(born 1921) In 1963 Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique. Interviewing hundreds of American housewives and mothers, Friedan found deep dissatisfaction among many. An instant bestseller, the book sparked the modern feminist movement, premised on the notion that women are equal, socially and politically with men. This movement spawned the National Organization for Wo men (NOW) in 1966, with Friedan as its first president, which aimed to eliminate barriers to full gender equality Though criticized by many as appealing only to middle-class white professional women, Friedan’s Feminine Mystique and NOW were pivotal challenges to a society premised on gender inequality.