THE H-SPOT

A sound analysis of what really makes women happy.

Filipovic, a New York Times contributing opinion writer and Cosmopolitan.com columnist, undertakes an assertive, eye-opening investigation of women’s happiness. “The American pursuit of happiness,” she writes, “has morphed from a political promise made in the very declaration of our independent nation into a thoroughly capitalist endeavor, packaged and sold to individuals with the promise that if you just get this thing—if you just choose to pay for this thing—you’ll be fulfilled.” But as the author adeptly points out, happiness is not a thing—not something that comes in a can or from an exercise class or even from a romantic partner. Deep, long-lasting friendships, the right to be sexual in all its myriad forms, being a wife, mother, and/or a boss are just some of the numerous ways women are pursuing their individual paths to happiness. She addresses the food/fat/fashion dilemma that women have faced for decades (the “desire to shrink oneself fattens the American diet industry to the tune of $61 billion”), the increasingly incendiary issues of sexual and domestic violence, and the growing concerns of women regarding their right to make their reproductive choices. Filipovic also takes up the change of power in Washington, D.C., with the ascendance of a president who has bragged about sexual assault, and she discusses what this means for women in particular as he begins his administration and makes changes that could take feminism backward. Coming on the heels of the best chance so far to have a woman in the White House, the author’s research and analysis are spot-on, and she provides readers with plenty of useful information to drive deep and necessary discussions for years to come.

A timely, enlightening exploration of what American women truly want and need to live purposeful, fulfilling, happy lives.