Anyone who suspects feminist writing has become redundant, outdated and frankly a bit of a bore should dive into this scintillating little volume without hesitation. Smith is that rare bird, an academic who never stoops to jargon or meaningless, padded sentences; her pithy, devastatingly lucid observations are inspired by such contemporary icons as Madonna, Jackie Onassis and - in the marvellous opening chapter, To Di For, written before the fatal car crash of August 1997 - Diana, Princess of Wales. Her thesis - that women are expected to be different from men but the same as each other - presents a challenge to both sexes as we bicker and grumble our way towards a new millennium; and should be essential reading for know-it-all teenagers.
By Arminta Wallace