Caroline Criado Perez’s Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men is a landmark, prize-winning, international bestselling examination of how a gender gap in data perpetuates bias and disadvantages women.
#1 International Bestseller
Winner of the 2019 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award
Winner of the 2019 Royal Society Science Book Prize
Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development to health care to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this insidious bias: in time, in money, and often with their lives.
Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates this shocking root cause of gender inequality in
Invisible Women. Examining the home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more, Criado Perez unearths a dangerous pattern in data and its consequences on women’s lives. Product designers use a “one-size-fits-all” approach to everything from pianos to cell phones to voice recognition software, when in fact this approach is designed to fit men. Cities prioritize men’s needs when designing public transportation, roads, and even snow removal, neglecting to consider women’s safety or unique responsibilities and travel patterns. And in medical research, women have largely been excluded from studies and textbooks, leaving them chronically misunderstood, mistreated, and misdiagnosed.
Built on hundreds of studies in the United States, in the United Kingdom, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, highly readable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.
Heather Green –
For more than feminists, too! Everyone should be aware of this information.
edouard gave –
I just finished reading this book, and I’m blown away by how much I learned (and how much I enjoyed learning it). This is a great preparation for the fight ahead, And I truly believe this should be required reading for both men and women.Keep in mind, I don’t even enjoy reading, but this book completely changed that.I have 3 books on my current queue, and probably going to read this one again after I’m done. Thank you, Caroline Criado-Perez.10/10.
Alan Todd –
This book opened my eyes in more ways than one being the stereotypical white, entitled male living in the United States. Caroline Criado-Perez thoroughly and expertly relays the facts and the DIRE and extrodinarily unjust and unfair situation faced by women in all cultures all over the world. Half of the population is bring denied just the very basic privileges, rights, and necessary data collection needed to improve society and the human race as a whole by designing everything from politics, humanitarian care, technology, etc to better suit and benefit women. This data gap is a heinous crime against over half the human race and everyone needs to take steps to counteract it and account for these missing data by asking women directly what they want and need. It’s NOT a mystery. It’s simply laziness, sexism, and tying to mistakenly and incorrectly cut economic costs. Women should not stand to have to be bullied, obsequious, and servile to a patriarchy. They should not have to become more like men to fit in. History does not need any more conformists to the overriding majority in power. If a woman is the kinder, more polite, and moral person in the room, then she deserves to be praised for it by both men and women even if differs from the standard male way of acting and conversing. Men need to do better NOW to be better listeners, be willing to accept women with power, and to never treat them as anything less than an equal human being. Is all this change too much to ask? I don’t think so. I think it is the least we can ask and do to progress as a society and grow and prosper as a world that is designed for Women and Men. White heterosexual men have abused there time in power and failed to solve anything. Now it’s time to let Women, minorities, and everyone else to rise and create a better world not only for them, but everyone. I am a Sourthern white heterosexual man and that is the stance I support with my writing, voice, and actions.
RachK23 –
My mind was blown reading this book. If you are struggling to understand or explain systemic bias, this book will give you concrete example after example of how every single system, institution, place, and object in our world can, even with the best of intentions, cause profound negative impact for certain groups of people, in this case, women. Derald Wing Sue says to address bias we must make the invisible visible. This book fulfills that imperative.
KP –
This book should be a mandatory read for every leader, researcher, news reporter, and college professors around the planet!! The way in which facts about women are unnecessarily twisted needs to be known by the entire world. Thank you for your outstanding work!
BaeBae.pup –
Eye-opening and shocking.
Kindle Customer –
Tons of facts but nothing boring about it. Most of the information should be in biology textbooks, on the news, and informing public policy in all areas of life. Instead much of it I am hearing for the first time as a middle aged woman. The disproportionate inconvenience, violence and death women face around the globe because women are not consulted or even considered in every area of life! We are not an anomaly or a resource to be exploited. We are an indespensible HALF of the population! Thank you for writing this book!
K. Johnson –
As a woman working in a STEM field, I was already aware of biases, differences in pay, workplace harassment, and more against women in the workplace. I have experienced it myself. But this book brings a much-needed investigation that goes far beyond my anecdotal incidents and really looks at the data (both what exists and what is missing) and the consequences of dismissing half of the world’s population as irrelevant or atypical.This book is arranged with a preface, introduction, six sections, an afterword, an epilogue specific to Covid-19, and almost 100 pages of endnotes and index. Although the book (sans endnotes and index) is 326 pages long, it is very readable and so brilliantly written that it’s funny, and sad, and insightful, and infuriating, and more all at once. The author brings to light numerous issues that at first glance didn’t really seem to be gender/sex-related at all but after looking at them, they actually are. I think this book would be so helpful for people in many fields, especially in leadership in corporations, government, churches, the medical community, small businesses, and more.Introduction: The Default MaleThe introduction sets up the whole book to show how nearly universally, a default male (body, size, height, weight, shape, behavior, lifestyle, etc.) is used as the default for data, decisions, planning, policies, history, teaching, models, examples, etc. and how this excludes fully 50% of the world’s population’s experiences, bodies, behaviors, needs, and values.Part 1: Daily LifeIn the first chapter, “Can Snow-Clearing be Sexist?”, the author reveals how many activities, like plowing the snow from roads, have been set up based on male norms without consideration of how females have different norms. In the case of clearing the roads and sidewalks for travel and commuting, when women’s needs and patterns were considered, it was found that clearing side roads and sidewalks prior to major roads reduced injuries and accidents and the overall cost of snow conditions compared with the plan which only considered men’s needs and patterns. Chapter two, “Gender Neutral with Urinals”, looks and bathroom usage and compares the usable square footage and time to use restrooms of men’s bathrooms, which can accommodate more men, with the needs of women who cannot use urinals, often have children or elderly to help, and have physical needs which just take longer than men. As such, equal size bathrooms are simply not equitable. And many worldwide women don’t have access to safe facilities at all.Part 2: The WorkplacePart 2 has 4 chapters. “The Long Friday” refers to a day when 90% of women in Iceland decided to strike so that their contributions, many unpaid, would be recognized. Statistically, women do far more unpaid work like childcare, elder care, shopping, cooking, and cleaning compared with men. These tasks cannot be skipped; they are essential but unpaid. “The Myth of Meritocracy” shows how advancement in the workplace based on merit favors men who don’t have essential unpaid work to do at home and can invest more at work. Furthermore, men’s accomplishments are recognized and rewarded more often even when they are not more merit-worthy than women. “The Henry Higgens Effect” refers to a character in My Fair Lady who wonders why women can’t be more like men, as if the solution is to force women to act like men rather than recognize that half of the population is not male and behaving like a woman is quite appropriate for women. The final chapter in this section is “Being Worth Less than a Shoe” and discusses workplace safety standards and equipment that were developed for men without consideration for the women and their size and physiological differences. “Women have always worked. They have worked unpaid, underpaid, underappreciated, and invisibly, but they have always worked. But the modern workplace does not work for women. From its location, to its hours, to its regulatory standards, it has been designed around the lives of men and it is no longer fit for purpose. The world of work needs a wholesale redesign – if its regulations, of its equipment, of its culture – and this redesign must be led by data on female bodies and female lives. We have to start recognizing that the work women do is not an added extra, a bonus that we could do without: women’s work, paid and unpaid, is the backbone of our society and our economy. It’s about time we started valuing it.” p142.Part 3: DesignIn the section on Design, there are three chapters. “The Plough Hypothesis” looks at cultures where farm equipment, designed for men, allowed men who have significantly more upper body strength and hand grip to become the primary income-generating farmers but in cultures that used hoes, both men and women farmed. Farming practices that favor men aren’t limited to equipment but also impact crop types. Some high-yield varieties increase the time the women had to spend on cooking and preparing the crops and “clean” stoves designed to reduce harmful smoke emissions often increase the effort and time for women to cook and tend to the food. “One-Size-Fits-Men” discusses the issues with equipment, gear, and algorithms designed for an average-sized man and how these ill-fitting products do not properly protect, and sometimes even increase risk because they do not fit properly on women simply because women don’t have the same size, shape, and expression, as an average man. “A Sea of Dudes” shares the difficulties women have getting funding for research and products for women when often men are unaware of the needs of women and don’t value funding products that they themselves don’t need. “Designers may believe they are making products for everyone, but in reality they are mainly making them for men. It’s time to start designing women in.” p191.Part 4: Going to the Doctor“When Drugs Don’t Work” looks at the practice of testing drugs and dosages on men without considering how well they work (or don’t work) on women with different hormones and physiology. My mom is only about 85 pounds and I often wonder if the standard male adult dosage is appropriate for her tiny body. “Yentl Syndrome” starts by comparing typical heart attack symptoms in men versus women. Because symptoms in women differ from men, they are often misdiagnosed, sometimes fatally. Male-dominated funding panels impact how research funding is distributed and diseases that impact primarily women are less likely to be funded and studied. Women typically wait longer, take longer to diagnose, are misdiagnosed more often, and are not taken seriously by the medical community.Part 5: Public Life“A Costless Resource to Exploit” delves into the deliberate decision to exclude unpaid women’s work (childcare, elder care, cooking, cleaning, household activities, etc.) in the GDP. “It makes sense only if you see women as an added extra, a complicating factor. It doesn’t make sense if you’re talking about half of the human race. It doesn’t make sense if you care about accurate data.” p241. “From Purse to Wallet” looks at tax codes and how they favor men compared with women, particularly in that joint households receive tax credits to the head of the household, typically the man, and women may not have equal access to this money. “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” continues looking at how male-biased policies and gaps in government thinking are harming women. “The data we already have makes it abundantly clear that female politicians are not operating on a level playing field. The system is skewed towards electing men, which means that the system is skewed towards perpetuating the gender data gap in global leadership, with all the attendant negative repercussions for half the world’s population.” p286.Part 6: When it Goes Wrong“Who will rebuild” shows that “when things go wrong – war, natural disaster, pandemic – all the usual data gaps we have seen everywhere from urban planning to medical care are magnified and multiplied. But it’s more insidious than the usual problem of simply forgetting to include women. Because if we are reticent to include women’s perspectives and address women’s needs when things are doing well, there’s something about the context of disaster, of chaos, of social breakdown, that makes old prejudices seem more justified. The real reason we exclude women is because we see the rights of 50% of the population as a minority interest.” p290. “It’s Not the Disaster that Kills You” continues by pointing out that during disasters, it is women who are disproportionally negatively impacted. Women face increased domestic violence, trauma, displacement, injury, death, and female-specific injustices during warfare, pandemics, and natural disasters.The afterword offers some hope when women’s voices are included. Women bring valuable insight into the experiences of half the population and their experiences are good for business, economy, and humanity. The epilogue was added to specifically address the Covid-19 pandemic and, unsurprisingly, the “continual failure to systemically collect and sex-disaggregated data on symptoms, infection rates, and death rates from Covid-19.” p319. And of course, PPE that fit women (like masks) were disproportionally unavailable for the many women in healthcare settings who needed them.I found this book very well written, meticulously footnoted, and very eye-opening even though I was aware of some of the issues already. I would highly recommend the book to all leaders and all women. Although the author touched on women’s clothing and fashion, I wish she had chewed on it a little more, especially considering how men are able to purchase pants by style, waist size, and inseam whereas rarely are women offered the ability to buy based on measurements and most pants have only one inseam length as if all women are the same shape and height. Women, their bodies, and their needs matter in all areas of life and we should be considered.
Iatros –
What a great eye-opener and a wonderful reference book with helpful references and data about inequities in so many different settings. It covers the topic with depth and great range. A top read!
MariaP –
Very insightful , I wasnt aware of the amount of discrimination against women even in the most basic things in life .
Placebogirl –
This book brings together the data that most women experience at some point and most men are unaware of. It demonstrates comprehensively that by treating women as aberrant men we make society more dangerous and difficult for women and children at every level.
Kindle Customer –
This is such a thought provoking, powerful look at the disparity between male and female data. Men, women, everyone needs to read this book. If we refuse to see the problems with the gender data gap, we will never remedy it. Humanity could improve so much in understanding the plights and struggles unique to women, and this book shines a serious light on why the data matters. Read it, you won’t regret it!
Amy E. Andrews –
I highly recommend reading this and learning about the bias and lack of data that exists. There are numerous references in the book as well.
Bonnie Klahr –
Our book club read this book. There is an enormous amount of valuable information regarding the inequality of women and men in today’s society. There are so many inequalities that are subtle and accepted. Hopefully, awareness will lead to real change.
Kelechi Olandu –
Slow start but I love it overall
Buddy –
the author clearly, smoothly, and succinctly uses examples to illustrate how current data patterns can generate bias in government, business, family life, and medical treatment. Recommend reading and sharing.
Eli –
This book is a must read. I ordered a copy for my sister and have suggested it for everyone who has asked for 2020 reading recommendations. The author cites hundreds of studies from a myriad of disciplines and does so without feeling dry or robotic. If you care about women’s issues, if you have a wife, or a daughter, if you are a woman, heck if you’ve ever met a woman, you need to read this book!
Snicker –
ALL THE STARS! I wanted to read this whole book out loud. MIND BLOWING. I especially loved the chapters on transportation bias, gender bias is academia and silicone valley (although you can read “Brotopia” for more on that) and the male default with tool size and stride length and car manufacturing. If you are in a rush, you can chapter pick here. The section on medicine, both drugs and mistreatment of healthcare workers was fascinating and so so disturbing, as was the chapter on the gender bias in politics.
Mallory Kraus –
I heard about this book on Roman Mars’ podcast “99% Invisible” and bought this book as a female who works in User Experience Design, to improve my understanding of data and to hopefully improve my research skills. As someone with a science background, I needed to be convinced on the data and research first, before highly investing (which I am now questioning- because I knew it was written by a female?) and believing the logic.This book is extremely well researched and written, thoroughly logical, and written in a fashion that is not accusing of males (which often isolates those readers). Instead, it is inclusive and instructive.As someone who watched their mother and has personally been, the subject of verbal/emotional abuse, I was able to sympathise and empathise with many aspects of the book. I walked away pissed off in all the right ways.This book is eye-opening, especially for males with an open mind, but even for females who are apprehensive to the extremist qualities of feminism. I recommend this book to so many people on a daily basis now, that they must assume I am being paid for it. Everyone should be required to read this book.
Lady Green Hawk –
This book clearly describes the negative impact of policy, buildings, cars, algorithms, city planning… to a limited subset of humanity (frequently white men). With no malice a limited subset of humanity does not know what they do not know. We are deprived of the wisdom and contribution of all of humanity. The data is shocking. Lives are lost, injuries occur and quality of life is diminished.Simple example: Woman are more likely to die in car accidents as both the driver or passenger since autos are designed to be safest for the average sized man.
Splatz –
Such a good book. Everyone, men, women, managers, leaders, anyone who wants to better themselves or society should read it.
Samantha –
I’m dyslexic and have attention issues, so I don’t read often without narration, but this book kept me interested the whole time. It was written very well and intelligently. All of her points are supported by citation. I have always known the general sentiment of this book to be true, but I never knew the details or was ever able to support these points. This really have me a new perspective on a lot of things, including equity and feminism. I will be recommending this book to everyone!
J W. –
There is just so much in this book that totally blew my mind. This book should be required reading for policymakers, journalists, academics, and businesspeople – everyone, really. A crucially important work. As a bonus, it’s also an engaging, extremely readable book as well. Can highly recommend.
Hannah –
A really interesting read that goes deeper into topics I already knew a little bit about. Good detail and sources to back it all up.
Sprout –
This is one of the best feminist books I’ve ever read. Not only does it highlight the issues faced by our society in a very thoughtful and thoroughly research manner, but also it provides practical and evidence-based solutions. The author doesn’t merely express frustration towards our society as it is today or place blame on anyone in particular: she does a fantastic job of demonstrating over and over again how debilitating it can be to exclude diverse voices from the conversation when managing the legal, financial, and socio-economic structures of a society. I couldn’t recommend this book more, and I frankly recommend it to everyone.
Corina –
This book is fantastic! Very well written and researched, exposing the many (albeit not all) challenges that women need to face around the world in our day to day lives. Representation is key so if you are a policy maker, researcher, doctor or tech person, please read the book. We cannot change the past, but we can build a better present and future.
Katarzyna –
Very thourough and therefore with great impact Never mind the angry tone, the sarcasm and open dislike toward men
, it is a must read!
Amy Z. –
This book talks with facts and numbers about how women are underrepresented, not represented or not even considered in many daily interactions. Transit, medical care, housing are all not Designed with half the population considered.
Atlanta Reader –
Well worth the read for those of us who want to make the world a better place, including for half the world’s population – women.
Aubren –
Love it so far! Can’t put it down!
Melinda –
I am a woman. This highlights things I already knew, and opens my eyes to things I did not know about just how male-biased our culture is. The gaps in the data are some of the more key components. Partway through, I began to wish for a Mythbusters episode to test the (possible) myth that “crash test dummies based on the 50th percentile male body adequately test test survival of women with seat belts on, in car crashes.” After reading the medical section, I have questions for my doctor about particular courses of treatment. This book asks questions, and notes where answers are unknown, because men are the “default human.” Fascinating, scary, stunning, and important. I am recommending this book to everyone I know.
IsabellaIsabella –
Good condition and so far it’s a good book
Yesenia Sanchez –
Already recommended to my sister because this is a must read for all women. Women rights are human rights, we are half of the population.
WolfpackFam –
The content, quality of writing and nicely of subject (among other attributes) is unparalleled to any book in the arena. I admire and respect the balls it takes to call out societal woes for what they are, so thank you.I’m lighter feeling after reading this book, because I know that I have mentors and Allie’s of the cause. Thank you #HalfTheSky #InvisibleWomen #InsectionsOfIdentity
Marge –
Absolutely incredible read. This should be taught as curriculum and required in work trainings. Highly recommend to everyone. Women still have SO FAR TO GO.
Bailey Adams –
Great condition for the price, also a good read
UnaDHB –
The topic was extremely interesting to me so I grabbed the book. I found it easy to read and well organized. It’s an incredibly eye opening read that shines a light on the many ways in which the world does not account for women.
Sandy M –
This book was incredibly informative. Everyone should read it. Well-researched and compelling narrative that was easy to read. Really makes you think about how women are perceived in society. Cannot recommended this book enough!
Nicole –
A must read to understand why feminism is needed everyday
Bassman2112 –
Throughout my time reading Invisible Women, I frequently found myself questioning things. Whether the words shared were accurate (they were), whether the gender gap was as real as author Caroline Criado Perez was making it out to be (it is), and if women are truly putting up with as much inequality as was portrayed (they are).As a guy, it feels as though this book ought to be required reading for my fellow fellows. At multiple times during the read, I sat down with some close female friends, asking for their thoughts on certain passages, and the universal reaction was “yes, that’s my everyday life.” The feeling evoked after these conversations were both ones of enlightenment and frustration.I walk away after having read this book with an altered perspective and new context for what my friends and family tolerate each and every day. It is affecting, and has inspired change in how I personally approach my own priorities moving forward.Please make the time to add this book to the front of your queue!
Linda E Griffing –
I did not like this bookIt kept pissing me off, as I pecked my way through it.It took me months to get through, as I felt compelled to digest and contemplate what I read.It is an excellent book.What I disliked is that it is true!
BuyingTime –
There has been so much science lately regarding medical science only using men in trials. Science NOW shows male data is far from perfect when it comes to a woman and many of us have died needlessly over the years. This book will open your eyes and possibly save your life. Have an honest conversation with your doctor.
Anon193480234 –
An incredibly inspiring and eye-opening book. As a designer, I am appalled by the lack of female data bias in almost every aspect of everyday life. I encourage everyone to read this, regardless of your career, I believe there is an urgent need for the world to pay more attention to female specific needs.
Kindle Customer –
This book challenges the reader to consider the implications of data, how it is calculated, analyzed and addressed in the real world. I am very thankful to have been recommended this book, it has given me a lot to contemplate especially when addressing problems in my own field. I look forward to reading future works by Caroline Criado Perez.
Charles W. Loflin –
Before this book, I knew the gender gap was real but I was not prepared for the reality of how insidious the problem actually is and how complicit I personally am in perpetuating the “norms” that allow the gap to continue. As Caroline Criado Perez says in the book, “But when your big data is corrupted by big silences, the truths you get are half-truths, at best. And often, for women, they aren’t true at all.” I must do better. We all must do better.
Angela R. Headrick –
Everyone should read this book. Factual and eye opening. Even though it’s packed with data it’s a riveting read.
Sara Machado Silva –
“Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their own point of view, which they confuse with the absolute truth” – Simone de BeauvoirThis is such an important book and I wish more people would read it. I had no idea of the severity of the gender data gap and its impact in our lives and future.As a woman, I tend to be more aware of the invisible an unaccounted work we are doing. However, and probably naively, I had no idea of how much being a woman was ignored in the construction of the world we live.
Hannah Forth –
I took about one week to slowly and thoroughly read this book, and it has opened my eyes to many, many different things. This book should be in high school curriculums, maybe then I’d never have to hear another guy tell me about how “Women just haven’t contributed as much to human advancement as men.” Women single handedly created humanity from seeds.And the author does not forget it. This book is absolutely riddled with facts and data, and even the damning lack of data in this context. Its thoughtfully put together to tell the story of 50% of the population that somehow gets treated like a minority. It’s often witty, sad, angering, and most of all just depressing. I can’t recommend it enough.That said, it was occasionally sprinkled with minor typos, run on sentences got hard to keep up with, and anecdotal evidence was regularly compounded with actual evidence to draw exaggerated conclusions (that were still, on the whole, quite right in their line of thinking.)Read this book if you are a woman or know a woman.
Kerosine –
As a female in a male-dominated design industry, so much more makes sense after reading this. It was a quick read and full of facts. Great explanations of biased: car-safety ratings, medical research, and technology.
Erin –
fantastic work on such an important subject. We should all be enraged that sexism is the standard and, as such, women are dying.
Micah –
So good. Well-written, eye-opening and incredibly important for ALL to read!
Eigenstein –
A well written book that exposed how much research is based on men’s bodies as a “universal” standard for research. We are NOT the same in so many ways, yet business and government remained biased.
Cortney –
This book made me so angry that I had to put it down several times just so I could cool off. If you use data, collect data, or think that credible data can be trusted, this book will dissuade you of your illusions. Because so-called credible data kills women. It kills them in car crashes, in hospitals, after natural disasters, and after a winter snowfall. The author shows that gender-neutral data is actually blind to women, and women (and men) suffer the repercussions.
VMacS –
This book is well-written, data-driven, and just plain good. It’s amazing to be able to call out all the ways the world – from planning to technology to medicine – is blind to women and their needs. Everyone in every industry should read this and think about what gaps exist and how to fill them. I’m so glad someone wrote this book.
Bharat –
Just amazingly researched, extremely insightful and thought-provoking. Super ambitious breadth. Makes convincing arguments throughout. Incredible accomplishment by the author. Would insist people read this book.
CD in Boston –
This is a must read for women and men.
Amazon Customer –
Great book. Repeatedly points out data (or far more often, lack of data) where women are concerned. It is frightening that women take medicines that are inappropriate (if they work at all), use products that are not safe because they were never designed with women in mind; and are hardly ever consulted about issues that directly concern them.
Jenny Bloom –
Reading the data on just how often women, and the consideration of women, have been left out of literally everything in our world is informative and angering.
Avid Reader –
This is an informative and very well written book–thoroughly researched, fact-based, and engaging. I bought a copy for my son and daughter-in-law and recommend the book to friends. The chapter on medical research data is profound!
Brian J Milewski –
Outstanding, detailed, data based book blew me away. What an accomplishment. A necessary read for all humans. Should be included in all high schools.
Anne Horton –
This book was eye-opening, infuriating, and inspiring.Eye-opening – There are so many ways that women’s lives are impacted by data and lack thereof. I knew about things like medicines, but examples from transportation, product design, etc. were incredibly enlighteningInfuriating – Why are we still not paying attention to women? Women are negatively impacted daily and nothing is changing.Inspiring – There can be a solution and I’m even more motivated to vote, protest, and lobby for change.The book is an easy, enjoyable read that I recommend all women and men read.
LG –
Criado Perez does an incredible job of not just detailing, but actively engaging with assumptions that we haven’t truly questioned yet. Must read for anyone who wonders how bias can be expressed in the modern age.
Madelein Smit –
I have read a lot about inequality, and yet I was strucked by how often I use the male form as the collective. Also, how women are still simply not catered for…
Frank Oelschlager –
This is really an eye opening book backed by data (and ironically, by a lack of available data) to make a profound point. I came to this book believing myself already to be proactive about women’s rights and issues, but learned that the problem runs so much deeper than I ever realized. And if I’m completely honest, I learned that I’ve been guilty of unconscious bias by simply not thinking through how certain things might affect women differently. I’m not a big book reviewer or recommender in general, but this important book is one I’m telling people in my world about. I highly recommend that you read this book if you want a better world for everyone.
solamen2 –
I’m a man, and I knew the problems with women’s data not being collected and women’s needs not being met in the world were bad, but not THIS bad. There are many great sources of data for these claims throughout the book; so many, in fact, that I started to feel overwhelmed after a while.But guys, we have to read sources like these and motivate ourselves to do better. The women in our lives deserve that, at the very least.
Samuel K Long –
Enlightening, interesting read! The author did an excellent job researching the topics covered and I appreciated that she was not biased in many cases. I wish everyone had to read this book and try to make changes to fix the gendered norms that have literally led to women dying.
Julie H. Duersch –
That the data gap should exist still is evidence they we haven’t come as far as we thought. Women and men alike need to read this book and consider their own data gaps!
Marti Hidden –
Read this book. It is incredible. Well written, thoroughly researched and documented, but still extremely readable. Fascinating. Shocking, and not. If you are a woman, or if you care about women, read it. Even if you think you already understand how different the world is for women, you will be surprised.
Bethany –
While you may think you know what data bias has done to the female condition, you probably have not experienced the breadth and depth of the research like this. Here it all is, in one place, with surprisingly clear analysis and the data to back it up, framed by science. Everyone needs to read this book.
Kris Thomson –
Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone. It’s surprising (and unsettling) how we’re failing to capture the necessary data about 50% of the population to design useful products, make informed decisions, and to save lives.Criado-Perez provides a myriad of examples where gender data gaps are impacting society. While some of her arguments felt like a bit of a stretch, her overall argument was certainly persuasive and eye-opening. A quick and interesting read, this is definitely a book I encourage others to read (repeating myself, I know) as it shines some light on a topic that is clearly needing more attention.
KZ –
Was your women in gender studies in class not enough? This added logic and perspective to what extends beyond our usual ideas of women’s inequality in our global society.
Sabrina S –
Good book, everyone should read
L Cole –
Systematic bias exists which pre-disposes women to wrongful dismissal and inferior quality health care. This book is a must for any woman or anyone who cares about a woman in seeking adequate healthcare. This book could save your life.
Stephanie –
This book is not a light read, but it is well researched and should be a necessary read for everyone. I honestly don’t know how to begin solving the issues brought forward in the book, but it has seriously made me think how I can help close the data gap, even in a small way.
Anonymous –
Informative and well-researched. It stoked my frustration with how the world is designed to meet men’s needs and overlooks women (half of the world’s population!). This book really displays how deep these issues run in our society.
Anita G. –
Easy to read, interesting and eye opening to how half the population is often unintentionally unaccounted for becasue of assumptions that collecting data on men is representative for all humans.
Monika Simkiene –
Infuriating but true, all things that seemed supernatural suddenly are thrown at you as this cruel injustice. Simply a must read!
Chris Gerrib –
This is a fascinating, dense and at times infuriating book. The author Caroline Criado Perez, bombards the reader with statistic after statistic showing that, not only is the modern world built for men, much of the data we collect about that world either ignores or discounts the differences between men and women. Every paragraph, it seems, has a concrete example, such as, there are no female crash test dummies. Sometimes, scaled-down male dummies are used, but given women’s different bone density and muscle distribution, even that’s not helpful. Nor are there any pregnant crash test dummies, yet car accidents are the leading cause of fetal death.In many of the instances Perez cites, sex-specific data isn’t gathered. One of the outcomes is that problems, such as heart attacks in females, are described as having “atypical symptoms.” Except since females are 50% of the population, there’s nothing “atypical” about that. Mind-blowing and infuriating stuff like that flows like water out of a firehose through the pages of this book.I said the book is dense – it’s more textbook than beach read. However, it’s an important and eye-opening read for both sexes.
LMS –
This book should be compulsory reading. It captures a moment in time where in some regions of the world we should, ostensibly, have equal rights – but the reality falls far short. I could not recommend this book more.
Carlos Esp –
This book is so so good and brings to light so many things I’ve observed but never truly considered in depth.
WU. –
Did you know that snow plowing/clearing can be sexist?Yup, it is guys. Major streets, highways, and thoroughfares get most of the attention after a snowfall because duh! people need to drive to work and stuff, right? But, according to the author, this benefits men disproportionately as they have relatively straightforward commuting patterns and are less likely to use public transport. Women, on the other hand, must contend with circuitous patterns of commute (i.e. kid’s school, groceries, parents, work, laundry, kid’s practice, etc.) that not only expose them to less tidy roads after inclement weather, but also sloppy sidewalks that have shown to result in more injuries which translate to lost productivity and eventually more expenditure on healthcare programs, etc. And that’s just the appetizer…So….women are difficult to measure, non-linearly commuting humans that do 75% percent of the world’s unpaid labor, who are disproportionally affected by cuts to social programs, who are constantly being subjected to an infuriating double standard, and whose contributions to the nation’s GDP has been largely unaccounted for.If you are not the “default human” in most studies (i.e. a male) then grab some calming chamomile tea and take your blood pressure medication or something cause each chapter is sure to make your blood boil. If you are a “default human” however, then be prepared to have an entirely new understanding of the word privilege…There is some overreaching in terms of the arguments that caused me to squint and purse my lips the way I do when I’m extremely skeptical about something, like when she presented the idea that it’s hard for women to perform similarly to men in construction jobs cause cement bags are just too darn big and so are bricks! If they were to change the world standard for bricks though…problem solved eh?Also, apparently men drove the trend towards bigger and bigger phones, cause we have big manly hands and we can handle them whereas women must contort their digits in all kinds of ways causing them much discomfort. But they do make them smaller I thought? Anyways, the point is that they won’t fit in their darn pants pockets! By Jove, If the patriarchy just stopped designing Lululemons, yoga pants, skinny jeans, pantsuits and tiny purses, then…Hmmm. Methinks women in the fashion industry have it well within their province to address these issues, yes?In general tough, this book is an eye-opening, world-view changing kind of work that has research in spades and deserves every accolade and award thrown its way.Must read recommendation!
Eva –
I struggle to get into nonfiction but cannot put this book down. I’m about halfway through it and every chapter is blowing my mind. The writing is fast-paced and exciting and the content is fascinating!
Alyssa –
She provides endless examples of how women aren’t accounted for and how our world is designed for the default male. Fifty percent of the population should not be treated as a minority. Everyone should read this book.
Mr. B. Loehnis –
A brilliant collection of facts about how much work there is still to do, to provide an equitable world designed for both men and women. Every man & women should read this.
Sheridan Rea –
An absolute must read for anyone interested in women’s rights or human rights. I cannot recommend this book enough. Caroline’s strong coherent commentary and evidence for the gender data gap is not only convincing but essential for people to understand.
Rachel –
Phenomenal book on understanding how women are excluded in data and thus critical decisions in our world. Everyone should read!
Angelica Galera –
Nice book, the covered was kind of stain but everything else was in good shape
Mapache –
This book is freaking amazing, absolutely everyone should read it. If you have any interest in data science or have a sneaking suspicion that simulation theory isn’t what it seems, this is for you.
jewelry29 –
This is a must read for women. My friends and I have these conversations all the time concerning the issues brought up in this book.