“I’m not a feminist, but…”

Megan Seely promises fearlessness. At twenty-eight, she was the youngest woman to have been leader of the California chapter of the National Organization for Women. Before that, she was the organization’s youth coordinator, a position specifically created for her. Now in her early thirties, she gives the impression of a much older author—but one in touch with the current state of the movement. She writes with a very specific purpose: to prepare the next generation of young women—with history, media guidelines, overviews of major issues, and techniques of activism—to bravely tackle the unique challenges of feminism in this generation.

Perhaps the ultimate test of a book of this sort is the reader’s political reaction: did I feel ready, after reading her tips and suggestions for organizing rallies, writing press releases, and doing media interviews, to put on an event of my own? Did I feel fearless? Hardly. Going in with a basic working knowledge of feminism (and havi...