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The Price of Motherhood: Why the Most Important Job in the World is Still the Least Valued Paperback – January 1, 2002

by Ann Crittenden (Author)

4.5 98 ratings

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In the pathbreaking tradition of Backlash and The Second Shift, this provocative book shows how mothers are systematically disadvantaged and made dependent by a society that exploits those who perform its most critical work. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and the most current research in economics, history, child development, and law, Ann Crittenden proves that although women have been liberated, mothers have not.

The costs of motherhood are everywhere apparent. College-educated women pay a "mommy tax" of over a million dollars in lost income when they have a child. Family law deprives mothers of financial equality in marriage. Stay-at-home mothers and their work are left out of the GDP, the labor force, and the social safety net. With passion and clarity, Crittenden demonstrates that proper rewards for mothers' essential contributions would only enhance the general welfare.

Bold, galvanizing, full of innovative solutions, The Price of Motherhood offers a much-needed accounting of the price that mothers pay for performing the most important job in the world.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Written with a fine passion, The Price of Motherhood challenges the received ideas of economists, feminists and conservatives alike and ought to be read by all of them."-Paul Starr, The New York Times Book Review

"A bracing call to arms...Crittenden rows against the ideological current and has the temerity to suggest a mind-blowingly sensible alteration of America's present parenting arrangements."-Ben Dickinson, Elle

"Fascinating...shows how women have been consistently denied social and, more importantly, monetary equality for raising their families."-Susan Straight, Los Angeles Times

"A scathing indictment of policies that cheat mothers...Crittenden turns out a fresh, persuasive argument. Sure to inspire vigorous debate."-Megan Rutherford, Time

"Powerful and important"--The New York Times

About the Author

Ann Crittenden is the author of Killing the Sacred Cows: Bold Ideas for a New Economy. A former reporter for The New York Times and a Pulitzer Prize nominee, she has also been a financial writer for Newsweek, a visiting lecturer at M.I.T. and Yale, and an economics commentator on CBS News. Her articles have appeared in Fortune, The Nation, Foreign Affairs, McCalls, and Working Woman, among others. She lives with her husband and son in Washington, D.C.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Holt Paperbacks; First Edition (January 1, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0805066195
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805066197
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.52 x 0.93 x 8.24 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,652,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #13,685 in Motherhood (Books)
- #438,187 in Reference (Books)

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4.5 98 ratings

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Anonymous Hippopotamus

Should be required reading

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023

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As a man, this is very eye opening to some of the struggles mothers and women face. This book puts motherhood into better perspective by providing data, statistics, and facts.

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retrostar76

One of the most important books EVER.

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2006

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I'd give this book 10 stars if I could. Ann Crittenden does an amazing job arguing for the rights of mothers (and women in general), backed with the kind of evidence you would find in scholarly journals.

More than convincing, and more than infuriating (though you won't want to stop), because with every page you realize that all the things you never really paid attention to or thought was fair (a wife getting less than half of her ex-husband's assets, etc.) are really just another subtle way our current system reinforces women's secondary place in society. I never really considered myself a feminist (even though I have taken numerous courses on sociology, anthro, and the like, and read up quite a bit on the subject) because I thought the idea was more or less outdated. We women have come a long way, have we not? I have certainly been convinced that I was wrong and short-sighted, and that there is another crucial step toward true equality, and other countries already have successful models of it in place (countries whose economies Americans envy - this is not a coincidence). I encourage everyone to read it. It will without a doubt open your eyes, and you will never see motherhood in the same light again.

14 people found this helpful

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P. Meltzer

"A massive shift of income" indeed

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2001

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In the very last paragraph of this book, the author acknowledges that the result of her various proposals would be "a massive shift of income to women". Well it seems logical that there are ony two sources where that money can come from: the private sector (i.e. employers) and the public sector (i.e. government). I feel that both of these possibilities are fraught with problems, and further, that the author is much better at identifying the problem rather than the solution.
The premise of the book is that, for too long, motherhood has been underappreciated and undervalued in American society and that women should not be "penalized" for staying at home to raise their kids. For the sake of discussion, let's accept that her premise is accurate. Where do we go from there? Her ultimate answer is that mothers should be "paid", directly or indirectly, for raising their children.
Her first proposed payor of these obligations is American employers. These "payments" would take the form of, for example, a year's paid leave (presumably at the employer's expense), a shortened workweek (possibly with no drop in pay), and far greater freedom in setting their own flexible work schedules. And of course, the employer can forget about overtime. Well, I don't know where are these funds are suddenly going to materialize from, but it's obvious that Ms. Crittenden has never run a business. These substantially higher costs will almost necessarily result in greater costs to the consumer or a shrunken bottom line. These possibilities seem not to concern the author at all. Moreover, if I was an employer considering hiring two equally qualified candidates, one a man and one a woman, and if all of her income-shifting prposals were encated, guess which one I'm going to choose? And don't even start to tell me about discrimination--not under those circumstances.
Her second proposed payor is the government. Indeed for page after page, she waxes rhapsodically about European countries and their "enlightened" systems, and most particularly, her true favorite, Sweden. Indeed Sweden does seem like quite the paradise for women, where the government seems to pay for everything for everyone for eternity. Ms, Crittenden also advocates numerous other freebies, including universal free preschool (why not free education right through graduate school?) and of course free health care coverage for children and their caregivers. Indeed, it is a small wonder that Ms. Crittenden did not decide to move to Sweden.
It is unfortunate that America is simply not set up as a quassi-socialist economy like Sweden, Canada, Denmark and other countries where the government takes care of virtually everything, cradle to grave. And how do they afford all those goodies? Can you say crushing tax burden? (Gee, I wonder whether Ms. Crittenden is a Republican or Democrat? Now there's a tough question.) Another problem with her argument is that it has no aplicability to all those mothers who have children and who desire to raise them full-time whether they were previously working or not. Admittedly, many women can't afford that, but for those who can, the notion of Ms. Crittenden's "massive income shifting" seems absurd, particularly as embodied in the "two-tier marriage". Indeed, for those women who are volunatrily not in the workplace, her proposals make no sense whatsoever. All of her notions about "free labor" and the unfairness of it all simply have no applicability to the voluntary homemaker. And yet, the income would be shifted their way anyway.
I gave the book 4 stars not so much because I agree with her proposals but because the book is thought-prvoking and that counts for something.

31 people found this helpful

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Catherine S. Vodrey

Passionately argued

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2002

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I see that there are a number of folks who found this book not worthwhile at all. I'm sorry to see that so many of them are women. Crittenden, a former NEW YORK TIMES reporter and one-time Pulitzer Prize-nominee, knows whereof she speaks and writes. While the book is scholarly in tone and comes complete with copious footnotes, a vast bibliography, and so on, the passion in Crittenden's voice comes through loud and clear. Fact: Women who stay home with their kids are at a disadvantage financially and in terms of power. Fact: Women who stay home with their kids are punished (or simply not given the same breaks) by a tax system which apparently assents to the existence only of paid workers. Fact: This is a worldwide problem, with worldwide implications. I could go on and on about this book, but the best recommendation I can give you is to READ IT IMMEDIATELY. I have bought half a dozen copies of the book, in hard cover, because I felt so strongly about the value of what Crittenden has to say. Every woman I've given it to has thanked me and pronounced it fascinating, eye-opening and important reading. Even if you are not a woman--or not even a parent--you will learn a great deal from this extremely fine book on a neglected topic. Don't wait to read it yourself--get to it today!

58 people found this helpful

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Gloria Wolk

Excellent--and Upsetting.

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2017

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Very disturbing to read this thoroughly researched book and realize that nothing has improved since it was first published or updated. The legislators, state and federal, and judges who need this education are not likely to do so because they prefer their bias.

2 people found this helpful

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Jessica

Great Book!

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2013

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I have to admit, I had to buy this book for class, it was required. But I must admit, I enjoyed reading this book. This book was shipped on the exact date that it said it will arrive and it came with a lovely postcard with a note from the distributer. I loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested.

One person found this helpful

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Suzie Glaser

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2017

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GREAT book for moms and working women alike!

2 people found this helpful

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A. Shaffer

Okay, I get it!

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2016

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Good point but it felt a bit belabored after a time. The rather obvious crux of the book: It is extraordinarily expensive to give up your career to be a full time, stay at home parent and it impacts the entire span of your career life - you can never get those years back and those years = a higher rate of pay. And if you and your partner separate, you're far more likely to be in a bad place financially if you've stayed home with the kids. If you want all the stats and rumination on this point, buy the book.

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