Books

Brief Summary A nuanced investigation into the sexual, economic, and emotional lives of women in America. In a provocative, groundbreaking work, National Magazine Award finalist Rebecca Traister, "the most brilliant voice on feminism in the country” (Anne Lamott), traces the history of unmarried and late-married women in America who, through social, political, and economic means, have radically shaped our nation. In 2009, the award-winning journalist Rebecca Traister started All the Single Ladies—a book she thought would be a work of contemporary journalism—about the twenty-first century phenomenon of the American single woman. It was the year the proportion of American women who were married dropped below fifty percent; and the median age of first marriages, which had remained between twenty and twenty-two years old for nearly a century (1890–1980), had risen dramatically to twenty-seven. But over the course of her vast research and more than a hundred interviews with academics and social scientists and prominent single women, Traister discovered a startling truth: the phenomenon of the single woman in America is not a new one. And historically, when women were given options beyond early heterosexual marriage, the results were massive social change—temperance, abolition, secondary education, and more. Today, only twenty percent of Americans are wed by age twenty-nine, compared to nearly sixty percent in 1960. The Population Reference Bureau calls it a "dramatic reversal.” All the Single Ladies is a remarkable portrait of contemporary American life and how we got here, through the lens of the single American woman. Covering class, race, sexual orientation, and filled with vivid anecdotes from fascinating contemporary and historical figures, All the Single Ladies is destined to be a classic work of social history and journalism. Exhaustively researched, brilliantly balanced, and told with Traister’s signature wit and insight, this book should be shelved alongside Gail Collins’s When Everything Changed.

Brief Summary A witty, thought-provoking celebration of why marriage still matters-and how to make yours work-from the author of The Art of Conversation. Today we no longer get married for the reasons our grandparents did: because our families say so, because we must marry to leave home, to have sex, to have financial security. So in this modern age, why marry at all? The Art of Marriage seeks to answer this question, in an enchanting guided tour of the three-legged race that is married life. With anecdotes from history, the latest research, and insights about couples who stayed the course, Blyth offers entertaining advice on how to enjoy a successful marriage and answers vital questions such as can housework improve sex life? Why should husbands argue? And why must wives relax? In the age of "Bridezillas" and over-the-top destination weddings, it is all too easy to lose sight of the greater meaning of saying "I do." A wedding is not an end-it's not about the race for the ring, or planning a blow-out event-it's the beginning of a journey, full of questions and mystery, and different for each couple. As Catherine Blyth so eloquently puts it, "Each story has at least two sides. Reconciling them is the art of marriage." ISBN:B005FOGCBC Author:Catherine Blyth

Brief Summary Thinner, bigger, faster, stronger... which 150 pages will you read? Is it possible to: Reach your genetic potential in 6 months? Sleep 2 hours per day and perform better than on 8 hours? Lose more fat than a marathoner by bingeing? Indeed, and much more. This is not just another diet and fitness book. The 4-Hour Body is the result of an obsessive quest, spanning more than a decade, to hack the human body. It contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of jaw-dropping personal experimentation. From Olympic training centers to black-market laboratories, from Silicon Valley to South Africa, Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, fixated on one life-changing question: For all things physical, what are the tiniest changes that produce the biggest results? Thousands of tests later, this book contains the answers for both men and women. From the gym to the bedroom, it’s all here, and it all works. YOU WILL LEARN (in less than 30 minutes each): How to lose those last 5-10 pounds (or 100+ pounds) with odd combinations of food and safe chemical cocktails. • How to prevent fat gain while bingeing (X-mas, holidays, weekends) • How to increase fat-loss 300% with a few bags of ice • How Tim gained 34 pounds of muscle in 28 days, without steroids, and in four hours of total gym time • How to sleep 2 hours per day and feel fully rested • How to produce 15-minute female orgasms • How to triple testosterone and double sperm count • How to go from running 5 kilometers to 50 kilometers in 12 weeks • How to reverse "permanent” injuries • How to add 150+ pounds to your lifts in 6 months • How to pay for a beach vacation with one hospital visit And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 50 topics covered, all with real-world experiments, many including more than 200 test subjects. You don't need better genetics or more discipline. You need immediate results that compel you to continue. That’s exactly what The 4-Hour Body delivers. ISBN:9780091939526 Author:Tim Ferriss