The Second Sex
Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second Sex" is considered a foundational work in the history of feminism, and has had a profound influence, opening the way for second wave feminism in the United States, Canada, Australia, and around the world. Founders of the second wave read "The Second Sex" in translation, including Kate Millett, Shulamith Firestone, Juliet Mitchell, Ann Oakley and Germaine Greer. All acknowledged their profound debt to Beauvoir, including visiting her in France, consulting with her at crucial moments, and dedicating works to her. Betty Friedan, whose 1963 book "The Feminine Mystique" is often regarded as the opening salvo of second wave feminism in the United States, later said that reading "The Second Sex" in the early 1950s "led me to whatever original analysis of women's existence I have been able to contribute to the Women's movement and to its unique politics. I looked to Simone de Beauvoir for a philosophical and intellectual authority."