Like every other woman in the world, I’ve been subjected to “mansplaining”. That is, a man has tried to explain me in a patronizing manner, something I already knew. Rebecca Solnit, the author of this book, is the one who coined the term in the essay that gives this book its title. I love this word, because it’s so clear and sums up this experience so perfectly. I also love that the suffix –splain is being used in many different spheres now. I love words, okay?

I really enjoyed reading these essays. They are wonderful. Solnit puts in her words a lot of things I’ve felt and my thoughts. It’s always good to know you’re not alone in that fight. She manages to have humor about all these things that are part of the everyday sexism that we women experiment. But she is also very active when it comes to fighting against it. While the book is very short (you can read it in an afternoon easily), she gets to important points in the battle for women’s rights. Remember that she’s a woman in an age when women still get lots of abuse for… well, being women and being outspoken. It’s even braver for her to make her voice heard.

In the title essay, she is talked down by a man at a party. They were discussing a topic that she had written a book about, but before she could even mention, the man shut her down. Of course, he mentioned the book and asked her is she had read it. He actually gave her time to answer that she hadn’t read it. She had written it.

It may seem a little example of a one-time occurrence, yes. But it’s also perfect in order to show how women of every class and condition are often seen as less intelligent than men. We suffer this in different ways and about different topics, but it doesn’t mean it is okay. Women in academia are often treated to this kind of discourse. I, for one, usually get angry and end up fighting with the mansplainer in question. I know it’s not the healthy thing to do, but it’s one of those things that simply get me. Of course it is an issue for most women, but it is also an issue for men. After all, they are the ones doing the talking-down thing. So the message here may not be really for women, but for men. Though it is true that there are many women who are conscious of this being a problem, I think every woman knows the feeling, even if they are not able to name it. It is men who need to realize why what they’re doing is so problematic and disgusting.

And, you know, STOP DOING IT. Pretty please.

This book is must-read for every contemporary feminist. Or, even better, for EVERYONE, especially for men. I’m a little sorry, guys, but you kind of need a wake-up call to realize how idiotic you can be at times.