anyway, in this book, in "we the people" i tell the story of betty friedan. and this gaithersburg book festival is a good setting to say that betty friedan's book, "the feminine mystique," has told over three million copies. >> profound cultural impact. >> unbelievable. saying that american women are being underestimated, underutilized in terms of intellectual compassionty that the happy suburban housewife is a myth and it's not satisfying to american women and the like. it led to the feminist movement, but craig touched on this earlier. it has changed us as an american people in terms of family structure. women saying, you know what? i may not need to get married earlier. why is my life about getting married and having kids as opposed to developing my career, my educational background. these issues, this change in america as we live in it as opposed to the america of the founding fathers, i think that's why betty friedan is one of the founders of modern america as we know it today. >> you know, i just want to say, you've stimulated a lot of thinking. i'm sur

. >> it was a betty friedan operation, it was definitely that. >> it was a great tribute to her.just spontaneously turned out to be the best thing ever. >> they have three demands according to the ladies organizing the strike, free child care centers running 24 hours a day, equal education and employment, and free abortions on request. >> free abortions on request! >> it was a wonderful consciousness-raising moment to demonstrate the seriousness, the rage. it was a revolutionary high. it was very moving. >> at the western white house, president nixon said we should all recognize that women have a wider role to play in this nation. but on the senate floor, west virginia's jennings randolph characterized women's lib as -- i quote him -- a small band of braless bubbleheads. >> you have to understand how backwards we were on issues involving women's rights then. women couldn't sign a loan. they had to get their husband's approval. women weren't allowed in the military academies. i mean, this is ridiculous. >> i think the point is now to inform other women that the women's liberation