Teasers and 'My Life on the Road' by Gloria Steinem

I haven't done one of these in a while but I'm back with a great book! Today I'm featuring a book which came out last month: My Life on the Road by the iconic Gloria Steinem! I wanted to read this one as soon as I saw it on Netgalley and I was so excited to be approved for it. My review is coming up in the next two weeks or so, but I thought I'd share a couple of tasters from it with you guys anyway.

Gloria Steinem—writer, activist, organizer, and one of the most inspiring leaders in the world—now tells a story she has never told before, a candid account of how her early years led her to live an on-the-road kind of life, traveling, listening to people, learning, and creating change. She reveals the story of her own growth in tandem with the growth of an ongoing movement for equality. This is the story at the heart of My Life on the Road.

Tuesday Intros and Teaser Tuesdays are hosted by Diane over at Bibliophile by the Sea and MizB at A Daily Rhythm respectively.

Intro:

Prologue: 'I board a plane for Rapid City, South Dakota, and see a lot of people in black leather, chains and tattoos. Airline passengers usually look like where they're going - business suits to Washington, D.C., jeans to L.A. - but I can't imagine a conventions of sadomasochists in Rapid City. It's the kind of town where people still angle-park their cars in front of the movie palace. My bearded seatmate is asleep in his studded jacket and nose ring, so I just accept one more mystery of the road.' 1%

I really liked this beginning because Steinem sort of sets you up to judge the bikers with her but then by the end of the first chapter, really, she has shown you how wrong your prejudices were. And from my own experiences bikers are amongst the nicest people ever!

First Line: 'When people ask me why I still have hope and energy after all these years, I always say: Because I travel.'

I couldn't not share this first line because I just love it so much. I myself get a lot of energy and comfort out of travelling so I totally see where Steinem is coming from here.

Teaser:

'He thinks that power over our own bodies means power over our own voices, and he wants to speak up for this family. I tell him that he just took that power. Now no one can ever take it away.' 80%

Steinem is here talking about a Hmong refugee from Laos. My Life on the Road is suffused with a massive variety of people's stories and it's what makes the book so great. Unlike other biographies, Steinem's story isn't just about herself but rather about how others have shaped and affected her. It's a very nice approach.

So, does My Life on the Road sound something like you? Steinem is an icon, but her writing is never intimidating or pedantic!