Book Description
An engrossing and revelatory first look at the search for alien life—on Earth and beyond
For the past twenty years, Peter Ward has been at the forefront of popular science writing, with books such as the influential and controversial Rare Earth. In Life as We Do Not Know It, Ward, with his signature blend of eloquence, humor, and learned insight, vividly details the latest scientific findings, cutting-edge research, and intrepid new theories on the subject of alien life and the possible extraterrestrial origins of life on Earth. In lucid, entertaining, and bold prose, Peter Ward once again challenges our notions of life on earth (and beyond).
Customer Reviews:
Controversial and worthwhile but somewhat quixotic.......2007-06-25
Two of the three deep questions about life, "What is life and how should it be defined?" are addressed in this book along with "Where might life be found?" Peter Ward and his colleague Don Brownlee addressed the third deep question, "Does life tend to evolve into intelligent life?" in their controversial book Rare Earth and came to the unpopular conclusion that intelligent life is very rare, and that overwhelmingly the vast preponderance of life in the universe is microbial. Here Ward concentrates on the possibility of microbial life in the solar system.
Let's look at Professor Ward's goals in writing this book as presented in the preface. His first goal is "to bring the public up to date on the progress in...astrobiology..."
Understandably Ward does not venture beyond the friendly (or not so friendly) confines of the solar system. Influenced as we all are by the recent discoveries of extremophiles in unlikely places on earth, Ward waxes hopeful about the possibility of microbial life under the surface of Mars, is less enthusiastic about life in the ocean under the ice cap of Europa, is pessimistic about life in the Venusian atmosphere, and is almost wildly excited about the possibility of life on the far-off Saturn moon, Titan, where he believes life could be especially exotic.
Interestingly enough Ward thinks there is alien life on earth yet to be discovered, possibly descendants of ancient RNA life. He classifies viruses as being alive and concludes, somewhat whimsically, that alien life does exist on earth since viruses are not included in the family tree of life as defined by most biologists. (One notes in passing that Richard Dawkins's recent tome The Ancestor's Tale does not include any viruses.)
I was uplifted and mostly convinced from Ward's analysis that life does indeed exist on Mars. (Yes!) Ward claims that some scientists now consider it a given, and he even hints darkly that NASA knows this (p. 189) but is keeping mum until they can present a stronger case to the public.
His second goal is "to redefine...life...." Here I am confident that other scientists will find both his grasp and reach exceeded, but I suspect his attempt to reclassify the tree of life will be a harbinger of reclassifications to come. It is here that he is at his most quixotic.
His third goal is "a rational look at what alien life might be like." He looks at life based on something other than DNA and the familiar twenty amino acids. He looks at silicone life. He looks at how life might have originated, going from "warm ponds" to clay substrates to hydrothermal vents to artificially created life.
This leads him to his fourth goal which is to speculate on how likely it is that life could arise and exist in the extreme environments elsewhere in the solar system based on the latest information. I found this part of the book intriguing and optimistic.
Ward urges us to send manned missions to both Mars and Titan because he believes that only space boots on the ground and instruments in gloved hands can best find the aliens he believes live there. Ward also makes the excellent point that only on the relatively unchanging surfaces of the moon and Mars we are likely to find evidence of early life on earth! This is because chunks of our planet flew into space and landed on the moon and Mars from a time not preserved in the geological record on earth because of weathering, etc. He even suggests that fossils of microbial life could exist in earth rocks on the moon and Mars.
There are some minuses in this book. It is not as well written or edited as his previous works. Sometimes it is the case that once a writer becomes as successful as Ward has become, editors are afraid to actually edit, and the writer himself does not read the proofs as carefully as he might. Too bad.
Another minus is his confused expression about the allocation of public funds for SETI as opposed to funds for exploring the solar system. I think Ward ought to say unequivocally that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and the exploration of the solar system are both worthy projects that ought to receive strong support from the public. On pages 238-239 Ward actually makes fun of how humanity would benefit from a signal from intelligent extraterrestrial life. What he fails to appreciate is the deep philosophic and religious implications of such a signal. He also fails to realize that even though it may take anywhere from nine to fifty to a hundred years or more, depending on where the signal is coming from, for a stream of information to flow our way, that is still a wondrous prospect for humanity. Ward seems blithely unaware that contact of any kind from an extraterrestrial civilization would be one of the greatest events in human history. His conclusion that after such a signal we would discover that "nothing has changed" is...well, I hate to use the word "stupid" but in this case I think it really does apply.
I also didn't care for Ward's little story (pp. 236-237) about trying to give a copy of his book Rare Earth to Microsoft billionaire John Allen only to be embarrassed by SETI scientist Jill Tartar's understandable reaction. Nor did I like his making fun of Carl Sagan's now obviously unwarranted enthusiasm for macroscopic Martian life (pp. 176-179) and his later obsequious praise of the popular scientist (e.g., p. 233).
This is one of those books--Ward's 13th--that historians love because it unintentionally reveals so much about its author and his times. It's a bit breezy, a bit arrogant, and a bit quixotic, but this somewhat brazen report from the infancy of astrobiology is nonetheless an interesting and worthwhile effort.
Imagination As He Does Not Know It.......2007-01-17
One might be surprised that serious scientists have been studying the possibilities of life beyond Earth, and there is plenty of evidence that alien life is indeed plausible, but probably won't look like science fiction archetypes. There are also quite believable chances of life, in some form, being found in the current locations of choice in our solar system - Mars, Europa, and especially Titan. This book presents some very intriguing up-to-date knowledge, but in an awkward presentation that is loaded with self-aggrandizement. Plenty of other reviewers here have commented on the strengths and weaknesses of particular aspects of Peter Ward's scientific statements, so I will discuss the style and writing of the book overall. Unfortunately, there is trouble in that department which badly diminishes the effectiveness of Ward's science, regardless of its plausibility.
This book was probably written because Ward would be unable to get many of his pet theories through the peer reviewing process in the leading scientific journals, especially his attempts for immortality through the creation of entire new categories of taxonomy, among other fanciful thought experiments. (Also, no work in which a scientist talks about himself and his friends so much would ever make it into a serious journal.) Ward has a real weakness for dismissing other researchers' theories with less investigation than he demands from others who look at his own theories, and he has a pretty condescending point of view towards proponents of other realms of thought, such as "animal rights crazies" or Gaians who are guilty of "extreme nonsense." In effect, Ward criticizes speculation and scientific imagination in others, while advancing his own thought experiments which are highly speculative and imaginative, such as calling viruses "alien" or drawing up completely new orders of potential life on Titan. Most disappointingly, Ward generally slams the use of imagination by other scientists and thinkers, but refuses to admit that his own theories, while certainly built upon plausible science, are also influenced by a certain amount of imagination. Thus, interesting science is discussed in a book that becomes rather difficult to take seriously. [~doomsdayer520~]
Thought-provoking on what all may constitute life, BUT with unwarranted sweeping generalizations elsewhere.......2006-07-07
Ward is at his best when making statements that are based on the best and latest studies in molecular biology, evolutionary biology and related fields, such as classifying viruses as living.
He's about as good when conjecturing that in other ways, we may have too limited a view of what constitutes life here on Earth.
He combines this with his paleontologist's knowledge of geography to say that we ... especially "we" being folks like NASA, SETI, etc., may have way too narrow of a view of what constitutes life on other planets, and just what "alien" life may involve.
But, from here, he goes into the unwarranted generalizations.
First, even allowing for the diversity of alien types of life, I think he is unempirically and irrationally optimistic about the existence of life elsewhere in our solar system. The amount of methane on Mars or Titan may be due neither to extant life nor volcanism, contrary to his possibly false dichotomy, for example.
Also, his souped-up overhaul of cladistics, with new classification levels above that of kingdom, have a bit of horn-tooting at times.
From these two observations, it's not too far to Point C, as in, "Look at me! I'm on the cutting edge of astrobiology!"
And, along with other reviewers, I'd have to agree with observations on the paucity of footnotes. Frankly, this seems connected with Point C.
Finally, as a paleontologist, he has some non sequiturs about manned space exploration. He seems to blithely assume that humans can survive longer solar system trips, dodging bullets of cosmic radiation. However, recent research has indicated even a manned trip to Mars could be fraught with peril, not to mention his lusted-after visit to Titan.
I was on the borderline of a fourth star, based on the good points, but I'm sure that someone else will come on with a more sober, and more in-depth, coverage of this fascinating topic soon enough.
A thorough study of the issue.......2006-06-24
"Life as We Do Not Know It" is a truly entertaining book, and it's definitely thorough in it's perspective and presentation.
I really enjoyed Ward and Brownlee's book "Rare Earth," published in 2003. I felt it brought a little sober balance into the whole search for extraterrestrial life thing. So often with a truly enchanting perspective, like that of the SETI people, everyone gets so charmed by the popular concept that few are willing to raise a dissenting voice even if it is realistic. After all, who wouldn't like to find ET out there? And with as disarming a spokesperson as the late Carl Sagan to push for it, who would be so bold as to point out difficulties. If Ward's description in his more recent book, "Life as We Do Not Know It" of his cool if not down right rude reception by a SETI administrator at a dinner party cum science meeting is true, one can certainly see why those with a nay-say keep a low profile. That's too bad, too, because far more can be achieved with a more modest means by facing reality than by grand illusions.
Admittedly the public's--or their political representatives'--unwillingness to part with funds for scientific projects unless they generate popular enthusiasm is much to blame for this single sided point of view. Suddenly science, especially space science, ends up a sort of traveling road show, with NASA in competition with other purveyors of big budget science for funds.
I can't decide if Ward has joined "The Dark Side" with his new book or is genuinely this enthusiastic about discovering life on other planets. Certainly his presently taking part in NASA's study of life on planet earth and of the implications for its occurrence elsewhere might tend to bias his point of view a little. This noted, however, Ward's new work certainly gives a thorough discussion of what we know of the origins of life on our own planet, particularly that of our extremeophiles. He discusses the many possibilities with respect to how life arose, when it did, and under what types of conditions it survived and thrived.
More recent studies of deep earth organisms and of thermophiles living around the mid-ocean ridges that circumscribe the globe like big zippers, has lead to a more optimistic view of the toughness of life. Those first little critters who set our bio-world going were tenacious if nothing else. From these "ancestors" of earth life as we know it today, the author projects the likelihood that similar--or very alien--life might have arisen in the past on other planets given similar conditions. He uses the planets Mars and Venus and the moons Europa, Titan and Triton as his most likely venues for past life, and gives odds on whether life might exist still on Europa or Titan. He also presents the possibility of life on Venus--much as Sagan did for Jupitor and Saturn in his book Cosmos in the 1970s--floating in the gaseous clouds. He also discusses the long discredited notion of Panspermia, now once again a popular idea, which suggests that life, or at least its constitutents, may be ubiquitous in the cosmos. At least within given solar systems it might simply hop from planet to planet seeding all of them. Under the proper conditions, the theory suggests that life emerges and evolves to suit the environment of the seeded planet. Who knows? Certainly we never will unless we make an effort to search our neighboring planets.
An interesting book, and very worth while reading.
Terroans and Viruses and Aliens, Oh My!.......2006-05-19
Have you always suspected that Star Trek's "beings of pure energy" were in fact pure bunk? After reading this book, you'll understand why you were probably right.
Life as We Do Not Know It is a courageous exploration of some of the latest ideas in astrobiology, and a vehicle for Peter Ward to push some of his fairly ground-shaking ideas--mainly about reimagining the tree of life. Reading his book has solidified some of my own reached opinions regarding life, especially how common it is in the universe (hint: there may be as many trees of life in the universe as there are stars).
Get ready for a new level of hierarchy, as Ward introduces Dominion Terroa, Dominion Ribosa and others, above the currently accepted highest level domains. Terroa contains all three known domains of earth life: archaea, bacteria, and eukaryota. Ribosa contains viruses, which Ward convincinlgy argues should be considered living, and the (probably) extinct cellular RNA life.
He goes on to apply these new concepts to the flood of new information recently coming in from the solar system. Mars, Europa and Titan get special treatment, with brand new perspectives and a few surprises for this well-read science and astronomy buff.
Much of the book was peppered with inexcusable grammatical errors and omissions, sometimes seeming to come as often as every page. There were two or three sharp and unexpected barbs aimed at President George W. Bush, dropped in whenever the text ventured near enough, which might bother some readers. But not this one. None of these things detracted from the book in a serious way, and I doubt you could find a more enlightening, current, and grounded book on astrobiology and the origin of life.
Average customer rating:
- Good information for young people
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Alien Life Search: Quest for Extraterrestrial Organisms (Megatech (Sagebrush))
Davies Jeffris
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
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ASIN: 0613123115 |
Book Description
Early ideas of extraterrestrials are compared with what we know today in Alien Life Search. A scientific discussion of aliens, UFOs and how their spacecraft might work provides the basis for exploring claims of extraterrestrial sightings. An overview of today's practical realities are considered and a helpful glossary explains scientific terms and concepts.
Customer Reviews:
Good information for young people.......2001-12-31
I am involved in the SETI@Home project, where idle computer time is used to process data from radio telescopes. That processing is a search for structured signals that could be a message from extraterrestrial civilizations and my children have seen the images on my computer screens and have asked questions about it. While I have explained most of the theories about extraterrestrial intelligence, I also went to our community library looking for a book for them to read. This is the one I found.
The level of writing is just right for children whose age is in the early double figures and the coverage is surprisingly thorough for 32 pages. Images drawn from many areas are used to reinforce the text, and they are appropriate and effective. My only objection to the material is the section called "The UFO Mystery." Not because there is any support for the theory that they are piloted, but because there is no coverage of the serious difficulties interstellar travel presents. One additional paragraph regarding the enormous distances and power requirements of moving from one star to another would have been appropriate.
I generally liked this book and my children learned a great deal from it. I recommend it for anyone who wants to learn the basics of what the search for extraterrestrial life involves.
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Bioastronomy: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, the Exploration Broadens : Proceedings (Lectures Notes in Physics, Vol 390)
J. Heidmann
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0387547525 |
Book Description
This digital document is a journal article from Earth Science Reviews, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Description:
The search for extraterrestrial life was recently intensified because of new space missions. As long as life has not been found elsewhere in the universe, the best chances to discover extraterrestrial life are considered to be in the study of meteorites. The finding of traces of life on meteorites has been claimed several times, but all claims so far have appeared unjustified. One of the problems is that it is not known how possible extraterrestrial life developed, nor on the basis of which chemical, biochemical and energetic basis this may have taken place. It is argued that possible traces of life that differ fundamentally from life on Earth will not be recognized with the knowledge we have nowadays; traces of life that do not differ fundamentally from those on earth will not be recognized as extraterrestrial, either because such life may have originated on Earth (and have made a space trip afterwards), or because life on Earth may have come from the same source from where the life forms on the meteorite were derived.
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Dams and Geomorphology
Manufacturer: Elsevier Science
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ASIN: 044452231X |
Book Description
Dams profoundly impact the geomorphology of rivers by altering the natural patterns of water, sediment and energy flow in rivers. These changes have a largely negative impact on aquatic and riparian ecosystems upstream and downstream of the dam. Natural dams also impact river geomorphology, although with positive and negative repercussions for aquatic and riparian organisms.
In 2002, the 33rd Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium convened under the theme "Dams and Morphology", and featured invited papers and contributed posters on topics of natural dams, artificial dams, and dam removal, 14 of these papers have been included in this volume.
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Geomorphic investigation of the Shoccoe Dam project area
Joseph B Dunbar
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ASIN: B00071HVDQ |
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Historical geomorphic and hydrologic analysis of the Owens River Gorge (Publication)
Matthew Wade Smeltzer
Manufacturer: Center for Environmental Design, University of California at Berkeley
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ASIN: B0006R97PQ |
Book Description
One of the two latest volumes of recorded lectures by the world's greatest physics teacher.
This new volumes in the acclaimed Feynman Lectures on Physics audio series deal with the fundamentals of electricity and magnetism. Volume 14, Feynman on Electricity and Magnetism, Part I, includes a discussion of electromagnetism, differential calculus of vector fields, electrostatics, Gauss's law, and the electric field.
Customer Reviews:
Audio Volume #14 Feynman on Electricity & Magnetism PART ONE.......2001-12-10
THIS REVIEW IS FOR VOLUME 14 OF THE RECORDED AUDIO LECTURES ON TAPE - NOT THE "FEYNMAN LECTURES ON PHYSICS" BOOK AND NOT ANY OTHER AUDIO VOLUME DESPITE AMAZON'S PLACEMENT OF THIS REVIEW ON THE WRONG VOLUME PAGE. (the system also seems to miss-associate these reviews with the incorrect audio volumes.) THIS IS PART ONE OF TWO VOLUMES ON ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM - VOLUME #15 IS PART TWO.
OK, that warning aside, the subject is Electrodynamics. The man is Feynman. Here's what you get:
Six hours of Feynman lecturing (in his characteristic idiosyncratic demeanor) to students at the California Institute of Technology during the early years of the 1960's. Yes folks, that's right: Six 1 hour lectures on six audio tapes covering the first six contiguous chapters from which volume two of the printed lectures was transcribed. The lectures also cover some serious mathematics (Differential & Vector Calculus). This is where owning a copy of the printed lectures comes in handy for following the lecture from his transcribed use of the massive University lecture hall chalk-boards. The only audio editing is from the publisher announcing the date, lecture title, and where each chapter subsection begins. It is interesting to hear the background noise of the students as they file in and out of the lecture hall and towards the end of each lecture. You also hear bells in the hallway signaling the end of the class or possibly the lunch break. The students enthusiastically demonstrate their appreciation of Professor Feynman's efforts by applauding him at the end of each lecture. Of course Professor Feynman makes use of the chalkboard which you wont have the advantage of seeing but you could keep a copy of the printed lectures on hand (separate purchase) to get whatever visuals you need from the transcribed illustrated diagrams which were published (I have done this and it's handy). Mostly I just listen to these tapes (I have a collection of over 72 taped lectures) on my one hour a day commute each day, over and over again. It's like I'm always in school with the great genius of Feynman every day!
This audio volume (#14) is Part 1 of 2. The next six contiguous lectures will be available in audio volume #15. By the way, I wrote the publisher (Perseus Books Group) and asked them when Part 2 would be available to which they promptly sent the helpful reply:
'Volumes 15 and 16 of the Audio Collection will be coming out this spring. Volume 15 (Feynman on Electricity and Magnetism, Part 2) contains sections on electrostatic energy, electricity in the atmosphere-including lightning and thunderstorms-magnetostatics, and the magnetic field. Volume 16 (Feynman on Electromagnetism) discusses the vector potential, laws of induction, and the Maxwell equations. According to our production schedule, both volumes should be available by April.'
Well anyhow, I thought that you'd like to see how these audio lectures correlate to the printed 'Lectures on Physics' by audiocassette to volume & chapter for each book:
Tape #1 is from the printed lectures Vol. II Chapter 1: ELECTROMAGNETISM (Sept. 27, 1962)
1.1 Electrical forces
1.2 Electric and Magnetic fields
1.3 Characterizations of vector fields
1.4 The laws of electromagnetism
1.5 What are fields?
1.6 Electromagnetism in science and technology
Tape #2 is from the printed lectures Vol. II Chapter 2: DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS OF VECTOR FIELDS (Oct. 1, 1962)
2.1 Understanding physics
2.2 Scalar and vector fields - T and h
2.3 Derivatives of fields - the gradient
2.4 The operator del
2.5 Operators with del
2.6 The differential equation of heat flow
2.7 Second derivatives of vector fields
2.8 Pitfalls
Tape #3 is from the printed lectures Vol. II Chapter 3: VECTOR INTEGRAL CALCULUS (Oct. 4, 1962)
3.1 Vector integrals; the line integral of del Y
3.2 The flux of a vector field
3.3 The flux from a cube; Gauss' theorem
3.4 Heat conduction; the diffusion equation
3.5 The circulation of a vector field
3.6 The circulation around a square; Stokes's theorem
3.7 Curl-free and divergence-free fields
3.8 Summary
Tape #4 is from the printed lectures Vol. II Chapter 4: ELECTROSTATICS (Oct. 8, 1962)
4.1 Statics
4.2 Coulomb's law; superposition
4.3 Electric potential
4.4 E=-del f
4.5 The flux of E
4.6 Gauss' law; divergence of E
4.7 Field of a sphere of charge
4.8 Field lines; equipotential surfaces
Tape #5 is from the printed lectures Vol. II Chapter 5: APPLICATION OF GAUSS' LAW (Oct. 11, 1962)
5.1 Electrostatics is Gauss' law plus...
5.2 Equilibrium in an electrostatic field
5.3 Equilibrium with conductors
5.4 Stability of atoms
5.5 The field of a line charge
5.6 A sheet of charge; a spherical shell
5.7 A sphere of charge; a spherical shell
5.8 Is the field of a point charge exactly 1/r^2
5.9 The fields of a conductor
5.10 The field in a cavity of a conductor
Tape #6 is from the printed lectures Vol. II Chapter 6: THE ELECTRIC FIELD IN VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES (Oct. 15, 1962)
6.1 Equations of the electrostatic potential
6.2 The electric dipole
6.3 Remarks on vector equations
6.4 The dipole potential as a gradient
6.5 The dipole approximation for an arbitrary distribution
6.6 The fields of charged conductors
6.7 The method of images
6.8 A point charge near a conducting plate
6.9 A point charge near a conducting sphere
6.10 Condensers: parallel plates
6.11 High-voltage breakdown
(...) check out my other Feynman reviews & "Listmania Lists". Tell me what you think.
Thanks & Enjoy!
IndiAndy
Average customer rating:
- A nice little afternoon read....
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Herland, The Yellow Wall-Paper, and Selected Writings (Penguin Classics)
Charlotte Perkins Gilman , and
Denise D. Knight
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
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Woman on the Edge of Time
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Looking Backward (Signet Classics)
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Women and Economics
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Utopia (Penguin Classics)
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We (Twentieth-Century Classics)
ASIN: 0141180625 |
Book Description
A new collection of fiction and poetry from a major voice in American feminism and literature
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a turn-of-the-century American feminist and socialist thinker. In her works of fiction, Gilman sought to illustrate her ideas about the way American society squandered the talents and economic contributions of women. Based on the nervous breakdown she suffered during her own disastrous first marriage, The Yellow Wall-Paper is her classic story about a woman who goes mad when the rest-cure treatment she undergoes forbids her any kind of work.
Herland, Gilman's most famous novel, is a feminist utopian comedy in which three men stumble upon a society of women that has banished men. Also included in this Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics edition is a selection of Gilman's poetry and other short fiction. Gilman scholar Denise D. Knight has written an enlightening Introduction that explores Gilman's use of the utopian form, satire, and fantasy to provide a critique of women's place in society and to propose creative solutions.
Customer Reviews:
A nice little afternoon read...........2004-12-14
A generally overlooked gem of a utopian novella that makes for a pleasant experience. The treatment is calmer and more down to earth than A Brave New World, and is more thoughtful and meditative than Looking Backward. Gilman's feminism celebrates motherhood above all, and embraces Christianity. In a time when we're reconsidering gender roles and marriage in society, Herland is particularly relevant and insightful.
Highly recommended for the fan of utopian literature and early feminist thought.
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The Yellow Wall-Paper and Other Writings (Modern Library Classics)
Charlotte Perkins Gilman , and
Alexander Black
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ASIN: 0679783407
Release Date: 2000-11-28 |
Book Description
"There is no female mind. The brain is not an organ of sex. Might as well speak of a female liver."--Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), a leading figure in the women's movement of the early twentieth century, is a pillar of the American feminist canon. This edition of her work includes her best-known story, "The Yellow Wall-paper," a terrifying tale about a woman driven to the brink of insanity by the "rest cure" she is ordered to follow by her doctor to relieve her postpartum depression. Also included is a wide range of other short stories; an abridged version of her little-known but brilliant utopian novel, Herland, about a peaceful all-female world; and selections from her landmark treatise, Women and Economics, first published in 1898 to universal acclaim.
Customer Reviews:
Repetitive Feminism.......2001-12-15
Charlotte Perkins Gilman stands out as a feminist. She is known for her short stories, but is also wrote a novel, Herland, and a couple articles on women in society during the late 1800's. Her short stories are not all based on feminism, but rather life lessons. Her novel is creative but unrealistic. Her articles, "women and Economics" and "The Man Made World" are very repetitive. She expresses the same views with every point she is trying to make: the point being that men dominate almost every aspect of life, politics, marriage, money, society, and family life.
Her fiction is enjoyable reading. It not only could appeal to women but also men, because it does not focus only on feminist views. She expresses ideas on life that men and women share. There is always a clear image of what is going on in the story.
Her articles are very bitter, and her arguments are based on the same idea, that men rule and it is unfair to think that women are incapable of what men do. She talks mostly of what women don't do, and nothing of what women are able to do. Reading one section of both of her articles put together is like reading the whole thing. Young women today may find it hard to relate to her views, because things have changed drastically from 1890 to today.
As a feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman was outspoken and strong with her one view. If there is an interest in Gilman, read her novel or short stories. They are much more interesting then her repetitive feminist articles.
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