SOURCE: “Have We Come a Long Way, Baby?,” in Washington Post Book World, November 3, 1991, pp. 3-4.

In the following review of Backlash, Clift commends Faludi's “reportage” but finds weaknesses in her analysis of contemporary feminism and the costs of women's liberation.

Young women today do not like to be called feminists. For them, the word conjures up images of bra-burning “women’s libbers.” Even Ms. magazine, the bible of the women’s movement, began avoiding the feminist label in its copy after a series of focus groups confirmed women’s negative attitude. The National Organization for Women, once a powerful force in presidential politics, is derided as a fringe interest group, its call for a third party not taken seriously. Dumb blonde jokes are back in, and conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh entertains millions by mocking feminism as “mainstreaming” for unattractive women.

Against this background, no...