day (e.g., internet) iterations of the mommy culture wars and put them into a fascinating context. There's some broad strokes painted that I'd quibble with, and the foreword sets a tone that is at odds with the rest of the book which has a bit more nuance. The other reviewers rightly point out that these authors continue with the white feminist tradition of largely ignoring non-white, non-middle class women, though as the book's thesis is about the rise of consumer culture and parallel rise of male experts who are selling things (books, advice, contraptions, sanitarium stays, etc, etc) to women with money, the omission largely makes sense (it is a different historical investigation to look at white male experts vis a vis minority/poor women). Really illuminating book that only occasionally needed to be thrown across the room as I learned of some new outrage!

I purchased this book for a class assignment. It had a lot of information that I was not previously aware of which I appreciated it for. That said, I felt that it really lacked any intersectionality in its stories of women's experience so I would suggest reading something else if you are looking for a book about all women.

Great book. A look at the history and evolution of attitudes towards and roles of women in society. Highly readable. Really good writers.

Good book for contemporary Americans and Europeans that pontificate about practices in other countries while they assume an attitude of superiority.

The book had tons of interesting historical info on the roles of women and medical practitioners. It was a little too scholarly for beach reading, yet contained fascinating windows into our past. Some sections were repetitive after making a point.I would hope that young women would read it for perspective on the women's movement and health issues. Those of us in the baby boomer generation experienced discrimination that our daughters don't relate to. We may have "come a long way, baby," yet women still do not have the equality that we should in government, the board room or compensation.

Great book for women in science or medicine. I loved reading this book and learned so much. I highly recommend it.

I bought this book new for myself to read. When it arrived it clearly was not new as it had markings on the back of the book and a sticky note sticking out of the book.

Always a classic, always relevant.

Enjoyable book that gives some interesting perspectives on how the concept of what it means to be a woman and what is women's work has changed over time. One particular interesting thing the book explores is how traditional ideas of women's work (such as making basic household products such as soap) has been outsourced and how this left the domestic sphere devoid of traditional tasks. The ideas in this book were ones I had not really seen before and so I found it an intriguing and different read.

All us women know what is good for us because men are there spelling it out for us, in the most alarming ways.I am sure that what we are enjoined to do today will come in for as much derision and suspicion in years to come.Suit yourselves girls no one knows what is good for us and this book gives you some proof.

Fascinating and totally engaging. Not sure about all the facts though. This made me wonder: "Osler's subsequent career...culminated in his receiving a baronetcy -- hence the "Sir" -- from Queen Victoria in 1911".1911?But overall a very enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

As expected

This book is very well written, very well organized, and it is extremely enlightening. It is edifying to read how our "recent" (last two centuries) history has been a succession of various, sometimes completely contradictory, appropriations by (most often male) experts of the definition of a (good) woman (The Woman Question). The authors literally pour knowledge at us, managing to make it both interesting and accessible. The information provided can sometimes sad the reader, but often the slightly ironic tone (or actually the facts themselves, as some really look ridiculous from the distance) makes us smile or laugh. As for any really good history book, this one sheds light on our society as it is now hence helps us understanding it better. I am really grateful to the authors, who have accomplished a terrific job.