Honey Money: The Power of Erotic Capital - Tapa dura

Genius. It forces us to rethink the way we respond to those female traits that have for centuries been dismissed as desirable, yes, but essentially superfluous and irrelevant and perhaps even a little vulgar. In Hakim's world, knowing how to conduct oneself well in social situations is as valuable and admirable as an ability to do the Times crossword. It might appear that she is harking back to old-fashioned views of femininity. In fact her ideas are the most modern of modern: to show women how to reclaim these aspects of themselves rather than denying or subjugating them. (Sarah Vine, Book of the Week Times)

There's something altogether refreshing about Hakim's spade-calling (Will Self Guardian)

Hakim is quite right on one central point: women in the UK and the US are not brought up to make the best of themselves, as French women are. We are taught that beauty is the poor cousin of brains; we are hung up about flaunting it ... makes one see things differently. Sitting on the Tube having just finished it, I stared at all the frumpy English women and thought what a shame it was that so few of them were making anything of their erotic capital. (Lucy Kellaway Financial Times)

Hakim is absolutely right; more than that - her book should be read out to young girls as part of the national curriculum. Because it states something important that mothers have been frightened to tell daughters for fear of undermining their intelligence: that you can be a feminist, you can be strong and independent and clever, and you can wear a nice frock and high heels while you do this. (Bryony Gordon Daily Telegraph)

As I read these words a great sense of relief seemed to rise from me. That explains it: erotic capital isn't just about sexy, at all. It's about those human qualities which, for politicians, are paramount. MPs know this instinctively, Hakim argues, because they've already come out on top in the 'winner-takes-all' culture of erotic capital. ... Honey Money is genuinely thought-provoking, for the implications which arise from the fundamentally blunt nature of its argument. ... Politicians reading Honey Money will instinctively agree with the fundamentals of its claims. So why should they not also agree with the thoroughly controversial arguments which follow from them? (Alex Stevenson politics.co.uk)