Faludi, Susan
Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women,
Winner of 1991 National Book Critics Circle Award for General Nonfiction. An early 90s status report on the women's movement.
See also a detailed review by Rebecca Eisenberg.
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Hughes, Robert
Culture of Complaint: The Fraying of America,
The author, a Times critic, shares his thoughts on the road America has traveled towards "political correctness" and what PC is doing to us. I've read other reviews stating he doesn't go far enough in his expose but, as it is, the subject matter is accessible and understandable to the average frayed American about which it has been written!
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Myers, B.R.
A Reader's Manifesto: An Attack on the Growing Pretentiousness in American Literary Prose
The title really says it all. If you've ever read a book by a popular, award winning, "serious" novelist that you thought you were just too thick-headed to "get", but you plowed through it despite your reservations, you will appreciate this man's commentary.
I'll admit to have been taken in by popular--or even individual pressures--to read and attempt to look at the good side of a novel that was clearly "bad", as in virtually unreadable. You'll probably find that some of my reviews reflect this.
While I don't agree with all of the author's evaluations, since reading this book I've decided to put down any book, no matter how oft-praised, if it's as impenetrable as a titanium door.
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Wells, Ken, Editor
Floating Off the Page : The Best Stories from The Wall Street Journal's "Middle Column"
For those of you who have enjoyed some of the off-the-wall stories featured front and center of the Wall Street Journal for years, here is a collection of stories you can tell at parties that will lift listeners' eyebrows, at the very least.
The strange-but-true stuff in here ranges from a strange golf tournament in Kodiak, Alaska ("One Hole, Par 70" p. 115), to braces for sheep ("Your Orthodontist and Ewe", p.119).
Whether or not you are a Wall Street Journal reader, you will get a kick out of this collection of essays.
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