The Home

First published in 1903, this book by best-selling author Charlotte Perkins Gilman considers the domestic situation of most women to be the single worst thing to have happened to human society since Cain and Abel. Women's skills - child care and to a lesser extent, food preparation - are not exposed to the same developmental process as other industries, where specialization and competition lead to progress. Therefore the average woman performs them poorly. Women who are not challenged to grow and expand their skills are a drag on society. The stereotype of women changing their mind comes from their daily exposure to multitasking...