In Full Flower: Aging Women, Power, and Sexuality, A History.

New York, NY Random House: Vintage, 1993. Paperback First Ed thus; First Printing indicated. First Ed thus; First Printing indicated. Fine in Wraps: binding square and secure; text clean. Virtually 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 422pp. Trade Paperback. An iconoclastic study of the social, cultural, and sexual status of aging women in Western society draws on elements of myth, history, literature, and pop culture to explore the nature of the relationship between older women and younger men. The point that I found of particular interest was the author's discussion of the waxing and waning of women's social and economic status with changes in sex ratio (the number of women in porportion to the number of men) and the economic effect women's control of property had on the lives of men. Women gained when their numbers were few relative to the numbers of men, and women's control of property was restricted when it interfered with young men's abilities to make their marks in the world. There is a lot of information and valuable historical perspective. Banner offers good writing and good information with a balanced analysis. Banner chose a worthy subject, and she is a good writer.