Gloria Steinem's Revolutions From Within: A Book of Self-Esteem is a combination memoir, self-help manual, and cultural critique. The renowned feminist who co-founded Ms. magazine in 1971 celebrates the significance of self-esteem as a passport to personal renewal and as a vaccine against social ills.

After years of looking after her mentally ill mother and then serving as the major caretaker for a magazine, Steinem came to see that she had no inner life. "Like a soldier who is wounded but won't lie down for fear of dying," she writes, "I just kept marching." By giving up leadership of Ms. and moving on to other things, Steinem had an opportunity to take stock of herself. What she found was not very appealing.

Steinem describes her journey toward self-esteem through therapy, guided imagery, meditation, and creativity. She characterizes this revolution from within as a process of unlearning dangerous lies stemming from prejudice against women. And, she establishes the link between self-esteem and the civic activism necessary to transform society. While many have scoffed at Steinem's New Agey prescriptions for personal change, those with open minds and a respect for her odyssey will find this book edifying.