Susan Faludi, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, documents how a powerful counter-assault on women's rights emerged in the 1980s even as feminism was declared dead or unnecessary. Through meticulous reporting, Faludi exposes how media narratives about the 'man shortage,' the dangers of career women's infertility, and the misery of single professional women were based on flawed or fabricated research. She traces how the fashion industry pushed restrictive clothing, how Hollywood turned from working women protagonists to imperiled victims, and how political strategists weaponized 'family values' rhetoric. The book examines specific campaigns against reproductive rights, affirmative action, and domestic violence protections, revealing the funding and coordination behind what appeared to be spontaneous cultural shifts. Faludi shows how the backlash worked not by directly opposing equality but by insisting that feminism itself had made women unhappy, offering return to traditional roles as the cure. First published in 1991, the book proved prophetic about recurring patterns of antifeminist reaction that have continued through subsequent decades. The new introduction extends the analysis to recent elections and cultural conflicts, demonstrating the ongoing relevance of Faludi's framework. Essential reading for understanding how gains toward equality provoke organized resistance and how that resistance operates through culture as much as politics.