The past few days have generated buzz about Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, inspired by the fiftieth anniversary of the book’s publication. The Feminine Mystique was crucial for sharing feminist principles with a broad audience, and it “is credited with igniting the women’s movement of the 1960s,” so I too celebrate the book’s birthday.

Yet, as is true with any trade or philosophy, the most well-known work is often not the most profound or transformative work. In a sea of groundbreaking feminist writing, Friedan’s book is sort of like George Clooney is to great filmmakers right now: Important. Well known. Sexy. But only scratching the surface of the talent in the field. Above all else, Friedan’s book is ideologically safe by comparison to the full body of feminist writings. She analyzed the impact of a wide range of patriarchal institutions — publishing, military, politics — on middle class women’s lives without trying to up-end any of those institutions.

Even Stephanie Coontz, who reminded everyone about The Feminine Mystique’s anniversary in her New York Times op-ed “Why Gender Equality Stalled,” has in the past criticized Friedan for focusing primarily on a white, middle-class audience.