Key Takeaways

• Several readers have felt that the book 'Pussy: A Reclamation' by Regena Thomashauer was not meant for them and they were not the target audience. Rebekka K. Steg has written in her review that the author's "target audience is probably ciswomen in their 40s or older, and they would probably find it inspirational." Another reviewer has written about the tokenizing stereotypical language used by the author for people coming from "a recovery or non-hetero normative background," such as the author writing about her "gay friend who is great at thrifting."
• The book is meant to be a powerful guide for women to understand the source of their feminine power and how to get reacquainted with it. The book's title is intended as a wake-up call for women around the world to recognize her power source - "which is the part of herself she has been taught to ignore, push down, and despise" - and embrace her femininity.
• Several readers have lavished huge praise on the book calling it "brave, powerful, and transformative" as it "lays down the groundwork for women" to reclaim their feminine power and rid themselves of "the patriarchal conditioning that has poisoned every woman’s mind for the last 5000 years." Satisfied readers have found the historical anecdote about courtesans to be fascinating and a powerful tool for women to reclaim their inner goddess. Some of these reviews can be read here and here.

Introduction

Common Points of Complaints by Readers

• Several readers have felt that the book was not meant for them and they were not the target audience. Rebekka K. Steg has written in her review that the author's "target audience is probably ciswomen in their 40s or older, and they would probably find it inspirational." Another reviewer has written about the tokenizing stereotypical language used by the author for people coming from "a recovery or non-hetero normative background," such as the author writing about her "gay friend who is great at thrifting."
• Many readers, including feminists, have found the book to be incredibly toxic and promoting white feminism. Readers have complained about the author's egoistic and narcissistic personality being reflected in the book. This is because the author has proudly written about indulging in materialistic things like purchasing an expensive dress or "living in a home she couldn’t afford" just because she was influenced by her genitalia whilst at the same time being extremely critical of her relatives and family members who were having a hard time just because they would not attend her course. A reviewer, Mazariegos, has called the author a charlatan and has written that she is the "Donald Trump of self-help authors: unqualified for the job but fully self impressed." Another reviewer, Oceana, has written that the book is "a very thinly-veiled attempt at self-promotion by a narcissistic author."
• Several readers have complained that the whole book felt like a sales pitch and Regena Thomashauer was only promoting her school Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts or her in-person events and seminars/workshops through the book. Similar comments can be read here and here.
• Multiple readers have complained about the repetitiveness and monotony of ideas in the book. Several reviewers have written that the book is poorly written and that they have been unable to finish the book. A similar review can be read here.
• Multiple readers have been offended with the premise of using their genitalia as the only means of achieving personal and professional success in life. Readers have found some of the author's concepts to be plainly ridiculous and unscientific. These include the premise that women's power comes from their genitalia and the concept of GPS (the Great Pussy in the Sky) which extols women to use their genitalia to manifest things in their life like finding a parking spot or doing well in a job interview. A reviewer, Magdalena R, has felt frustrated over the excessive reference of the female genitalia in the book. She has written that she "came away almost angry from the book feeling like Regina needed to stop thinking about her pussy so much and start reading a financial advisement book, stop being so impressed with other peoples money, and take some ownership over her decisions."

Important Topics Discussed in the Book

• The book is meant to be a powerful guide for women to understand the source of their feminine power and how to get reacquainted with it. The book's title is intended as a wake-up call for women around the world to recognize her power source - "which is the part of herself she has been taught to ignore, push down, and despise" - and embrace her femininity.
• The book contains revolutionary tools and practices through which women can be empowered to navigate the various facets of their life such as relationships, career, sensuality, body, and confidence and achieve success in whatever they do. The book contains the following topics and lessons:
• The key practices through which women can seek and speak their deepest truth despite any obstacles or circumstances.
• Practices through which women can embody radical self-celebration for changing their lives.
• Practices through which women can stop despising their body and accept it for what it truly is: beautiful, powerful, sacred, and worthy of approval.
• Practices through which women can "trade depletion, obligation, overwork, and resentment for gratitude-filled, passionate contribution" to their families, communities, and the overall society.
• The role of a woman's sensual awareness in her intellectual, spiritual, and emotional health.
• The role of the modern woman in "the next frontier of feminism."
• The book contains Regena Thomashauer's personal experiences as she grew up in a patriarchal household and how she transformed herself using the techniques written in the book. As one reviewer, Sally Bennett, has written, the book is "about dismantling the patriarchal conditioning that has poisoned every woman’s mind for the last 5000 years" and compelled them to judge and hate themselves and their bodies.
• The book also contains detailed instructions for women to create a new kind of sisterhood called Sister Goddess Activism through which women can support "each other in tapping into their powers to radiate joy" and sharing these awakened capacities with others for radiant intimacy. These instructions include celebrating sex and her own sexual orientation to the fullest with their partners.

Reasons for the Purchase of the Book by the Readers

• Several readers purchased the book after attending Regena Thomashauer's School of Womanly Arts or her Mastery class and wanting to further what they had learned in her classes. Others purchased the book after having read the author's previous works or having stumbled across her blog or having witnessed the incredible transformation of an acquaintance who had attended Regena Thomashauer's classes or read her books. Some reviews by readers that had earlier attended Regena Thomashauer's classes can be read here and here.
• Some readers purchased the book because they found the title of the book to be intriguing and interesting. Others found the title to be cringe-worthy and off-putting but somehow decided to buy the book out of curiosity. A few of these reviews can be read here, here, and here.
• Several readers, including men, have purchased the book because of a recommendation from a friend, a family member, or an acquaintance. Some of the reviews by satisfied readers who purchased the book due to a recommendation can be read here, here, here, and here.

Where the Author Succeeded in Conveying Their Point to the Readers

• A majority of the readers have been impressed with Regena Thomashauer's expert handling of an uncomfortable subject. They have also been impressed with her vibrant energy, humor, wit, and honesty in sharing her personal experiences. Readers have felt that the book is empowering for women and thought-provoking as the author "encourages the reader to embrace their sensuality" and have pleasure whilst loving themselves at the same time.
• Several readers have lavished huge praise on the book calling it "brave, powerful, and transformative" as it "lays down the groundwork for women" to reclaim their feminine power and rid themselves of "the patriarchal conditioning that has poisoned every woman’s mind for the last 5000 years." Satisfied readers have found the historical anecdote about courtesans to be fascinating and a powerful tool for women to reclaim their inner goddess. Some of these reviews can be read here and here.
• Numerous satisfied readers have claimed that the practices, assignments, and tips given by the author in the book have brought dramatic results in their lives, such as improved finances, increased confidence, and an overall better quality of life in their marriage, sex, relationships, and self-reflection.

Where the Author Failed in Conveying Their Point to the Readers

• Disappointed readers have complained that the book has not resonated with them since its focal point is sex and the worship of the female genitalia as a means to achieve life's goals whereas they were looking for lessons about the divine feminine and perspectives on how to value their feminine essence and reclaim their sexuality. A reviewer has written that "the book is basically a memoir of Mama Gena from the perspective of her crotch" and not much else.
• Some disappointed readers felt that the author came across as a typical faith healer or self-help guru that had "discovered the secret key to success" and the lack of success on the part of the reader stemmed from their own lack of faith. Some readers have felt the book to be commercial and manipulative and only meant "for sheltered, bored, rich women who fall for any guru with a novel idea."
• Some readers have felt that the writing focuses entirely on empowering women to indulge in materialism, sex, and getting whatever they want at the expense of others, which is counterproductive for women seeking a stable relationship or career since there are other ways for women to achieve their goals without following the steps written in the book. A reviewer has written that young women should not read the book as it can cause psychological problems and other diseases resulting from "too many different and varied vibrations taken in at that level of intimacy."
• The author's handling of the men in her life in order to establish herself as the central figure in her book and a sort of goddess-like figure has put off several readers. The author has written about her numerous failed relationships and about the men being accessories in her life to only spoil her with luxury and materialistic pleasures. The author has even written about her grotesque practice of smearing her boyfriend's toothbrush on her genitalia "to ensure she became the lady of his manor."

Research Strategy

Introduction

Complaints

Verbosity/Overwriting

• Readers complained about wordiness. The author used more words than needed in a sentence which made the book "impossible to follow" according to some readers. For instance, readers complained of unnecessary words which do not add meaning to whatever the author was trying to say.
• Some readers felt that the author was more concerned with demonstrating her intelligence by using an uncommon and illogical number of words per sentence, making it difficult to maintain a reading flow.
• One reader said that it was as though the author was trying to "prove herself through how many overly intellectual words she can through into each and every sentence within the book." Another reader says that it seems "as if the author specifically wrote every sentence in the most complex and wordy way possible." Here is the link to the review.

Quality Concern

• Readers were disappointed with the quality of the contents of the book. Readers felt that there were a lot of over generalizations with no claims based on data.
• Some readers mentioned that the book had very few stories and it could have been shorter. For example, one reader says that the author "just says one thing the whole book: indulge the Wild Woman."
• Another reader mentions that the book "goes on and on but says very little." Here is the link to the review.

Font

• Readers stated that the book's font was "extremely small." Some readers mentioned that they were unable to read "the small, blurry print."
• For instance, some readers stated that the font size was the main reason for not reading the book. Examples of these reviews can be found here.

Important Topics

Wild and Free-spirited Woman

• The book discusses the wild nature of women. According to one reader, the main point being passed across is that " everything that goes wrong in women's lives in the modern world is that they have forgotten their wild nature, that place inside their mind which still leads with an animal instinct that makes women strong and with much power."

• The wild woman is inside every woman and demands to "live with no boundaries." She wants to laugh, give life, mourn, create art, and trust her own intuition. The author uses stories from different cultures to explore this concept. Here is the link to the review.

Motherhood/Womanhood

• The book explores the concept of motherhood and womanhood. According to one reader, she has been able to discover different perspectives on motherhood from the book, from being a mother to babies to being a mother to teenagers. The reader mentions that there is always an appropriate story to learn from.
• The book begins at the core of a woman's being and gradually reveals what a woman's essence is all about. It has the potential to help many women and girls better understand themselves. Here is the link to the review.
• For instance, one reader says that the author is like "a mother sitting you down and sharing her knowledge with you one beautiful word at a time."

Intuition

• The book explores the idea of women's intuition. According to one reader, women should read the book to reconnect with "their intuitive feminine selves." The reader recommends the book for women who consider themselves intuitive.
• Other readers have stated that the book was most impactful for regaining their intuition. Here is the link to the review.

Reasons for Purchase

Recommendations

• Many readers have indicated that they bought the book on recommendations from others. For instance, one reader mentions that this "book is surprisingly highly recommended."
• Others purchased the book after being recommended by friends and family members. Here is the link to the review

Publicity

• Several readers purchased the book because of its publicity. Readers have mentioned that they purchased the book after hearing so much about it.
• Readers state that they purchased the book after hearing about it on blogs and message boards. Others stated that they had heard about the book for years before purchasing the book. Here is the link to the review.

Source of Empowerment

• Several readers purchased the book because they viewed it as a source of empowerment. A lot of readers purchased the book as a self-help book.
• Several readers view the book as a self-development tool and purchased the book when they were looking for self-help advice. Here is the link to the review

Success

Life-changing Stories

• The use of stories by the author to convey messages to readers was successful. Many readers found the use of stories very helpful and life-changing. One reader states that it is "worth forming study groups just to discuss the stories."
• Although many readers found issues with the writing style, they found the stories interesting. Readers felt that the author's use of folk stories beautifully illustrated what she was talking about.
• According to some readers, the author's ability to interpret the meaning and themes of the stories using symbols was incredible. Readers also mentioned that they found the stories to be "incredibly insightful and thought-provoking." Here is the link to the review.

Women Archetypes

• The author was successful in portraying female archetypal characters. Readers felt like the book was successful in talking about issues facing the female character such as relationships and all other aspects of women's lives.
• One reader states that "Dr. Estes is totally on point in her narrative and understanding of the woman archetype within...in all aspects and phases of our lives." The book begins at the core of a woman's being and gradually reveals what a woman's essence is all about. Here is the link to the review.

The Concept of Wild Woman

• The author was successful in explaining the concept of the wild woman. Readers have mentioned that they liked how the author conveyed the concept of the wild and free-spirited woman in the book.

• According to one reader, after each story, the author analyzed the story and showed how it focused on finding the wild woman. Here is the link to the review.

Failures

Impossible to Follow

• Disappointed readers have complained that the book is impossible to follow. They indicated that the author used more words than needed in a sentence which made the book " impossible to follow" according to some readers. Here is a link to the reviews.
• A reviewer has written that it seems "as if the author specifically wrote every sentence in the most complex and wordy way possible." Here is the link to the review.

Audience

• Some readers felt that the book did not resonate with them since it was for mothers/older women.
• A reviewer has written that "all the insight was about motherhood" and was not "relevant for child-free women." Here is the link to the review.

Small Font

• Readers stated that the book's font was "extremely small." Some readers mentioned that they were unable to read "the small, blurry print."
• For instance, some readers stated that the font size was the main reason for not reading the book. Examples of these reviews can be found here.

Research Strategy