Helen Gurley Brown's 'Sex and the Single Girl: Before There Was Sex in the City, There Was' Book Review

Helen Gurley Brown was the original single girl in New York. She was well positioned too. The sexual evolution was her calling card and this book was the first modern guide to living life. HGB was to women what Hugh Hefner in the 1960s was to men. This book, groundbreaking as it was, paved the way for Candace Bushnell and her Sex and the City fame. Sex and the Single Girl is about being a modern woman seeking adventure and passion more than an MRS degree. HGB dished it out with advice on being sexy, enjoying the night life, and enjoying sex without fear of pregnancy.

The pill revolutionized gender relations and this book was pivotal in letting women know that the old school 1950s no longer existed. While it may be dated now, any feminist ought to read this book as its impact on the lives of females is still being felt today. HGB was not a feminist. She was a woman who captured the power of women that exploded in the 1960s. There was no other rule book until this book was published.

One thing about HGB is that she carried along with a married man back in the day. It’s been going on for centuries but she actually spoke about it openly. Looking back on the events since this was first published almost makes you wonder how feminism would have developed without HGB.