Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide

Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide
by Maureen Dowd

Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide
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Book Summary Information

Author: Maureen Dowd
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-03
ISBN: 042521236X
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Berkley Trade

Book Reviews of Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide

Book Review: wonderful and necessary!
Summary: 5 Stars

This book is insightful and clever. It really draws attention to the tradeoffs that women have to make in modern society to be successful in their careers, and how they are perceived by men in those industries. As I grow older and continue on my career path, the signs become more and more blatant that smart women are dropping out of the work force in favor of family life.
The bit about the social acceptance of plastic surgery/botox is also alarming and worthy of much attention. With a culture that deifies silly women like Jessica Simpson, we need more than our looks to carry us through.

Summary of Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide

Are men afraid of smart, successful women? Why did feminism fizzle? Why are so many of today's women freezing their faces and emotions in an orgy of plasticity? Is "having it all" just a cruel hoax?

In this witty and wide-ranging book, Maureen Dowd looks at the state of the sexual union, raising bold questions and examining everything from economics and politics to pop culture and the "why?" of the Y chromosome. These new writings will delight her devoted readers - and anyone trying to sort out the chaos that occurs when sexes collide.


She may be smart, incisive, witty, and keenly observant but with the release of Are Men Necessary?--a series of pithy (some might say piqued) ruminations on the sexes--Maureen Dowd will never, ever be championed by guys. Not that she cares. Even those who seek to avoid her columns in the august pages of The New York Times are certain to stumble over her invective in syndication. Dowd, it often seems, is everywhere. So those seeking even more via this book should be warned: Are Men Necessary? not only asks the eponymous question; it seeks to answer it with myriad examples (some convincing, some not) drawn from the Toronto Star to Kenneth Starr, from Cosmopolitan to Condoleezza Rice. You can bet a lot of folks aren't going to relish the answer.

With hands on hips and eyes wide open, Dowd surveys gender relations in contemporary settings such as the workplace, the White House, the mall, and the media, comparing and contrasting as she goes. And while her secondary sources are endless--and, let's face it, the subject of gender inequality is not exactly new--Dowd manages to produce a fair share of bons mots. To wit, this pearl on the subject of plastic surgery and men: "I have yet to see a man come out of cosmetic surgery without looking transformed into some permanently astonished lesbian version of himself," Dowd quotes a source as saying. "It's terrifying. My friend's father had just his eyes done by the best, most highly sought-after cosmetic surgeon in New York City. And he doesn't look refreshed or well rested. He looks like he's being stabbed to death by invisible people." Dowd's generously dispersed anecdotes, though seldom as funny, are equally readable. In the end, though, one wishes Are Men Necessary? went beyond simply grocery listing examples of sexual disparity to offer concrete suggestions for change. Then again, maybe that's too great a task even for a woman like Dowd. --Kim Hughes

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