Tanya Lee Stone

There is something about Tanya Lee Stone's writing that I don't like. The tone, I think. When it comes to non-fiction, I like an authoritative, detached perspective from the author. Stone, to my everlasting dismay, subtly editorializes right and left in an overtly feminist "Rah Rah Women!" kind of way. I'm totally pro-woman, but it irks me to see her pushing her perspective when I think she should let the facts speak for themselves. I had this exact same issue with [b:Almost Astronauts|4836780|Almost Astronauts 13 Women Who Dared to Dream|Tanya Lee Stone|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320418659s/4836780.jpg|4902013], probably even more so than I do with this Barbie book.

So, yeah, what about Barbie? There are many, many opinions about Barbie filling up the pages here. Most of them came from random people and did not really interest me. I liked the story of the invention of Barbie, but after that I stopped caring. Is Barbie good or bad? There are criticisms for sure, but the overall impression I got is that Stone is pro-Barbie and sees Ruth Handler, Barbie's inventor, as a great female role model. I have a feeling that if Barbie had been invented by a man, Stone would have written a different book.… (més)

There were times when I thought Tanya Lee Stone should have let the story speak for itself instead of hammering in the "message" of the book over and over again (I probably don't need to tell you the message, but I will anyway: these women were just as capable as men; they were unfairly discriminated against by NASA; the women were brave to challenge norms and pave the way for future generations). The author was pushing the message so hard that I felt inclined to question her tone.

I also found myself agreeing with John Glenn when he said that just because the 13 women passed unsanctioned physical and psychological exams, it didn't necessarily make them qualified to pilot space shuttles. It is absolutely true that the women should have been given a fair chance at applying for the space program. That line of thinking I can follow. But too much time was spent on the ways in which they surpassed the male astronauts' test performances. I don't care to debate men vs. women in terms of physical and psychological abilities. The focus should be on equal opportunities.

I can't help but compare this story to the recent Claudette Colvin biography that won the National Book Award. Both books are about women who stood up for equal rights but have largely gone unrecognized. The Claudette Colvin book was so so so much better written.… (més)