From two leading, agenda-setting feminist editors, Believe Me brings readers into the current landscape of the anti-sexual violence movement--and outlines how believing women is the critical foundation for future progress. Essays include Jessica Valenti writing about how a woman's word has never been enough in our country, giving context to the question of why we don't believe women. Jaclyn Friedman draws that idea out further, articulating why it matters that women are believed about sexual violence - because doing so finally grants us bodily sovereignty, impacting whether we can be trusted about pain, about pleasure, about reproduction and beyond. Other top-tier contributors touch on: how race and class impact which kinds of women are believed; the ways that women's behaviour (what they wear, what they were drinking) trumps their testimony and words; how believing white women has harmed communities of colour; visions of masculinity that aren't dependent on undermining women. Part taking stock of recent feminist movements, part visions for a way forward, Believe Me has the potential to spark real change and to appeal to the countless men and women who have been engaging with #metoo and looking to feminist leadership for next steps.

Double standards are nothing new. Women deal with them every day. Take the common truism that women who sleep around are sluts while men are studs. Why is it that men grow distinguished and sexily gray as they age while women just get saggy and haggard? Have you ever wondered how a young woman is supposed to both virginal and provocatively enticing at the same time? Isn't it unfair that working moms are labeled "bad" for focusing on their careers while we shake our heads in disbelief when we hear about the occasional stay-at-home dad?
In "50 Double Standards Every Woman Should Know," Jessica Valenti, author of Full Frontal Feminism, calls out the double standards that affect every woman. Whether Jessica is pointing out the wage earning discrepancies between men and women or revealing all of the places that women still aren't equal to their male counterparts--be it in the workplace, courtroom, bedroom, or home--she maintains her signature wittily sarcastic tone. With sass, humor, and in-your-face facts, this book informs and equips women with the tools they need to combat sexist comments, topple ridiculous stereotypes (girls aren't good at math?), and end the promotion of lame double standards.

New York Times Bestseller "Sharp and prescient...The appeal of Valenti's memoir lies in her ability to trace objectification through her own life, and to trace what was for a long time her own obliviousness to it...Sex Object is an antidote to the fun and flirty feminism of selfies and self-help." - New Republic Hailed by the Washington Post as "one of the most visible and successful feminists of her generation," Jessica Valenti has been leading the national conversation on gender and politics for over a decade. Now, in a memoir thatPublishers Weekly calls "bold and unflinching," Valenti explores the toll that sexism takes on women's lives, from the everyday to the existential. From subway gropings and imposter syndrome to sexual awakenings and motherhood, Sex Object reveals the painful, embarrassing, and sometimes illegal moments that shaped Valenti's adolescence and young adulthood in New York City. In the tradition of writers like Joan Didion and Mary Karr, Sex Object is a profoundly moving tour de force that is bound to shock those already familiar with Valenti's work, and enthrall those who are just finding it.

A star-studded roster of iconic women write powerfully about what it means to be a feminist yesterday, today, and tomorrow. These poets, essayists, activists, actors, and professors address topics ranging from workplace harassment to resting bitch face. The results are by turns refreshing, provocative, moving, and hilarious. A diverse chorus of intersectional voices and a forward-looking stance set this book apart, and its vibrant, textured package makes it a beautiful gift. It's the smart, covetable anthology that women of all ages will turn to for support and inspiration in the ongoing fight for gender equality.

Now in its updated second edition, "Full Frontal Feminism" is a book that continues to embody the forward-looking messages that author Jessica Valenti propagated as founder of the popular website, Feministing.com.
"Full Frontal Feminism" is a smart and relatable guide to the issues that matter to today's young women. This edition includes a new foreword by Valenti, reflecting upon what's happened in the seven years since "Full Frontal Feminism" was originally published. With new openers from Valenti in every chapter, the book covers a range of topics, including pop culture, health, reproductive rights, violence, education, relationships, and more.
Chapters include:
You're a Hardcore Feminist. I Swear.
Feminists Do It Better (and Other Sex Tips)
Pop Culture Gone Wild
The Blame (and Shame) Game
If These Uterine Walls Could Talk
Material World
My Big Fat Unnecessary Wedding and Other Dating Diseases
"Real" Women Have Babies
I Promise I Won't Say "Herstory"
Boys Do Cry
Beauty Cult
"Sex and the City" Voters, My Ass
A Quick Academic Aside
Get to It
Since its original publication, "Full Frontal Feminism" has reassured readers--yeah, you're feminists, and that's actually pretty cool.

* For nearly 30 years, Madonna has been at the center of the media spotlight. She has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, launched her own record label, headlined an Oscar-award-winning film, authored bestselling books for both adults and children, inspired global street-fashion trends, and instigated international debates over a range of feminist issues from sexual fetish to adoption ethics. Masterfully harnessing her talent and power to navigate her ascent to stardom, she has become the very definition of iconic.
She has also been a constant companion. In Madonna and Me, more than forty women write about Madonna's influence on their lives. No subject goes unexplored--from sex and money to fashion and identity, the stories are just as brazen, bold, and balls-to-the-wall as Madonna. They explore the evolution of her chameleonlike personas--material girl and boy-toy tartlet, kooky Kabbalist and savvy businesswoman, siren and mother--and her impact on culture as a groundbreaking feminist.
Of course, not all women worship at her altar, and likewise the essays in Madonna and Me are brutally honest, funny, engaging, and real. They delve into the hearts, souls, memories, and moments of contemporary women, celebrating the ways in which Madonna has inspired us and challenged us, pushing us to be bolder, edgier, braver versions of ourselves.

The United States is obsessed with virginity , from the media to schools to government agencies. In The Purity Myth, Jessica Valenti argues that the country's intense focus on chastity is damaging to young women. Through in-depth cultural and social analysis, Valenti reveals that powerful messaging on both extremes , ranging from abstinence-only curriculum to "Girls Gone Wild" infomercials , place a young woman's worth entirely on her sexuality. Morals are therefore linked purely to sexual behaviour, rather than values like honesty, kindness, and altruism. Valenti sheds light on the value , and hypocrisy , around the notion that girls remain virgins until they're married by putting into context the historical question of purity, modern abstinence-only education, pornography, and public punishments for those who dare to have sex. The Purity Myth presents a revolutionary argument that girls and women are overly valued for their sexuality, as well as solutions for a future without a damaging emphasis on virginity.