This book is overreaching at times. Thinks of it self as witty when it is really crude. Author sounds angry and flippant most of the time, therefore when she is presenting factually accurate data, it immediately turned me off.Most of the book contains concepts that aren't entirely new, at least I wasn't blown away by the content. Yeah, we all know by now that originally Biblical marriage regarded women as property, what I came for is how that effects our concept of marriage today.While the history of marriage is true, but only to a point. It only looks at the historical Western concept of marriage, and all other marriage types and histories are completely ignored. Way to Euro-centric for me.Also, the narrative of marriage was not culturally consistent in time. First Biblical marriage, then jump forward in time (or in culture?), and now we are looking at marriage in Athens, then marriage in the Roman empire, now medieval marriage. It seemed like she picked and chose the cultures and periods of time where treatment of women provided the most sensational anecdotes. If she ever mentioned a culture that had a more progressive view of marriage, she had to pile with extra sarcasm all of the negatives that practically made any positive non-existent.Also, this is the first nonfiction book in which the word "fuck" is used so casually. After summing up some Bible passes "In other words: you fuck 'em, you own 'em. Vice versa." Jeeze, and don't get me starting on the spelling mistakes. Did an editor ever read this before this was sent to print? The whole tone of this book smacks of a angry but well-researched blog post which was sparked as a rant against the oppressive male pigs in society. Also this is the first time I have ever seen a block quote have a sarcastic remark inserted into it. Grow up!This ends up to be one of the books in which I am slightly embarrassed that I in principle agree with but definitely not with the delivery.With Squire's tone, Eurocentricism, and cherry picking she might weaken her argument she ultimately makes in stead of providing a point that can be taken seriously by someone who has yet been convinced.
