To compile this anthology, editor Donna Bassin invited fifteen recognized writers on gender to select a classic psychoanalytic paper that has been a personal favorite. These writers each introduce their choice by describing to the reader the influence of the paper on their own thinking about female development. These commentaries are engaging and fresh and often have an almost conversational tone that gives the reader a palpable sense of listening to a respected colleague speaking about the impact of a key paper on his or her thinking. The special quality of this approach draws the reader into a relationship with both the commentators and the authors of the original papers. In many cases, the