Dancing Backwards in High Heels: How Women Master the Art of Resilience

by Patricia O'Gorman

Whether we are survivors of a difficult childhood, career women trying to do it all, or women simply caught in a web of vague expectations, Dancing Backwards in High Heels helps us achieve our potential and live with confidence. Author Patricia O'Gorman shows us how to work with our own style of resilience by identifying what has helped us survive in the past and explains how to draw upon these experiences to manage the changes that life brings.

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 1994

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave the book a three- rather than two-star rating because I did not finish it. So, I have given the benefit of the doubt for the possibility that it gets better as it goes along. I got to about page 60 then skimmed to about page 120 then just gave it up.

The book is perhaps useful to those at the very beginning of their journey towards better self-esteem and self-reliance, but certainly it would not be the best book to choose even for that.

O'Gorman belabours some points to death so that the book gets tedious quickly. She also seems to pick-and-choose her examples and interpretations of these examples and the literature to suit her own points (e.g. in one chapter 'girly thoughts' are instilled from birth but in the next they arise when children move towards independence from parents and are more influenced by societal messages). Finally, O'Gorman seems completely enamoured by the phrase 'girly thoughts' which she uses like a hammer throughout and even puts in italics each time to ensure the reader notices it. A note to O'Gorman: hint, if you have to explain the reasons why a particular phrase is not really condescending, then it might be time to recognize that it really is.

There is perhaps some useful information in this book, but I got so bogged down in it, I no longer registered the points one way or another. After the third time that I noticed myself trying to force myself to read 'just a few more pages' I took O'Gorman's advice, listened to my inner self, and put the book down.

[Cassandra Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken into three significant parts, The Resilient Woman: Mastering the Steps to Personal Power enveloped the essence of the word, resilient. Having heard this word before and used mostly as a description of hard-working women, I have developed a new-found knowledge of the term, and it's application to my life.Written by Dr. Patricia O'Gorman, PhD., this book contains three parts. Part I and Part II identifies negative and positive aspects of resilience and includes seven steps toward conscious resilience. Part III provides steps to use resilience in your life. Even though the introduction of the various real life situations were often confusing, this text can be useful in both the personal and professional lives of women. I read the book without completely using the journaling questions, but I can use the questions to create thought provoking writing marathons.

[Hali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some very good thoughts on resiliance in women. I hadn't considered resiliance to be the author's definition before, but it was a good concept, that I can incorporate into my own idea of resiliance. I would recommend this book, because of many good thoughts and ideas!

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: This ARC was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

This was a pretty good book. I will definitely take to heart the lessons in this book.