Publishers Weekly
01/15/2024
“Money and, by extension, power remain stubbornly gendered,” according to this incisive debut history. Journalist Cox investigates American women’s economic status from WWII through the present by telling stories of women “who dedicated their lives to female economic empowerment.” The subjects include Anna Mae Krier, who assembled bomber planes during WWII and later successfully petitioned Congress for recognition of women’s contributions to Allied victory; Margaret Sanger, whose fruitful efforts to create a birth control pill meant fewer women had to drop out of the workforce because of unplanned pregnancies; and U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm, whose impassioned advocacy on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment still couldn’t secure its passage. There’s some jaw-dropping trivia (“It wasn’t until 1988, and the Women’s Business Ownership Act... that all women were able to get a business loan without a male cosigner”), and Cox makes depressingly clear how some ostensibly successful gender equality campaigns have actually been pyrrhic victories. For instance, she notes that the lawyer who represented Goodyear supervisor Lilly Ledbetter in an equal pay case against her employer (the Supreme Court ruled against her in 2007, but Congress named its 2009 Fair Pay Act after her) reports that businesses still routinely flout the law. It’s a rousing testament to the achievements of women activists, and a damning indictment of how America has failed to protect their gains. Photos. Agent: Dan Mandel, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Mar.)
founder and CEO of How Women Lead Julie Castro Adams
We are at a pivotal moment in our history where women have 50 percent of the wealth, more education, and significant careers and yet we still have blind spots where we are held back. Women Money Power looks at who has been pushing the envelope and what has worked, and what changes still need to be made for us to get to equity. It’s a new day and we need to understand power and money if we are going to get there!
former gender director at the New York Times Francesca Donner
Buckle up for a journey through the ups and downs, highs and lows, wins and losses of women’s economic and social empowerment in the U.S. Going back decades, Cox artfully chronicles both the events and the actions of individuals—some better known, some less so—which have changed the course of history for women. Each chapter offers a superb framework from which to understand the plight of women in the U.S. today. A necessary and riveting read that is, despite its subject matter, also a pleasure.
Lisa Napoli
In this compelling, deftly researched book, Josie Cox reminds us how far we’ve progressed toward equality, and what’s stalling the progress. Every person alive today needs to know and understand the struggles women have had in the workforce for generations.
author of King: A Life and The Birth of the Pi Jonathan Eig
A bold, fascinating, and hugely important book. Josie Cox gives us the story of the fight for economic equality—past, present, and future—with deep research and riveting prose. Unforgettable.
author of Tomboy: The Surprising History and F Lisa Selin Davis
Josie Cox takes us deep into the stories of women in the past whose chutzpah and determination continue to make a difference in our lives today. From the real story of Rosie the Riveter to the socialite who smuggled birth control to the States from Europe, she weaves personal narrative and political history into a compelling and damning story of the ongoing struggle for economic and social equality.
New York Times bestselling author of Ladyparts: Deborah Copaken
Josie Cox’s Women Money Power should be required reading. For all genders. It's really two books in one: both an analysis of how far we’ve come in our fight against gender inequality as well as a scathing critique of how far we still have to go. As Cox brilliantly maps out, point by point, we are failing women, again and again, and she has the receipts, rigor, and storytelling chops to prove it.
Danna Greenberg
In Women Money Power Josie Cox unearths the highs and lows in the century-long fight for gender equality through the stories of the women who led these battles at home, at work, and in the legal system. We are introduced to countless trailblazers, only a few who became household names, who challenged the legal and social forces that kept—and still keep—women from gaining financial power and control over one’s body, one’s family, and one’s career. And it is in these stories of the past, that we, both women and men, can find hope and strength to continue to challenge the social, political, and organizational systems that are standing in the way of gender equality at home, at work, and in society at large.
Amy Diehl
Women Money Power is the fascinating story of the hidden figures who have fought for women's economic equality. Josie Cox’s masterful storytelling style draws you into the gripping narratives of these female pioneers. There is much to be learned from their efforts while we continue to strive for full gender equality today. This book is a must-read.
Lloyd Cotsen ’50 Professor of Sociology at P Viviana A. Zelizer
With passion, insight, and impressive research, Josie Cox guides us through a fascinating historical tour of U.S. women’s economic lives. A welcome contribution to our understanding of persistent gender inequalities.
business and finance editor at Semafor and author Liz Hoffman
Josie Cox delivers a deeply researched story of how generations of workplace promises failed, and why progress is not only infuriatingly slow but often sabotaged and squandered. It's a must-read for women looking up at glass ceilings or peering over glass cliffs —and for any man who claims to support them.
From the Publisher
In this compelling, deftly researched book, Josie Cox reminds us how far we’ve progressed toward equality, and what’s stalling the progress. Every person alive today needs to know and understand the struggles women have had in the workforce for generations. ”—Lisa Napoli, author of Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie
“A bold, fascinating, and hugely important book. Josie Cox gives us the story of the fight for economic equality—past, present, and future—with deep research and riveting prose. Unforgettable.”—Jonathan Eig, author of King: A Life and The Birth of the Pill
“Josie Cox delivers a deeply researched story of how generations of workplace promises failed, and why progress is not only infuriatingly slow but often sabotaged and squandered. It's a must-read for women looking up at glass ceilings or peering over glass cliffs —and for any man who claims to support them.”—Liz Hoffman, business and finance editor at Semafor and author of Crash Landing: The Inside Story of
“Josie Cox’s Women Money Power should be required reading. For all genders. It's really two books in one: both an analysis of how far we’ve come in our fight against gender inequality as well as a scathing critique of how far we still have to go. As Cox brilliantly maps out, point by point, we are failing women, again and again, and she has the receipts, rigor, and storytelling chops to prove it.”—Deborah Copaken, New York Times bestselling author of Ladyparts: A Memoir
“Women Money Power is the fascinating story of the hidden figures who have fought for women's economic equality. Josie Cox’s masterful storytelling style draws you into the gripping narratives of these female pioneers. There is much to be learned from their efforts while we continue to strive for full gender equality today. This book is a must-read.”—Amy Diehl, PhD, author of Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women B
“In Women Money Power Josie Cox unearths the highs and lows in the century-long fight for gender equality through the stories of the women who led these battles at home, at work, and in the legal system. We are introduced to countless trailblazers, only a few who became household names, who challenged the legal and social forces that kept—and still keep—women from gaining financial power and control over one’s body, one’s family, and one’s career. And it is in these stories of the past, that we, both women and men, can find hope and strength to continue to challenge the social, political, and organizational systems that are standing in the way of gender equality at home, at work, and in society at large.”—Danna Greenberg, Walter H. Carpenter Professor of Organizational Behavior, Babson College
“Josie Cox takes us deep into the stories of women in the past whose chutzpah and determination continue to make a difference in our lives today. From the real story of Rosie the Riveter to the socialite who smuggled birth control to the States from Europe, she weaves personal narrative and political history into a compelling and damning story of the ongoing struggle for economic and social equality.”—Lisa Selin Davis, author of Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Differ
“We are at a pivotal moment in our history where women have 50 percent of the wealth, more education, and significant careers and yet we still have blind spots where we are held back. Women Money Power looks at who has been pushing the envelope and what has worked, and what changes still need to be made for us to get to equity. It’s a new day and we need to understand power and money if we are going to get there!”—Julie Castro Adams, founder and CEO of How Women Lead
“With passion, insight, and impressive research, Josie Cox guides us through a fascinating historical tour of U.S. women’s economic lives. A welcome contribution to our understanding of persistent gender inequalities.”—Viviana A. Zelizer, Lloyd Cotsen ’50 Professor of Sociology at Princeton University and author of Ec
“Buckle up for a journey through the ups and downs, highs and lows, wins and losses of women’s economic and social empowerment in the U.S. Going back decades, Cox artfully chronicles both the events and the actions of individuals—some better known, some less so—which have changed the course of history for women. Each chapter offers a superb framework from which to understand the plight of women in the U.S. today. A necessary and riveting read that is, despite its subject matter, also a pleasure.”—Francesca Donner, former gender director at the New York Times
Library Journal
★ 05/10/2024
Business journalist Cox has spent more than 15 years examining how women's financial situations often affect their personal agency and power. When she had her daughter, she became a freelance journalist because traditional work arrangements and lack of childcare access made work difficult to juggle as a new parent. At one point, a noted billionaire told Cox in off-the-record conversation that women—the ones he thought were less motivated at work after having a child—were to blame for the gender pay gap. His comment infuriated and provoked her to tell economic story of modern Western women. This book shares Cox's findings after several years of researching the names and stories of women who are cultural and economic pioneers—to name a few, Pauli Murray, Katharine Dexter McCormick, Shirley Chisholm, and Mae Krier, who was one of the original "Rosie the Riveters" and was recently honored with a Congressional Gold Medal. Cox emphasizes that reproductive freedom affects economic freedom for women and also argues that recent legal restrictions have suppressed the path to gender equality. VERDICT This book excels at noting the ways societies undercut women. It's a must-have that enhances gender studies, business, and sociology collections.—Caren Nichter
MAY 2024 - AudioFile
A business journalist combines flawless narration with intelligent writing to explain how cultural and institutional barriers have blocked U.S. women's access to financial independence and the power that comes with it. Josie Cox's mature-sounding performance and British accent add dignity to her careful research and writing. The stories of pioneers like Betty Friedan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Shirley Chisholm are inspiring, along with accounts of lesser-known women who fought to develop birth control pills in the 1950s or broke through obstacles to attend good schools or work in banking and financial policy. Cox's astute grasp of culture, power, and institutional dynamics and her compelling performance make this audiobook a seminal guide to the continuing fight for gender equality. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-11-28
A history of women’s struggles for economic rights and financial freedom.
Focusing on the period from World War II until the present, journalist and broadcaster Cox explores women’s progress in the fight for economic equality. The author zeroes in on the personal and professional stories of those who were especially influential in this history, along with a look at “what ultimately went wrong; why, fifty and sixty years ago, progress seemed abundant with promise and why now, in 2024, it appears to have stalled so dramatically.” A clear strength of the book is Cox’s attention to the contributions of lesser-known figures in the liberation movement as she chronicles in revealing detail the significance of “unsung heroes” such as Alice Paul, Pauli Murray, Shirley Chisholm, Lindy Boggs, and Muriel Siebert. The author’s commentary on Murray’s life is particularly astute; she not only highlights her extraordinary achievements as an activist on behalf of women and people of color, but also illuminates the often intersecting goals and strategies of the feminist and Civil Rights movements. Cox persuasively argues that contemporary understandings of intersectionality are deeply indebted to Murray’s work. Also memorable is the discussion of the development and wide-ranging impact of the birth control pill. The emergence of the pill at the beginning of the 1960s was the culmination of long-standing efforts on the political, legal, and scientific fronts to secure reproductive freedoms, and its economic ramifications were enormous. A major obstacle standing in the way of equality today, the author ultimately demonstrates, can be found in the striking gap between women’s and men’s pay across a range of professions. That gap, research shows, “has hardly budged for years.” Cox offers an accessible and instructive overview of how money and power have intersected with gender in modern America.
A vigorous, often inspiring account of women’s quests for economic equality.
