The Secret History of Home Economics

How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live

By: Danielle Dreilinger

Narrated by: Rachel Perry

The term "home economics" may conjure traumatic memories of lopsided hand-sewn pillows or sunken muffins. But common conception obscures the story of the revolutionary science of better living. The field exploded opportunities for women in the 20th century by reducing domestic work and providing jobs as professors, engineers, chemists, and businesspeople. And it has something to teach us today.

In the surprising, often fiercely feminist, and always fascinating The Secret History of Home Economics, Danielle Dreilinger traces the field's history from Black colleges to Eleanor Roosevelt to Okinawa, from a Betty Crocker brigade to DIY techies. These women - and they were mostly women - became chemists and marketers, studied nutrition, health, and exercise, tested parachutes, created astronaut food, and took bold steps in childhood development and education.

Home economics followed the currents of American culture even as it shaped them. Dreilinger brings forward the racism within the movement along with the strides taken by women of color who were influential leaders and innovators. She also looks at the personal lives of home economics' women, as they chose to be single, share lives with other women, or try for egalitarian marriages.

©2021 Danielle Dreilinger (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Excellent description of a valuable field.

I’m a proud home economist and loved hearing about the people who worked at so many things professionally who were all part of this wonderful world. Thanks for writing about all of them and proving what I’ve always believed. - that home economists are capable of everything!

Bring back home economics!

Fascinating subject. I learned alot about "home ec" and agree that it should be reinstated.

wow, I had no idea!

I have my bs in Home Economics as a dietetics major. I also was very action in 4H in middle and through high school. i saw the heavy science as a challenge in college as I took it with premed majors. I had no idea there were so many ways the major was being undermined.
i truely believe I have a skill set from the variety of classes tough through schools and clu s which helped me see the economic value to society when families thrive. We need these skills taught again and to hire home economics majors with their diversity of skills in leadership positions to move us forward into the interdependant, fast paced societies now and in the future.

Should be mandatory reading in usa

This should be mandatory reading, especially for middle school & highschool teachers and administrators. Every American should now the history and importance of home economics.

Incredible Research

I love reading old home economics books so of course I wanted to read a comprehensive history on the subject. Seeing a reviewer had criticized this book's coverage of racism, I knew it had to be a thorough history and had to have it. This book is a gem. A must have for anyone interested in the subject.

Excellent book

What a well researched book. The history of Home Economics is complex and sometimes reflected history as it was but at other time was incredibly forward thinking and even radical. I appreciate that this history wasn’t white washed. The author explored the racism and even eugenics within the movement and certainly the challenges of functioning within a deeply patriarchal society. It was fascinating to read about the powerful personalities that shaped the profession but also how the profession suffered when the leadership retired or died. Every aspect of this book was fascinating. Also, the narrator was excellent.

Good book, narration not so good

As a person who got two degrees in home economics back in the eighties, I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it. I did learn a lot about how home economics developed in three different socioeconomic groups at the same time—I had no idea. I also learned more about what lead up to the state of the profession that I found upon graduation. I especially liked the last chapter about how desperately we need to bring home economics back.
The narrator would probably be great for children’s books. Her manner of sing-song reading is odd with this kind of book and makes it very hard to follow. Halfway through the book I started thinking the main point of the author was to ridicule home economics and tear down home economists as terrible people, then I realized it was the narration that was making it sound snarky. I’ll make a point of avoiding books read by her in the future.

Interesting history

Off the bat, I did not enjoy the narration. But getting past that I found this really interesting and changed my own perceptions of home economics. It is definitely a complicated topic but one that is really relevant today. I would recommend it to a history buff and/or a stay at home feminist mom like me trying to understand that staying home doesn’t have to be preceded by “just a” when describing what you do with your day.

Scratched the surface and was slanted

There was some good history but it was more focused on the authors political views than creating an interesting narrative around the facts. One example is saying that children at the border were taken from their parents during Trumps term. Nothing to do with home economics and it isn’t a fact. I do agree that everyone should take life skills in school. But who will determine what’s taught and can it be neutral? Time will tell. This was what I listened to in a 9 hour car trip. Wouldn’t do it again.

This author twists history out of context for her own political agend to paint white makes in history as xenophobic, sexist.

This book is riddled with leftist perversions! The implementation of women housed together as bisexual without any context that at that time women where housed together in all female dormitories is irresponsible as an author and completely out of context of the times! She takes white men mentioned in this book out of context with the atmosphere of the time period they where living as xenophobic and sexist. This book at best takes the quotes and thinkings of 1900 without any mention of what the context of that time was up against. She twist her own perversions for her political agenda.