Not disposed to educate or alienate her audience, Ms. Ephron can't believe that beautiful women or women with breasts have anything to complain about…. This implies, of course, that only plain women earn the right to question a sexist society—presumably because they are less readily accepted by it. Ephron's audience can, no doubt, speak with some authority here. Unfortunately, Ms. Ephron herself never asks why beauty is such an important commodity in this society and fails to recognize that when ludicrous physical standards are created, we all become losers—plain, ugly and beautiful.

Nor does she feel sympathy with mothers and housewives; she confesses to voluptuous fantasies about rape. Nevertheless, Nora Ephron assures us that she is committed to the women's movement and possesses a most empathetic personality. In Crazy Salad it is difficult to find evidence of either. But what is most disturbing about this book...