A Womans Worth

Cutting across class, race, religion, and gender, A Woman's Worth speaks powerfully and persuasively to a generation in need of healing, and in search of harmony. With A Woman's Worth, Marianne Williamson turns her charismatic voice—and the same empowering, spiritually enlightening wisdom that energized her landmark work, A Return to Love— to exploring the crucial role of women in the world today. Drawing deeply and candidly on her own experiences, the author illuminates her thought-provoking positions on such issues as beauty and age, relationships and sex, children and careers, and the reassurance and reassertion of the feminine in a patriarchal society.

Embracing the shattered pieces of the soul and championing the resilient nature of the heart, A Woman’s Worth takes readers on a journey of startling depth. From a speakeasy whorehouse in the bottoms of Alabama to a luxurious high-rise apartment in Kenya, acclaimed author Tracy Price-Thompson crosses boundaries of sexuality, gender, and culture to accentuate the core of black identity: the enormous strength of family. “Ain’t nothing like a Black man. No other man on the face of the earth can hold a light up to him, coming or going. Why do you think women are all the time chasing behind them? Smooth game and all, when a brotha loves you, he loves you right.” —from A Woman’s Worth Abeni Omorru is a stunning Kenyan woman who is haunted by piercing memories. Although her father’s wealth ensures her a life of prestige, childhood trauma has left her emotionally damaged and sexually promiscuous. While Abeni takes on many lovers, none come close to healing the wounds of her heart—and only a man who understands her worth can truly claim her soul. Bishop Johnson is also haunted by his past. Raised by prostitutes in a rural Alabama town, he is a promising teenage boxer—until his dreams are shattered when his parents are murdered during a violent robbery and he takes revenge on the perpetrators. Bishop goes to jail, and when he is released he has a volatile temper and a mean left hook to back it up. Trouble continues to find Bishop, and he is forced to leave Alabama and travel to Kenya with the Peace Corps. There he falls in love with Abeni, and they marry. When Bishop learns the secret of Abeni’s past, he is force to make a decision that may cost him more than one man should ever have to sacrifice.

Gender equality and the responsibility of husbands and fathers: issues that loom large today had currency in Renaissance Venice as well, as evidenced by the publication in 1600 of The Worth of Women by Moderata Fonte. Moderata Fonte was the pseudonym of Modesta Pozzo (1555–92), a Venetian woman who was something of an anomaly. Neither cloistered in a convent nor as liberated from prevailing codes of decorum as a courtesan might be, Pozzo was a respectable, married mother who produced literature in genres that were commonly considered "masculine"—the chivalric romance and the literary dialogue. This work takes the form of the latter, with Fonte creating a conversation among seven Venetian noblewomen. The dialogue explores nearly every aspect of women's experience in both theoretical and practical terms. These women, who differ in age and experience, take as their broad theme men's curious hostility toward women and possible cures for it. Through this witty and ambitious work, Fonte seeks to elevate women's status to that of men, arguing that women have the same innate abilities as men and, when similarly educated, prove their equals. Through this dialogue, Fonte provides a picture of the private and public lives of Renaissance women, ruminating on their roles in the home, in society, and in the arts. A fine example of Renaissance vernacular literature, this book is also a testament to the enduring issues that women face, including the attempt to reconcile femininity with ambition.

Originally published in 1981, Woman’s Worth takes up the challenge to the male preserve of economics – which was raised nearly a century ago by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in her classic work Women and Economics. Patriarchal economic systems – socialist as well as capitalist – are founded upon women’s unpaid labour. On this premise, Lisa Leghorn and Katherine Parker base their exploration of the economic basis of women’s culture across cultures: from the USA to South America, the Middle East, socialist countries, Africa and Europe. Women’s Worth is accessible and informative to those who have been intimidated by the term ‘international economics’. Its sources are women’s perspective and experience in many countries, in their words and in their writings, published and unpublished. Thus the authors are able to reveal the economic nature of facets of women’s lives which have hitherto been dismissed by traditional economics as features of family or personal life, and to build a new vision of an economics based in female values.

AS THE PACIFIC COAST BREEZE BLEW, HER thimble size nipples stood at full attention while she strolled down Harbor Boulevard. It is late at night and she is wearing a short hot pink fishnet dress that hugged her perfect 36-25-41 petite hourglass frame. Trying so hard to stay warm without a jacket, rubbing her arms is the only way to protect her from the cold chills all over her visibly nude body. With each click of her heels, she wonders which motorist is going to stop her in traffic. Feeling out of place, determination shortly turns into discouragement. What did this nigga say to me to make me wanna do this? Shes used to being a homebody who only spends her time out studying at school. Very rarely does she even go clubbing. Now shes working. She feels like a completely different woman.

Many common assumptions about work are challenged in this book. For example, the findings refute the common assertion that work tasks can be categorized into ‘“instrumental,” or task activities, versus “caretaking,” or people-oriented activities. It is shown that, regardless of the type of job, tasks are accomplished through the management of relationships. Other findings show that workers devise ingenious methods for maintaining dignity in the face of blatant oppression, a conclusion neglected in traditional studies of work where prestige hierarchies are presumed to affect workers’ feelings about themselves. This book integrates findings from qualitative studies of women’s work experiences in 13 occupations. The methods for gathering the data include participant observation, unstructured interviews, analysis of diaries, and review of historical documents. These methodologies permit unanticipated patterns to emerge from the data. Hence, The Worth of Women’s Work not only presents new insights into women’s work experiences, but simultaneously takes a much-needed step in developing a framework for integrating qualitative research.

Seer, healer, goddess, slave–she is all these things and more. Yim is a young woman suddenly cast into slavery, a gifted seer with a shocking secret–and a great destiny. Honus is a Sarf, a warrior dedicated to the service of the compassionate goddess Karm. A Sarf’s sole purpose is to serve a holy person called a Bearer. But Honus’ s Bearer has been killed by the minions of an evil god known only as the Devourer. Masterless and needing someone to bear his pack, Honus purchases Yim for the price of ten coppers–and their fates are forever entwined.

Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer, leaders of the social media sensation and ministry Her True Worth, deliver a powerful call to women to break free from the bondage of false identities and discover their true worth in Jesus Christ. After years of working in the beauty industry, Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer became disheartened by the false, contradictory messages about what defines a woman's worth. They saw women who were lost and wandering, endlessly seeking security and approval. So Maher and Speer made it their mission to help Christian women uncover their valuable identity in Jesus Christ. In Her True Worth, Maher and Speer reveal what God intended our identity to be in the beginning, how sin corrupted it, how Christ has redeemed it, and how to live securely in that identity. They remind us that, ultimately, our true worth is found in Him--and that's a life-altering, soul-anchoring truth to live in and live from. As you uncover your true worth, you'll also learn how to: Identify the false messages that are stealing your self-worth Embrace what the Word of God says about who you are Find your security and significance in Christ alone Let Her True Worth be your guide as you discover the woman you were meant to be. Praise for Her True Worth: "In a world that teaches us to measure our worth by our social media followings, achievements, and striving, Her True Worth gently turns us back to where our identity truly lies: in Jesus. Brittany and Cassandra empower women to remember the source of all hope and encourage us to lay down our idols in exchange for true peace in him." --Danielle Coke, illustrator, activist, and founder of Oh Happy Dani

What does the Bible say about the value of women? Does the Bible teach that women are as valuable as men or does it portray them as somehow more flawed, more suspect, or weak and easily deceived? Beginning from Genesis and working all the way through the storyline of the Bible, Worthy demonstrates the significant and yes, even surprising, ways that God has used women to accomplish His kingdom goals. Because, like men, they are created in His image, their lives reflect and declare His worth. Worthy will enable and encourage both men and women to embrace this true and lofty vision of God's creation, plan, and their value in His eyes. Bestselling author Elyse Fitzpatrick and pastor Eric Schumacher together invite women to embrace a transformative and empowering view of their Maker, themselves, and the church. But this isn't only a book for women. It is also a book for men, especially leaders, who want to grow in their understanding of God's perspective on women, people who normally make up the majority of their congregations; men who might be wondering if they've missed something amid the abuse scandals that are rocking the church. Might the headlines they're reading today about abuse have their roots in a denigration of the value and worth of women? Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women will help every reader see the value, place, and calling of women through study questions and a "Digging Deeper" section that will help men and women discover how to cherish, value, and honor one another for God's glory.