Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Review: All women should read this book. People that have used the author’s biography as a way to dismiss the book’s content are missing the point. Sure she is talented, had a lot of support, and seems to have always been at the right place at the right time. That doesn’t mean what she has to say isn’t relevant and worth reading. Gloria Steinem had it right when she said (speaking about the book) "Only in women is success viewed as a barrier to giving advice.”

The fact that this book is so polarizing proves Ms. Sandberg’s point. The workplace is not a level playing field. The book is full of examples of how men and women in management are viewed differently. Best of all, it contains practical information for how to handle these situations. The reality, she concludes, is that if the workplace is going to change for the better, we’re going to have to change the attitudes of ourselves and others. It’s our responsibility.

One offhand comment from the book that has stayed with me was “what could the feminist movement achieved if Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem worked together instead of competing?” Good food for thought.