Nancy Friday was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 27, 1937. She has made a career of writing about womens issues. Her first book, My Secret Garden, published in 1973, created a stir with its frank discussion of womens sexual fantasies. This theme was continued in Forbidden Flowers. In My Mother/My Self, Friday turns to another issue, the relationship between mothers and daughters. She returns to the subject of sexual fantasies in Men In Love, only this time approaching it from a male perspective. In The Power of Beauty, Friday explores how womens lives are affected by their appearance in a culture that values beauty. Friday is also the author of Jealousy, and Women On Top. Friday attended Wellesley College and has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and freelance writer. Her articles have been published in magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Forum, and Playboy.