Inspiring for the Drive to Work

What does Elisa Donovan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her warm voice, personal stories, and painting the picture really pulled me into the narrative. This book was definitely a pick-me-up during my commute to a less than stellar internship. One particular morning when I was listening to this book during my commute, I was thinking about how I was gonna appropriately handle the privileged white male at work who was always stealing my chair, trashing my desk, and just not offering me the same respect he would likely give to a male colleague. The book really helped me revisit my aspirations that were so easy to fall away from at a soul-crushing job. I'm at another place now, but my professional development is still a work in progress. I think this book is a good one to read more than once at different points in the career, because some of the chapter topics that don't apply today could easily apply a few months or years from now.

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My world was never as reasonable as hers

It seemed to me this book was written by somebody who was out of touch with reality or clearly a reality that doesn’t intersect with the world I live in.

There are a lot of platitudes in this book. It reads often like one long TED lecture. I hate TED lectures because they see the world in simple terms through the one variable that the speaker is focused on and pretends is all important. The world is not one dimensional. The world never worlds in a vacuum and there are often moving parts that interact in unknown ways.

The author makes the fatal error of thinking that the ‘they’ of the world wants to reason and be rational in their considerations with you. In the world she was thrown into perhaps they did, perhaps when you get to have Larry Summers as your boss when you’re an intern, or you get to interview with Mark Zuckerberg for a career and so on the world is reasonable and rational, but the world I used to live in my starting premises were different and more realistic. Sometimes one was grateful to just have a job let alone a career with a path.

I really hate the author’s point that when she quoted Secretary of State Albright ‘that there is something wrong with a woman who doesn’t help other woman’. Sometimes the world is not reasonable and rational and it would be as if the trees said the axe is one of us because it is made of wood and we should help it just because it is like us. Seeing the world through rose colored glasses (‘la vie en rose’) makes the world a shade of rose that might not correspond to reality. I suspect the author’s concept of struggle is different from mine, and mere survival is not included in her definition.

I stopped this book at the 500 word first person essays. I don’t like anecdotal while trying to understand the world. Also, any time someone glowingly praises Colin Powell and quotes him as an authority, as this author did, I only wish they would also bring up his speech in front of the UN that led us into a war of choice because ‘in this vial I have in my hand there could be enough anthrax to kill’ and ‘those trucks in this picture in front of this base weren’t here the next day and could be used to transport weapons of mass destruction’, or later he would say ‘there will be weapons of mass destruction’ so he never had to answer what would it mean as they were not being found.

I sincerely believe society works best when we empower all members of society as the author says, and that valuing diversity is not only great for its own sake; it also makes the world run better. But, overall the author seemed to live in a different world than the one I exist in.

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Inspiring

I learned a lot about my own perceptions of gender and started paying attention to others actions. I plan on rereading and taking notes to share in my groups.

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AMAZING!!

Any additional comments?

This book was very well written and narrated and provided lots of good insights. I have recommended it to all of my female friends in business. I didn't love the chapters at the end with the stories but the salary negotiation section will be helpful when I start looking for my next job. Definitely a great choice!!

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Misleading

What did you like best about Lean In for Graduates? What did you like least?

Lean In was awesome, Lean In for Graduates is basically the same, so if you read one, you really don't need to read the other

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Good but limited

It was good to listen to this book. A little eye opening, but not much. I am proud of her and respect her for writing this, but I thought that she underestimates the extent to which men suffer many of the same doubts, conflicts and insecurities. It was okay overall.

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for all modern leaders

All managers and leaders should read Lean In. it is inspiring Ang important for future leaders

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Eyeopening, all my fellow Men must read

I can't believe how many things I was guilty of doing that may have impeded the march to equality

This book challenges everyone to think about how their own actions can impede progress to a more equal society where both women and men are treated equally in the workplace and at home

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Absolutely inspiring!

MY NEW FAVORITE BOOK! A book to read more than once. Inspiring! Fantastic! What would you do if you weren't afraid?

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Great Motivational book for women!

I will definitely be using Sheryl's advice at work and personal life. A must read.

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