This New York Times–bestselling feminist classic remains as fresh and relevant in our current climate as when it was first published.

Covering two decades—from the early sixties to the early eighties—the pieces in Gloria Steinem’s diverse, stimulating, and often-prescient first collection dare to ask how our world might change for the better if we each behaved “as if everyone mattered.” Steinem’s experiences on the front lines of the women’s movement chart her own consciousness-raising and serve as a metaphor for the evolution of feminist politics and social change.

An early assignment as a “girl reporter,” going undercover as a Bunny in the Playboy Club, becomes an eye-opening exposé of appalling work conditions and sexual harassment. In many of the pieces that follow, Steinem challenges the practices and preconceptions that marginalize, exclude, exploit, and victimize women.

Steinem understands that the political is always personal, and vice versa, and so her writings range from the polemical—“Erotica vs. Pornography” and “The Politics of Food”—to the deeply personal—“Ruth’s Song,” a moving tribute to her mentally ill mother—to sharp satire—“If Men Could Menstruate.” One of the first to address topics such as female genital mutilation and transgenderism, Steinem has truly earned the right to be called a feminist pioneer, and this collection is both a testament to her legacy in the fight for equality and an entertaining, thought-provoking journey through the lives of modern women.

This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gloria Steinem including rare images from the author’s personal collection.