Selfish Women

"This is a startling, trenchant, and original book. It is written with clarity and passion. It shakes up Feminism today in productive and sometimes disturbing ways. Downing's critical brilliance, command of the material, and uncompromising approach are dazzling"

Emma Wilson, University of Cambridge

"This is a book that will challenge conventional views of feminism, and of various women who have made a significant impact on modern culture and politics. It fills a significant gap in the scholarly literature and is written in a crisp, accessible style that will invite readers from all ends of the ideological spectrum to re-evaluate their own perspectives."

Chris Matthew Sciabarra, New York University

"[This book] is going to be a 'game-changer' in feminist thinking... It dialogues with and deconstructs brilliantly French philosophy and ideas on feminism from the previous 'waves' to argue that 'we might adopt the term "self-ful" to describe an ethically aware strategy of self-regard'. The author's critical readings of images and discourses and well-known critics are razor-sharp and full of insight on how Western societies construct a toxic mix of praise and misogyny towards 'exceptional' 'selfish' women."

Katharine Mitchell, University of Strathclyde

"This is a startling, trenchant, and original book. It is written with clarity and passion. It shakes up Feminism today in productive and sometimes disturbing ways. Downing's critical brilliance, command of the material, and uncompromising approach are dazzling."

Emma Wilson, University of Cambridge

"This is a book that will challenge conventional views of feminism, and of various women who have made a significant impact on modern culture and politics. It fills a significant gap in the scholarly literature and is written in a crisp, accessible style that will invite readers from all ends of the ideological spectrum to re-evaluate their own perspectives."

Chris Matthew Sciabarra, New York University

"[this book] is going to be a 'game-changer' in feminist thinking... It dialogues with and deconstructs brilliantly French philosophy and ideas on feminism from the previous 'waves' to argue that 'we might adopt the term "self-ful" to describe an ethically aware strategy of self-regard'. The author's critical readings of images and discourses and well-known critics are razor-sharp and full of insight on how Western societies construct a toxic mix of praise and misogyny towards 'exceptional' 'selfish' women."

Katharine Mitchell, University of Strathclyde