There are three subtypes in the rapidly growing genre of ‘feminist social theory books’. One is the book which talks about ‘women and’ or ‘women in’ a specific area - the ‘herstory’ book designed to fill in gaps left in his official accounts of society. There were lots of these in the early seventies, but they’re getting rarer now as it becomes clear that we need a whole new narrative rather than a story with patches of interest to women it. Another type is the book of theory per se, which sets out to depict and explain gender­based inequality. There are many of these, from. a variety of perspectives, and some of them have had a lasting impact on many academic disciplines and on individual lives. And finally, there are books - on the whole recent arrivals - which are concerned with collating the results of the researchers and theorists who produce types one and two. This third type introduces and explicates theoretical debates and empirical findings, and functions as a guide, gloss and summary of a particular area of scholarship.