Books like Feminism Without Illusions by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese

Betty Friedan’s 1963 classic uncovers the invisible barriers that kept women confined to domestic roles, sparking a cultural awakening that reshaped ideas about equality and personal fulfillment in the United States.

Judith Butler’s seminal text challenges essentialist views of sex and gender, proposing that identity is constructed through repeated social performances.

A classic of feminism, *Backlash* exposes the backlash against women's rights.

"Feminist Thought is a clear, comprehensive, and incisive introduction to the major traditions of feminist theory, from liberal feminism, radical feminism, and Marxist and socialist feminism to care-focused feminism, psychoanalytic feminism, women of color feminisms, and ecofeminism. The fourth edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded. The chapter on multiculturalism was renamed Women of Color Feminisms and significantly updated, revised, and expanded by Tina Fernandes Botts of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. The revisions also include a new section on existentialism as it relates to postmodern feminism, and a new conclusion that contemplates third-wave feminism and the future directions of feminist theory. Learning tools such as the new end-of-chapter discussion questions, and the bibliography, organized by topics within chapters, make Feminist Thought an essential resource for students and thinkers who want to understand the theoretical origins and complexities of contemporary feminist debates."--Pub. desc.

Shulamith Firestone’s 1970 book, *The Dialectic of Sex*, argues for a feminist revolution and is celebrated as a clear, bold presentation of radical feminism.