The 8008 was: Blinky lights WAS: The SR71 Blackbird was designed ENTIRELYwith slide rules 597

The pattern of work for both lovees was radically changed by urbanisation, of course. What Friedan described was the postwar division of *urban* society between "important men's work" and the rigid exclusion - with some exceptions where individuals were prepared to reject norms, of course - of female participation.

I'm sure that is a fine book, but definitely a *different* book. I am not sure how you can confidently say it is a "much better" book if you avoided reading the former.

Does your book talk about the following major postwar phenomena: the mandatory conventional cancellation of women's careers in favour of domestic roles, active prevention of women's education, infantilisation through busywork and marketing (of a galaxy of useless consumer products, for example), and the resulting epidemic of neuroses and other problems (vocational frustrations visited upon husbands and children, for instance)? This particular work of Friedan's is based on research, surveys and thousands of interviews, and what it describes did not spring from her imagination. We can see its perpetuation and consequences all around us.

("A History of Housework", by Susan Strbutter, is readily available via abebooks.com - Thanks for the recommendation, I'll keep it in mind.)

--T