"...a well-written, nuanced and interesting account of contradictions at work in contemporary non-profit projects supporting economic rights for women... an important analysis of the pragmatic difficulties feminists face in seeking meaningful social change in a neoliberal context of gendered, racialized economic inequality." - Journal of Gender Studies
"...a richly documented, theoretically sophisticated.ethnography that involves participant bservation, focus groups and.interviews with low-income Israeli and Palestinianwomen over an important ten-year period... Most remarkable about the work is Saʾar's attention to historical, .sociodemographic, sociopolitical, and ethnographic detail." - Review of Middle East Studies
"This book would become a precious asset for scholars and student in the field of gender relations who are interested in understanding how gender becomes crucial in the creeping in of neoliberal ideas. Sa'ar beautifully exposes the dynamics through which the gender contract of earlier political economies is transformed... Sa'ar's writing is thoughtful and precise, and the book chapters could serve as important discussion triggers in courses and seminars on a variety of topics." - Anthropos
"Amalia Sa'ar's unique new book...contributes to a fuller picture of the construction of neoliberal selves and citizens among women, a picture that is applicable as well, with variation, to men and one that increasingly seems to forestall any alternative visions of what it means to be a modern person and citizen." - Anthropology Review Database
"This is a unique piece: sophisticated, brilliantly argued, and, most importantly, based on the voices and experiences of real people." - Charles Lindholm, Boston University
"This is an outstanding example of feminist scholarship that combines wide-ranging knowledge of various bodies of literature, nuanced critical perspectives on policies and projects ostensibly geared toward women's empowerment, and an empathic approach to the "subjects" of those projects as well as to some of the service providers." - Valentine M. Moghadam, Northeastern University
"This book wonderfully explores the issues that affect a variety of women in Israel and not just those that social/cultural anthropologists have tended to focus on." - Virginia R. Dominguez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
