Book Reviews: Women At Work
In 2013 the New Yorker reported that “women in business were more likely than men to drop out of the workforce or have their careers interrupted a decade after earning their M.B.A.s, because of family considerations… Thirteen per cent of women weren’t working at all, compared to one per cent of men.” And among Harvard college graduates with professional degrees, women with M.B.A.s had the lowest labor force participation rates.
To have it all – to be professionally successful and to be happy with their family life – has been a dream of professional women for 50 years. Maybe one day, women will have it all. In the meantime, three new books in the Ford Library help women to cultivate their professional potential and to create a fulfilled life.
What Works for Women at Work by Joan C. Williams and Rachel Dempsey
Women need to be more savvy than men in office politics so they can advance their careers in the competitive workplace. Using interviews of successful women including women of color, this book reports on workplace challenges, such as: Women must prove themselves over and over again; Women must navigate the “assertiveness” tightrope; Women are pushed aside after bearing children. Includes strategies and practical advice. Also available as an eBook.
The Orange Line by Jodi Ecker Detjen et al.
Author Jodi Ecker Detjen earned an MA from Duke University. She and two co-authors were high achieving professionals who faced unexpected challenges after having children. In their new book, they examine barriers in the workplace, and analyze the assumptions among career women that hold themselves back from realizing their potential. They offer practical advice for creating a life that integrates work, family and the self. Also available as a Kindle eBook.
Women, Change the World by Michelle Patterson
Brief profiles of 40 high-profile women working in business, technology and NGO’s are followed by their own thoughts, challenges and triumphs, designed to inspire others to live and work with courage.
© Reviewer: Meg Trauner & Ford Library – Fuqua School of Business.
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