'A clear, concise, easy-to-read account of the issues between sex, gender and feminism . . . an important book' Evening Standard 'A call for cool heads at a time of great heat and a vital reminder that revolutions don't always end well' Sunday Times Material Girls is a timely and trenchant critique of the influential theory that we all have an inner feeling known as a gender identity, and that this feeling is more socially significant than our biological sex. Professor Kathleen Stock surveys the philosophical ideas that led to this point, and closely interrogates each one, from De Beauvoir's statement that, 'One is not born, but rather becomes a woman' (an assertion she contends has been misinterpreted and repurposed), to Judith Butler's claim that language creates biological reality, rather than describing it. She looks at biological sex in a range of important contexts, including women-only spaces and resources, healthcare, epidemiology, political organization and data collection. Material Girls makes a clear, humane and feminist case for our retaining the ability to discuss reality, and concludes with a positive vision for the future, in which trans rights activists and feminists can collaborate to achieve some of their political aims.

Project Runway meets Divergent in this insightful young adult novel that looks at fashion and consumerism in a world where children are the gatekeepers of culture and staying young and trendy are the keys to success.

On feminist cultural theory

In today’s society many young people have lost sight of the value of money and seem to believe that money really does "grow on trees." Part expose and part survival guide, Prodigal Sons and Material Girls addresses the nagging issue faced by many parents today – why do their children have such unrealistic expectations about money? The book is divided into two comprehensive parts. Part I outlines the disturbing facts about America’s possession-crazed youth and the society that has distorted their views. You’ll be introduced to everything from the "three-headed monster"—a high-powered triumvirate of consumer products companies, media conglomerates, and advertising agencies that has tremendous influence over your children—to the distorted view of the American Dream as shaped by principles known as "The Teen Commandments." In learning what you’re up against you can teach financial responsibility from a position of strength. In Part II, Dungan offers creative and convincing examples on how to leverage his highly successful "Share-Save-Spend" approach to money – critical elements for you to help your children break free from the materialism that has become ingrained in our society. Through insightful anecdotes and simple exercises, you will learn how to: Talk to your children about money Understand the difference between financial wants and needs Increase the probability of your children having a prosperous life Raise your children’s marketing IQ Maintain healthy financial boundaries Set a healthy example for your children to follow The "Share–Save–Spend" methodology will help your children establish healthy financial habits and will undoubtedly become their foundation for making a lifetime of responsible financial decisions. Nathan Dungan is an innovative leader in the financial services industry. Over the past 15 years, he has been a top-performing financial advisor outside of Philadelphia, PA and most recently served as Vice President of Marketing for Lutheran Brotherhood (now Thrivent Financial for Lutherans), a $57 billion member-owned financial services company with nearly 3 million members. Dungan is a frequent speaker and workshop leader and has been widely quoted on this subject in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and has appeared on CNN and PBS.

Poetry. "The experience of MATERIAL GIRL begins in a field of distinct flowers poems are 'the flowers of associational thinking, ' as Charles Bernstein teaches each composition held in its own light, which it produces. Can the experiment 'express our peasant sufferings'? Can the beauty of the language be made to make things clear? 'Material Girl' and MATERIAL GIRL abide in and arise from these questions, inhabiting them, moving through them, to the point of noticing, transmitting, 'the nation's wild flowers bow gently // around our waists in the open.' If the thing is that we have to learn how both to inhabit and escape, adore and destroy well, now I feel sure that this is the thing, because this is what Laura Jaramillo teaches." Fred Moten "Negative Ecstasy. She said it herself and it's true. Laura Jaramillo's poems are just short of too smart. Meaning they are too real to critique. Cascading ('jism from the cock of a cartoon') they (shake-shake) are it." Eileen Myles "Before Madonna was Monroe, before Monroe, Mina Loy, before Mina Loy, was Laura Jaramillo, who crosscuts a multitude of materialities so that a girl will appear, abject, yet a star, a girl who lives in Italian movies and in Queens, who, knowing her Adorno, is as well a materialist girl, a dazzling embodiment of critical thought and purest longing, awakening to life in and away from the city. True, as she intimates, Manhattan may not exist, but the romance of it lives on in every lyrical, sharp-eyed, exhilarating, witty, and sad line of this marvelous book. Reader, beware: Laura Jaramillo will make you miss New York so much it hurts, even if, especially if, you've never been there." Joseph Donahue"

In the first book of The Fancy Lives of the Lear Sisters trilogy, a spoiled socialite discovers the best things in life are worth working for. For socialite Robin Lear, being handcuffed in the back of a police car for a bogus crime is the cherry on top of the worst week ever. First, her father announces devastating news. Then, in a fit of tough love, he demotes Robin from her cushy job in the family business and reassigns her to work for an insufferable manager. Now, for the first time in her life, Robin will have to earn her place in the world -- and the sexy new contractor renovating her house may be just the man to show her how. One look at beautiful Robin Lear is all Jake Manning needs to know that she's just another trust-fund baby who's never done an honest day's work. Getting involved with a woman like her would be a disaster -- yet staying away is proving to be damn near impossible. But who knows better than Jake that the best things in life are worth the effort...

Dylan Monroe, our favorite shopaholic, is back! She's three months pregnant and madly in love with the father of her child, sexy heavyweight champion, Angel. The only problem is the long-legged Victoria's Secret model standing in the way of getting him back. If that weren't enough stress, her Jack Daniel's-loving mother, Candy, returns to stir up even more trouble. Unsure of how to face her future as a single mother, Dylan reverts back to the only thing she knows to comfort her pain—shopping! Rounding out the cast of colorful characters are Billie, Dylan's tightly wound friend, and flamboyant transgender cousin Tee-Tee, aka Dick'em Down Diva. Labels and Love promises to be a laugh-out-loud, heartfelt tale of love lost and love regained.

Examines the symbols that defined perceptions of women during the 1970s through the 1990s and how they brought about major changes for women.

Big, bold, impressive designs that sew together quickly and easily! Approaching quilting in a big way, Quilt Big takes the inherent beauty found in single block patterns and creates big, bold quilts, quickly and easily. Whether you're simply short on time or intimidated by complex quilts, Quilt Big will show you how super-sizing your blocks make for faster finishes and so much more. In this block book and design resource, you'll find: • 22 BIG blocks to show off your favorite fabrics in fantastic ways. • Step-by-step guide to scaling traditional blocks to oversized designs. • 17 quilt designs featuring bold, super-sized blocks. Plus, these 15", 18", and 24" blocks are interchangeable for one-of-a-kind finished projects! • No CD required! Block patterns have been designed in a way that no specially sized templates are needed. If you're new to quilting, there's no better way to learn than on a grand scale. And, for the experienced quilter, large block pieces are a fabric-friendly way to feature your favorite designer collections. Super-size your love of quilting with Quilt Big!

Madonna, Murphy Brown, Thelma and Louise: These much-discussed media icons are the starting points of Suzanna Walter's brilliant, much-needed introduction to feminist cultural theory. Accessible yet theoretically sophisticated, up-to-date and entertaining, Material Girls acquaints readers with the major theories, debates, and concepts in this new and exciting field. With numerous case studies and illustrations, Walters situates feminist cultural theory against the background of the women's movement and media studies. Using examples from film, television, advertising, and popular discourse, she looks at topics such as the "male gaze," narrative theory, and new work on female "ways of seeing" and spectatorship. Throughout, Walters provides a historically grounded account of representations of women in popular culture while critiquing the dominance of psychoanalytic and postmodern analyses. The first comprehensive guide to the approaches and debates that make up this growing field, Material Girls belongs on the shelf of every cultural critic and savvy student today.