Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #764319 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
Arlie Russell Hochschild

author of "The Second Shift" and "The Time Bind"

Exploring traditions east and west, Mernissi employs the power of gentle humor to expose the foibles of both....A funny, sweet, wise, magical read by one of the very best writers we have.

Synopsis
One of the world's leading Koranic scholars and Islamic sociologists turns her attention on Western attitudes toward women, drawing on the ancient Islamic tradition of oral storytelling and her own personal experiences to offer a provocative and candid look at feminism and women's culture. Reprint.

Customer Reviews

Interesting perspective- European vs. Islamic views of women
An interesting exploration of Islamic views of women vs. European/Western ones. Most interesting in its references to Scheherzade, Persian legends, and Turkish culture. Contrasts European vision of harem women as passive with Eastern reality of feisty, political, active women. Sees Islamic control of women as keeping women out of public spaces vs. Western control of women by impossible standards of physical beauty. Ideas sometimes not logically reasoned out. The first person style, in the context of a quest for understanding western images, is awkward and self-conscious. The style is not compelling, but that is perhaps because the author is not a native English speaker. In spite of this, it is worth reading the whole book.