Fascinating Womanhood

[PeachBaby]

Has anyone heard of a book called, "Fascinating Womanhood" and what do you think of it? Is it something you would recommend to get to read?

Thank you!

[LionTigerBear]

I have read it. I is certainly antiquated. Parts of made me mad. Parts of it got me thinking. It is certainly an interesting read. I think if someone reads it they need to be discerning and careful and really think about what she is saying. I wouldn't dismiss all of it out-of-hand just because the thinking is old-fashioned, but I also think some of the advice is dangerous and wrong. For someone who is depressed, codependent or in a relationship with an abuser or someone with a personality disorder or an addiction, the results might be disastrous. So there you go.

Now, something I discovered which seems not to be general knowledge, is that she actually plagiarized most of the book. All of the best parts of the book (IMO) actually came from a series of British pamphlets published in the 1920s as "The Art of Fascinating Womanhood or How To Attract Men" or something like that. Here is the link to that online at Harvard Press: http://pds.lib.harvard.edu/pds/view/...eaction=expand Those pamphlets were a secular work by "Psychology Press" with no author credited, and they were aimed at single women looking for husbands in a time when the First World War had seriously affected the average young lady's chances of finding a husband.

Helen Andelin found these pamphlets in the 40s or 50s, by then out of print, and altered them to fit her religious perspective and personal beliefs, and altered them to apply to married women. She didn't alter them very much though-- pages and pages of whole paragraphs are reproduced exactly, word for word. Her version was published in the 60s and became a huge cult hit among housewives across the world, who started clubs and study circles and classes to discuss the principles. [ETA: She did not credit the original pamphlets anymore than by saying in itty bitty text at the front that some unnamed, out-of-print pamphlets had inspired her to write this. "Inspired". ]

So, that is what I know about the book. You asked.

[PeachBaby]

wow, thanks for all the info!