In the spirit of Rebecca Traister’sGood and Madand Roxane Gay’sBad Feministcomes a courageous, in-depth investigation into the modern epidemic of shame in our societywhat it is, why women are uniquely susceptible, and how we can shift the shame off our plates and live our best lives in an over-exposed, image-obsessed world.

For millions of women, shame is a vicious predator. It tells us we areless than, that we areunworthy. We try everything to escape shameignoring it, intellectualizing it, and even, ironically, shamingourselvesfor feeling it. The reality is that women experience shame more frequently and more intensely than mena direct result, as acclaimed journalist Melissa Petro explains, of a patriarchal culture that urges women to feel bad about themselves, and then punishes them when they do. Why cant we figure out how to break the shame cycle once and for all?

InShame on You,Petro takes on the issue of womens shame directly with an unflinching look at the social systems that encourage women to believe we are deeply inadequate. From shames beginnings (Maybe shes born with it? Nope, its misogyny.) to its effect on our lives as adults (How the humiliation of bad women affects us all.), shame poisons our friendships, romantic relationships, and work lives. But it doesnt have to be that way. Blending investigative reporting, science, literature, and hundreds of womens personal storiesincluding her own shameful account of winding up as an unwittingNew York Postcover girlPetro offers us a new way forward. No matter what you do, she explains, there is no escaping being judged. And yet, the women we can becomesometimes as a consequence of shame, rather than in spite of itare powerful indeed. And maybe thats what others are afraid of.