This is a compilation of articles, magazine covers and letters from Ms. Magazine. It chronicles the fight for minority rights since the magazine's creation in the 70s. It can be hard to read at times because of the injustice done to so many people over the years but it's still an incredibly important book that reminds people that the fight is still going.

I’m ashamed to say that I’ma newcomer to Ms., but I’m glad I finally found it. The variety of articles was great. Highly recommended to anyone interested in women’s studies!

A most excellent compilation of well-chosen articles, essays, and covers from Ms. Magazine from its beginning to the present. I was lucky enough to become a charter subscriber during college and followed the publication for several years. Life took over and I lost track of the magazine but not the women’s issues represented. Studying the pages now is nostalgic at the beginning and inspiring as the magazine pages continue to reflect important current trends and events. A goldmine of information, this could be a textbook for women’s studies or a reference book for home and public libraries. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I grew up during the Ms. era, a latchkey kid in the 1970s. My mom always told me to find a career of my own that would allow me to not rely on a man for my livelihood. I started reading Ms. in my tiny little hometown library, where I went as often as possible to browse the shelves and learn about the world beyond its borders. In the pages of Ms. I read about women's perspective, independent of what their husbands might think, for the first time. I discovered a magazine whose words made me feel like I could belong in the world. Fifty Years of Ms. is a representative collection of the work that has appeared in the magazine, covering unique perspectives at the cutting edge such as violence against women, workplace equality, equal pay and abortion rights, as well as publishing letters to the editor of various perspectives. No other publication has influenced culture change as has Ms. magazine, and this 50-year collection makes it easy to see how they pulled it off. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for sharing this book with me.
It was an honor to be part of the book tour at Vromans and participate at Skirball.
https://www.wesaidgotravel.com/braveish-vromans/

https://www.wesaidgotravel.com/skirball-museum/

"50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution" is an extraordinary collection that stands as a testament to the enduring impact of Ms. magazine on the feminist movement. With the added gravitas of Gloria Steinem's insightful foreword, this anthology offers readers a compelling journey through half a century of feminist thought, activism, and cultural change.

Steinem's foreword, a powerful reflection on the magazine's significance, sets the tone for what follows. Her keen insights provide a context that enriches the reader's understanding of the historical and cultural backdrop against which Ms. emerged. It's a fitting tribute to the magazine's pioneering spirit and its role in shaping feminist discourse.

The curated selection of articles, essays, and features showcases the evolution of feminist thinking over the years. From the early days of the women's liberation movement to the present day, "50 Years of Ms." offers a comprehensive view of the issues that have animated the movement, including reproductive rights, gender equality, and intersectionality.

The diversity of voices represented in this anthology is striking. The inclusion of contributions from a wide range of writers, activists, and thinkers underscores the collective effort that has fueled the feminist movement. Each piece, whether a personal reflection or a pointed critique, contributes to the rich tapestry of ideas that define modern feminism.

One of the strengths of this collection is its ability to balance the historical with the contemporary. The juxtaposition of early articles with more recent writings provides a dynamic perspective on the enduring relevance of feminist issues. It's a testament to the resilience of the movement and the ongoing work that still needs to be done.

The editors have done a commendable job in organizing the material, offering insightful introductions to each section that provide context and highlight key themes. This structure makes the anthology accessible to both newcomers to feminist discourse and longtime advocates.

In "50 Years of Ms.," readers are treated to a vivid panorama of feminist history, thought, and action. It's a celebration of the progress that has been made and a reminder of the challenges that lie ahead. This anthology is not only a valuable resource for those interested in feminist studies, but also a source of inspiration for anyone committed to a more just and equitable world.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the most important books to read this year. I remember reading some of these articles back in the 1980's when I was a teenager and it was transformational for me. All the classics are here including essays by Gloria Steinem "If Men Could Menstruate" - one of my all time favorites, as well as other notable women (and men). The book has reprints of the poems and articles but also shows the actual magazine covers and articles as they looked in the magazine at the time - this made this collection very visual appealing as well. Not only are these pieces ones I will revisit again and again, I also felt some sadness in reading them. Why? Because some things have not changed for the better for women over the past 50 years. While there has been progress, I asked myself why hasn't there been more progress for women given many issues were raised 40-50 years ago. This is an important read for women and men to understand how things have changed for the better for all, and where there is more work for us to do.. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

50 Years of Ms is a truly remarkable read.

If you are unfamiliar with Ms. Magainze, it is a feminist magazine founded in 1971/72 by Gloria Steinem. 51 years later it is still going strong! As a feminist myself, I was very interested in this title!

The book showcases notable covers from the past 50 years, articles that cover topics relating to feminism (which is a real treat when you compare/contrast to today!) and full of history regarding the magazine and the impact it has had for the past 50-odd years.

Highly recommended reading!

Seminal articles, pieces of fiction, and letters to the editor compiled from fifty years’ worth of Ms. magazine provide us with a glimpse into the last half-century of the feminist movement.

For someone living in the 21st century, I have a hefty digital collection of midcentury magazines. I find it fascinating to immerse myself in the minutiae of such a different period, seeing how the world was expected to look at the time. I even like reading the advertisements! I haven’t read any old editions of Ms. before though, and was excited to get the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book contains a selection of articles and letters published in Ms. in the past fifty years, divided by decade. I liked that there’s plenty of commentary to support them, providing both context and updates on the issues discussed, as well as discussion of the iterations the magazine itself went through as it changed publishers and eventually went to an ad-free model.

There’s a diverse selection of topics covered, such as equal pay and employment, abortion, and parents’ rights. It was cool to see that intersectionality was put front and center right from the start, as well as seeing how the language around the topics discussed became more exact and sophisticated as time went on. Though the fight for womens’ rights has evolved over time, it was interesting to see how in many ways we are fighting for the same issues that we had started out with.

I did wish that there were more short stories and poems included in the selection offered, as there were less than I had expected. I also thought that the 2020s were overrepresented, article-wise, considering how short that period of time is compared to the other decades. As such, there was less variety in the topics covered. I also wished that the selection had included more letters from ordinary subscribers in the last few decades – most of the 2010s and 2020s letters were from public figures instead.

It would be impossible to overstate the impact of Ms. Magazine on the US and on the world. Fifty years of advancing the cause of women—of being loud, confrontational and controversial where necessary, of starting the right kind of fires. Ms. has dared to go anywhere and everywhere women are—from households to government—and this collection of snippets from fifty years of publishing is a celebration and a declaration that women matter.

Extracts from the magazine are presented in sections from each decade of publishing, with some context where needed. There is original writing from people like Alice Walker (movingly, on The Colour Purple), Joy Harjo (on becoming a mother and contending with US healthcare), and of course Gloria Steinem. There’s a great piece by Michele Wallace about Black women in rap (Queen Latifah and MC Lyte!), and their role in countering misogyny. There is much thoughtful writing in the early years about housework and ”women’s work”—all considered banal and “background” and not worth talking about before the women’s movement. The impact of that writing is made clear in feedback in readers’ letters—from women, children and men. A powerful essay from 1990 by Jane Caputti and Diana Russell on femicide analyses the terrible events of December 6, 1989 at the University of Montreal, and is heartbreakingly and shockingly still relevant today. Steinem writes about Ms.’s struggles to get advertising to support the magazine, and (the sexist reasons) why—including, very memorably, a lunch with Leonard Lauder.

This is all just in the first half of this amazing and incredible retrospective, and I cannot recommend this book enough. So much feminist thought and history is captured in these pages, and all of it still so very relevant today. What is between these covers is really the history of women in the last fifty years—not just in the US, but internationally—and the progress of human rights as related to half the world’s population (with women’s rights inevitably tied to children’s rights). This is also a grim reminder of just how far we have to go, how slowly change happens: civil rights as a continuing process, never quite finished.

Thank you to Dorothy Pitman Hughes and Gloria Steinem for being such powerful voices for women. Thank you to all of the women who’ve been on the frontlines and in the background. Many thanks to Ms. for being such a force for change and for good. And thank you to NetGalley and to Knopf for access to this ARC.

Before Ms. Magazine came along, magazines for women focused solely on the domestic lives of women. Cooking, keeping a tidy house, raising children were the topics deemed to be of interest to women. But then came Ms Magazine, focusing on and targeted toward a whole new group of women.
When Ms appeared I was in college and got myself a subscription. My roommates and I devoured every new issue. It opened a whole new world…discussions
of sexuality, politics, equal employment and other topics that were quite different from our mothers’ magazines.
50 Years of Ms. is a celebration of this groundbreaking publication, with some background on obstacles faced through the years and essays focused on important subjects covered throughout the decades of the magazine’s existence. It was an interesting, enjoyable look back at journalistic history. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy for review..

This book should be required reading for every young woman who might not realize the struggles the women before them had. Just because women won the right to vote in 1920 does not mean that magically, society treated them equally. Founded the year before I was born, Ms. magazine was at the forefront of the modern women's movement, and this book curates a selection of material from the magazine. Included are articles about date rape, abortion rights, gender equality, ERA, the importance of Wonder Woman, you name it. If the issue was important to women during the past 50 years, Ms. covered it in detail. I also liked seeing the letters to the editor and the different covers through the years. I will be looking for a copy of this book in bookstores to add to my coffee table collection for myself and my three daughters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review; all opinions expressed are my own.

This is a great book about a magazine that the patriarchy thought no one would read it on its first printing they never thought they would have to re-print it but they did it blew off the shelf. They said no one would want to read about women loving women, abortion, the working woman and child care and other issues that face the American woman but that’s because it was men saying it and women wanted to read it. I mean it was also men who said women shouldn’t ride horses or bicycles because they wo might fall out so needless to say the publishers didn’t listen printed the magazine and here it is 50 years later. This is a great book and anyone who has just a passing interest in women’s issues can go back and sing the history of everything women had to fight for and in some cases are still fighting for. I consume this book faster than a banana smoothie from smoothie king. This is a great book and a definite five star read. I want to thank the publisher a NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for a chance to review 50 Years of Ms. I found this book riveting from the first chapter right to the last. What a textbook of knowledge for women to learn how far we have come and still need to go. Ms is ahead of her time. I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to help make a better and more inclusive world for all. Thank you, Ms.

Ms is one of those magazine you never read even if it was often quoted
This a good to get to know a founding source of thought
Highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher, all opinions are mine

This book is one to wrap your arms around for the love of women -- with all the pain endured throughout the ages and advancements made since the magazine was first published in 1972.

Well known activist Gloria Steinem worked with talented feminists over the years to cover leading news articles related to equal rights for women. This is a collection of stimulating stories, letters, poetry, news clips, and photographs covering 50 years of publications. Some of the magazine covers bring back memories.

The material is massive and it’s well organized in the book. It touches on a number of topics which includes: rape, abortions, effects of divorce, violence, women in prisons, military and women’s rights, prostitution, fashion, equal pay, gender rights, and Supreme Court rulings.

Some of what I read was very disturbing such date rape, violence against women and third-world women who work in horrible conditions hired by American companies.

Other parts made me feel inspired with the progress that has been made with equal pay for equal work, more representation in political leadership roles and help for battered wives. I think all women cheered when Billy Jean King won the tennis match with Bobby Riggs in 1973 paving the way for female athletes.

This book addresses how quickly conditions have changed with the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade. Fewer medical schools are training doctors to do procedures removing a fetus. “Why spend time training for a surgery that’s likely to be made illegal?” However, what happens when someone needs it for an emergency medical situation and there’s not a doctor to help?

It’s not easy to find a copy of a Ms. magazine in stores these days. However, digital copies are available online and this book will bring the past up to date with readers. It's my hope that the next generation will take a look as so few understand that just a short time ago, women fought for rights that are enjoyed today.

The work of the editor is praiseworthy. It’s certainly thought provoking. It’s my hope that someday there will also be a museum dedicated on the National Mall just for women.

My thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with the expected release date of September 19, 2023.

Even though I wasn't familiar with Ms., I was still fascinated by this compilation off essays offering a first row seat to the evolution of feminism in the United States. Great book to prompt discussion with a book. I also loved the covers.

This is THE book about Ms magazine, one of the most influential magazines in the history of modern publication. This book is so full of not only information, but photos, archives and magazine covers. The gamut of topics in one book such as this is astounding and captures the history of women and women’s rights like no other. From topics you would expect to more unexpected ones like Marilyn Monroe are throughout these pages. This magazine pre-dates me but the book has made me greatly appreciate it in its entirety. I highly recommend this in print!

This is an excellent overview of the history of Ms. Magazine. The framing materials fill out the context for the founding and editorial/business decisions of the magazine. The introductory essays are interesting, and the rest of the book includes a broad and fascinating range of Ms. articles arranged by decade.

As a queer, feminist writer who's been doing this work professionally for 15 years — which is about two internet centuries — this book was absolutely fascinating to me. I've been a fan of Ms. Magazine my entire life, and have spent extensive time studying Gloria Steinem and her connection to the resurrection of modern day Wonder Woman. This book took me so much deeper! It's an expansive source of primary history, full of writing in the moment for five decades of feminist activism. I have a feeling all my colleagues will be getting this for Christmas! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.