A well-researched and convincing collection of essays that mainly address the changes that women can make in their lives to redress some of the imbalances caused by systemic sexism.

3.5 stars

What I liked:
- When this book was focussed on facts and data, it was at its strongest by far. I learnt some really interesting new information and there was a strong reference list at the end of the book.
- The advice in here is good, strong counsel that I would mostly agree with and can actually think of certain people I know that would benefit from reading it. I think it would be a particularly useful read for anyone about to undergo a big life change, such as welcoming a child or considering a divorce.
- The author's voice is interesting, assertive and speaks from the perspective of several under-represented groups, so I found it to be a worthy read in that regard.
- This book is a great foil to "Lean In" theory and doesn't shy away from challenging that, and a few other respected authors e.g. of parenting books.
- It also challenges several commonplace concepts that readers may make incorrect assumptions about, or have heard misinformation about. I really liked the authors ability to question status quo and look for the research behind the things we are often told about "women at work".
- I'm sure this book will be controversial in some circles but again, the author doesn't shy away from having strong opinions, and backs them up with evidence. That really strengthens this book.

What I wasn't so keen on:
- I actually expected the book to be more data-focussed than it was, based on the title "What Data Tells Us About Women's Lives". Whilst the book was well-cited, there weren't that many times when data were introduced to the reader, which surprised me, especially since these paragraphs were some of the strongest in each chapter. Following on from that, I felt there were some rambles and personal anecdotes that could've been edited down.
- This edition of the book is intended for markets outside of the USA but is still very USA focussed. Perhaps it could've been more generic/international in its tone for this edition?
- There is a LOT of parenting advice and discussion. The author touches on how having children is a choice, but ultimately delves deeply into parenting challenges quite far beyond other aspects of domestic life and without discussing child free women in the same level of detail as mothers. It could've been interesting to see more discussion around policy and statistics relating to the global child-free movement.


Something that gave me pause for thought:
- Finally, not a compliment or a criticism, but this is a big one: this book is clearly marketed at and has its sights aimed upon women as the target audience. It explicitly challenges the idea of women having to "do the work" in order to fix sexism in work and domestic environments, yet almost every actionable point in here is for women. I think I ultimately found this jarring. Of course there's nothing stopping a man from reading this, but when it refers to "us" and "we" for women, and "them" for men, there is less chance that men are going to read it and enact the kind of changes we would like them to make in work and home contexts. There are some men I have worked with who I would love to send this book to, but I would be surprised if they would read it based on the way it is written, which is a shame. Am I turning the work back onto women to make it palatable for men? Maybe! It's a complicated one.

Overall this was an interesting read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

With anecdotes from lived experience and those around her as well as data, Low argues why and how women are suffering from the tools, methods, ways of patriarchy in their professional and home lives.
One of the main areas to be explored is of course the household and Low spends a great deal of time on this discussion area.
Accessible and informative, sad, bleak and hopeful at the same time.
I felt like we need another book, solely on how to overcome the problems women face.
Great opening to the discussion, wish to see the specialised solutions to women’s problems in the wider contexts.

Corinne Low is a serious academic but in this book she is trying to write a simpler account of why women get a bad deal in terms of employment, and what they might do about it. Although she is excellent at describing and analysing the history, the barriers, the glass ceilings, the varieties of corporate ethos and the misogyny which guarantees women a bad deal in the work place, she is on shakier ground in arguing what to do about it.

Essentially, her argument is that if you don’t resist you will be expected to do more at work and, as usual, you will have to do more at home. She helpfully points out that women who are divorced with children spend less time on housework than those who are married with children. But, don’t get her started on how divorce settlements work against women as well! It’s not really a surprise to learn that Corinne Low is happy to share that she is divorced and living with another woman

The aim, therefore, is to work out which activities add most value to job and home and then balance them so that you have a pleasant and prosperous life without being worked into the ground. This includes having words with your husband about genuinely doing his bit to help, rather than washing up once or twice because he fancies a reward later.

Of course, there’s no point in buying this book for your wife because she won’t have time to read it! And, if she buys it for you then watch out!

A thoughtful take on womanhood and the economic challenges that marriage and family can have on your career and happiness. This book is a new perspective on how to 'have it all' and what that actually could look like

There is a fair amount of data, but equally lots of the authors lived experience is in here, giving the book an autobiography feel in sections. There are also lots of anecdotes from friends and colleagues.

The book is heavily centered on family life, and making careers and motherhood work better for women- and detailing how the system fails mothers in so many ways. If you plan to have a family, this is an interesting read but if that's not the case then this book might not be for you.

Femonomics is one of those books which feels like it's changing your life as you read it. I think copies should be given out for free to everyone in their early 20s. The insights are brilliant and backed by cold, hard, well researched evidence. The writing style is engaging and witty. This is one of the best non-fiction books I've read. A real highlight is the fact that this book isn't focused on telling women all the things they've done "wrong". The focus is on what the research shows and, most importantly, what this means for navigating life.

Thank you so much net gallery for letting me read this book early! Femonomics, wow, what a read! This book was very empowering and interesting to read as a woman and very eye opening. I really enjoyed the data/ factual side of the book and would definitely recommend to any woman. I will definitely need a physical copy for my collection! Thank you again.

Not quite the read I thought it was going to be but maybe that's on me. As other people have mentioned, as someone who doesn't intend to have children I didn't quite feel like the audience for this. Definitely an interesting look at the broken promises of modern life for many women though and really well researched.

An informative book, supported by lots of data, on why women who think they can 'have it all' find that they're struggling in fact to do just that - and a lot of it comes down to a lack of help both from male partners and society. It's interesting but, as someone who is single and childless, it just didn't seem that relevant to me at all. The author is aware that her audience will not be entirely based in the US but it is inevitably quite US-focused but also most relevant to women who live with a male partner (husband or otherwise).

3.5 stars
A really well researched and edited book, this was insightful and encouraging. I appreciate how Low clearly laid out the statistics behind the patriarchy, but then gave very real and helpful suggestions to combat these disadvantages. My only criticism/drawback was the intense focus on partnership, marriage and children. If I had picked this book up later in life I’m sure it’d be a 5 star read, but as someone who isn’t married or a parent, I felt entire parts of the book were not applicable to me. However, this was still a really motivating read with important information and told in an entertaining way!