What do women "really" want? Who wins the gender war? Is the rise in their income a victory for women (or perhaps for companies)? Who are the biggest victims of violence, women or men? And is anatomy ultimately destiny?

For every step women take towards gender equality, a new obstacle seems to arise. The irony is that feminism clashes with an unexpected opponent: the inner woman. Despite the triumphalism, women find themselves trapped between feminism and femininity, self-affirmation and the duty of endless self-improvement, the pursuit of independence and the urge to play the victim. Instead of blaming the usual suspects - men, the media - Laura Kipnis turns to closer culprits: women themselves and their complicity in the establishment of male privileges. Hence the daring anatomy of the female thing she attempts here: a pioneering mapping of the female soul, based on four primary areas she identifies within it - Envy, Sex, Filth, and Vulnerability - supported by documented historical and social references, as well as chilling psychological nuances or painfully hilarious details.