Book Review
Inside The New York Times Book Review Podcast: ‘All the Single Ladies’

MARCH 4, 2016

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In The New York Times Book Review, Gillian B. White reviews Rebecca Traister’s “All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation.”

A mix of interviews and historical analysis, “All the Single Ladies” is a well-researched, deeply informative examination of women’s bids for independence, spanning centuries. The material can threaten to be overwhelming at times, but Traister provides a thoughtful culling of history to help bridge the gap between, on the one hand, glib depictions of single womanhood largely focused on sexual escapades and, on the other, grave warnings that female independence will unravel the very fabric of the country. In this follow-up of sorts to her first book, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” — an inquiry into the changing political landscape for young women, occasioned by the 2008 election — Traister brings a welcome balance of critique and personal reflection to a conversation that is often characterized more by advocacy and moral policing than honest discovery.

Also this week, August Kleinzahler reviews Ben Ratliff’s “Every Song Ever: Twenty Ways to Listen in an Age of Musical Plenty.”

On this week’s podcast, Traister talks about “All the Single Ladies”; Alexandra Alter has news from the publishing world; Ben Ratliff discusses “Every Song Ever”; Richard Armitage talks about his audiobook recording of “David Copperfield”; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Pamela Paul is the host.

I say I spoke to David Copperfield. My 9-year-old says it was Thorin Oakenshield. It was both: @RCArmitage https://t.co/P3xTiPYq86

Arianna hat geschrieben:Schuld und Sühne war auch eines meiner frühesten "Erwachsenenbücher" - das wäre schön eine tolle Sache für und mit Richard! Hoffentlich haben wirklich ein paar Insider zugehört!