Slut! : Growing Up Female With a Bad Reputation
by Leora Tanenbaum

Hardcover - 240 pages (May 1999)
Seven Stories Press; ISBN: 1888363940

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Synopsis
Based on the author's confessional article in an issue of "Seventeen" magazine about her experiences of being called a "slut" in high school--as well as the first-hand accounts of other women ages 14 through 66--"Slut" offers "a bracing corrective for any young woman who finds herself at the mercy of the double standard" (Susan Faludi)

Leora Tanenbaum's Slut! is an account of the lives of young women who stand up to the destructive power of name-calling. Slut! seamlessly weaves together three narrative threads: powerful oral histories from an impressive and diverse group of girls and women who tell us their stories and how they finally overcame sexual labelling; Leora's own fascinating story; and her cogent analysis of the underlying problem of sexual stereotyping.

Reviews:

A reader from New York City , August 6, 1999
Provocative
a truely original provocative feminist expose

A reader from new haven, connecticut , August 6, 1999
book is great -- a must-read for feminists and humanists
tanenbaum's expose on slut-bashing was not only disturbing and informative but powerfully written. i highly recommend it to anyone interested in sexual stereotyping and gender double standards.

A reader from Chicago , August 5, 1999
Thoughtful, provocative, important book
An excellent book that deserves the attention it's been getting and more; it's something you would hope every teenager (and their parents) would read. Too many books about gender and sexuality degenerate into empty poltical posturing, but Leora is able to deftly connect her broader arguments with the very specific stories she tells, including her own. I came away from this book with a much greater understanding of sexual politics and outsiderhood in high school today -- and with a better understanding of my own experience as something of an outsider in high school as well. A very smart and very unsettling work.

A reader from New York, NY , July 21, 1999
A must-read for both men and women.
Slut! enlightens us all about something few have discussed in such detail. As a former teenager, or a future parent or educator, or if you're just someone who gives a hoot about what's happening to kids today, Slut! makes you think twice about many of our cultural norms.

Leora infuses many facts and statistics with her personal anecdotes, making for a refreshing read. The cross-generational approach is also helpful in making this book very accessible to all.

A reader from Brooklyn , June 9, 1999
A Book for Any Thinking Feminist
It's about time someone dealt with this subject. Feminists interested in the experience of teenage girls will find Tanenbaum's book essential. Highly recommended.

A reader from NYC , May 7, 1999
Brave Girl!
Thank you, Leora, for taking the "slut syndrome" out of the closet! About time someone called it like it is. Well written and the interviews are real eye-openers. Sad how things really haven't changed much. Maybe a book like this will get women to quit persecuting each other and realize that the only way to confront issues like this one is through solidarity, not backstabbing and competition.

As for men, well . . . the only answer is society's changing power structure. Most women find that "talking it out" with men doesn't usually work because women's viewpoints and feelings are considered trite and "over-sensitive". The only way men will change their point of view is when women can make statements like "You're fired." and "If things don't change I'll take my investments/financial support/business elsewhere." Let's see how many guys cry "Slut!" then.