paperback, 432 pages
Published March 2, 2021 by Abrams Press.
Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development to health care to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this insidious bias, in time, in money, and often with their lives.
Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates this shocking root cause of gender inequality in the award-winning, #1 international bestseller Invisible Women. Examining the home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more, Criado Perez unearths a dangerous pattern in data and its consequences on women’s lives. Product designers use a “one-size-fits-all” approach to everything from pianos to cell phones to voice recognition software, when in fact this approach is designed …
Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development to health care to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this insidious bias, in time, in money, and often with their lives.
Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates this shocking root cause of gender inequality in the award-winning, #1 international bestseller Invisible Women. Examining the home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor’s office, and more, Criado Perez unearths a dangerous pattern in data and its consequences on women’s lives. Product designers use a “one-size-fits-all” approach to everything from pianos to cell phones to voice recognition software, when in fact this approach is designed to fit men.
Cities prioritize men’s needs when designing public transportation, roads, and even snow removal, neglecting to consider women’s safety or unique responsibilities and travel patterns. And in medical research, women have largely been excluded from studies and textbooks, leaving them chronically misunderstood, mistreated, and misdiagnosed.
Built on hundreds of studies in the United States, in the United Kingdom, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, highly readable exposé that will change the way you look at the world.
This really puts the world in a new perspective I haven't realized before. You'll start to get mad at how the world is designed with bias.
This book focuses on an important data gap, that is present in every subject of human knowledge: the point of view of women. It definitely changed my perspective and how I see the world.
Still, in my opinion "Invisible women" too has an important data gap: since it only considers male and female experiences, it completely ignores the points of view of all Trans and Intersex people, and of everyone who doesn't fit the binary. It was a bit of a disappointment seeing the author missing her own point and excluding the often ignored but very interesting experiences of queer people just because she has not lived through the same discrimination as them.
A revealing book which sharply digs into the many distortions induced by the gender data gap, which unfortunately permeates all industries, at every level. This book should be a required reading for everyone.
eye opening. and depressing.
Phenomenal analysis that should be required reading for everyone!
