How to Think Like a Woman by Regan Penaluna Summary
Overview of How to Think Like a Woman
In "How to Think Like a Woman," Regan Penaluna resurrects four erased female philosophers while challenging philosophy's deep-seated misogyny. Named to Inc.'s Non-Obvious Book Awards, this memoir-meets-critique asks: Why were brilliant women thinkers systematically removed from intellectual history - and what does their erasure cost us?
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Key takeaways
Unveiling Philosophy's Hidden Women
For centuries, women philosophers have been erased from intellectual history, their brilliant minds relegated to footnotes while men's ideas filled textbooks. In "How to Think Like a Woman," Regan Penaluna weaves her personal journey through academia with the excavation of forgotten female thinkers who challenged philosophical traditions. Imagine walking into a graduate seminar where your professor casually asks, "Why haven't women achieved the highest levels of thought?"-a question that implicitly questions your very capacity to belong in that room. This was Penaluna's awakening moment, revealing that in philosophy, she wasn't simply a thinker but a "woman thinker"-a category laden with assumptions about intellectual inferiority. Growing up in Iowa with a natural inclination toward metaphysical questions, she found her intellectual home in philosophy during college, only to have graduate school gradually erode her confidence as she completed her coursework without studying a single woman philosopher. The turning point came when she discovered a footnote mentioning Damaris Cudworth (Lady Masham), leading her to uncover brilliant women who had faced the same doubts and obstacles centuries earlier-women who had been systematically written out of history despite producing work that challenged the greatest minds of their eras.
Mary Astell's Revolutionary Vision
The Hidden Partnership Problem
Damaris Masham's Philosophical Struggle
The Demons of Self-Doubt
Breaking Free From Philosophical Patriarchy
Reclaiming Women's Philosophical Legacy
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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