What do you think?
Rate this book
Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business
2022 Axiom Bronze Award Winner in Women / BIPOC in Business Beyond the Glass Ceiling More and more, women today are challenging long-held beliefs about what they can and can't do. They're speaking up, stepping out, breaking through, and redefining what society has always told them was true about their capabilities. In Smashing the Myths of Women in Business , Andi Simon tells the stories of 11 women from different industries who opened up the possibilities for their professional careers and personal lives by being authentic, taking risks, and pushing past the obstacles others placed before them. These are stories that tell of innovation, show how women rise, and ignite change. Andi, a corporate anthropologist, an award-winning author, and a successful entrepreneur, debunks myth after myth as she profiles the women in the book and offers key wisdom, insights, and observations through her unique lens. Whether about entrepreneurs, innovators, scientists, academics, attorneys, or leaders in other fields, the stories demonstrate how all the women have broken down walls and paved the way to more. But this book isn't only about the 11 women who are pushing boundaries and transforming business, culture, and society; it's about inspiring all women to achieve and showing them a way to launch forward. Rethink provides the tools and framework for questioning society's norms, challenging our own current thinking, and smashing the preconceived notions about women that can so often hold us back from realizing our goals and dreams. In this book, you'll learn how to take a hands-on approach to examining and rethinking your own personal and professional life in order to recognize your fuller potential.
252 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2021
41 people are currently reading
3207 people want to read
About the author
Andi Simon
6 books42 followers Andi Simon Ph.D. is an internationally recognized Corporate Anthropologist, an award-winning author, global podcast host and a specialist in helping people and their organizations change. Dr. Simon’s application of the theory and methods of anthropology to help people see organizations with more observant eyes. Her approach helps to turn observations into innovations.
After writing her award-winning book "On the Brink: A fresh lens to take your business to new heights," she realized that the stories she told did not include any women entrepreneurs and leaders. What were women doing to get “off the brink,” launching new businesses, building expertise in industry, shining as super-stars to effectively lead companies forward. The result is her new book, “Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business.”
In this book Dr. Simon tells the story of 11 women (including herself), each of whom entered non-traditional male oriented fields and shattered the glass ceilings, leaped over brick walls, and showed the way for other women who wanted to do the same. Theirs are the stories of entrepreneurs who were told not to imagine a new business, or a woman leader who was reprimanded for successfully leading others, or an innovator in technology that kept building new businesses out of blockchain or AI.
*Founder and CEO of Simon Associates Management Consultants”
*Creator of “Rethink Your Journey- A Personal Guide to Professional and Personal Development” --an online and in-person course for women.
*Award-winning Author of “On The Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Business to New Heights”
Author of “Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business"
*Vice-Chair of the Women’s Business Collaborative Advisory Council
*Trained practitioner of Blue Ocean Strategy® and Innovation Games® and a John Mattone accredited coach
*Sought-after professional keynote speaker and workshop facilitator
* Visiting Professor at Washington University in St. Louis
*Founder with her husband of The Simon Initiative for Entrepreneurship at Washington University in St. Louis
After writing her award-winning book "On the Brink: A fresh lens to take your business to new heights," she realized that the stories she told did not include any women entrepreneurs and leaders. What were women doing to get “off the brink,” launching new businesses, building expertise in industry, shining as super-stars to effectively lead companies forward. The result is her new book, “Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business.”
In this book Dr. Simon tells the story of 11 women (including herself), each of whom entered non-traditional male oriented fields and shattered the glass ceilings, leaped over brick walls, and showed the way for other women who wanted to do the same. Theirs are the stories of entrepreneurs who were told not to imagine a new business, or a woman leader who was reprimanded for successfully leading others, or an innovator in technology that kept building new businesses out of blockchain or AI.
*Founder and CEO of Simon Associates Management Consultants”
*Creator of “Rethink Your Journey- A Personal Guide to Professional and Personal Development” --an online and in-person course for women.
*Award-winning Author of “On The Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Business to New Heights”
Author of “Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business"
*Vice-Chair of the Women’s Business Collaborative Advisory Council
*Trained practitioner of Blue Ocean Strategy® and Innovation Games® and a John Mattone accredited coach
*Sought-after professional keynote speaker and workshop facilitator
* Visiting Professor at Washington University in St. Louis
*Founder with her husband of The Simon Initiative for Entrepreneurship at Washington University in St. Louis
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 18, 2021
***I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway***
If I would sum up this book in one word: SHALLOW. I have a lot of issues with this book, but that is by far the biggest.
See, the book has a fantastic premise. Rethinking the myths the hold women back in their careers (mostly the corporate world, but there are examples of others). Each chapter focuses on a specific woman and how she tackled one of these myths. Love it! Learning how people got to where they are is fascinating. Unfortunately, the author is SO SHALLOW in her approach to these stories that they are virtually meaningless. Here's an excerpt, "Then her mother died in a freak car accident. Babette was devastated but knew she had to move on. She went to another company..." What?!? What does her mother dying have to do with her career change? What affect did her mother's death have on her professionally? How did the feelings about her mother's death connect to her feelings about work? None of these are answered, or even considered. The entire book is like this. Every woman is just SO hard working, SO brilliant, SO confident and ready to take on challenge. This isn't reality! This isn't how most people feel about themselves or their careers (especially early on).
This book is useless if you want to learn about what motivated people, or how to "rethink" your career path. It's particularly disappointing given the author is an anthropologist who claims to very interested in people's stories and understanding them.
I told myself I would only talk about this one big complaint, but I have no self control. The book also REAKS of privilege. I got so mad when the author is making the point that each of the stories falls into different themes. In discussing the theme of "rags to riches" story, she pointed out the struggle of a woman who had trouble figuring out how to do payroll for her nanny so she started a multi-million dollar company. GTFOH with that BS.
Anyway, there's a few nice anecdotes but this book is not worth reading. Big disappoint.
If I would sum up this book in one word: SHALLOW. I have a lot of issues with this book, but that is by far the biggest.
See, the book has a fantastic premise. Rethinking the myths the hold women back in their careers (mostly the corporate world, but there are examples of others). Each chapter focuses on a specific woman and how she tackled one of these myths. Love it! Learning how people got to where they are is fascinating. Unfortunately, the author is SO SHALLOW in her approach to these stories that they are virtually meaningless. Here's an excerpt, "Then her mother died in a freak car accident. Babette was devastated but knew she had to move on. She went to another company..." What?!? What does her mother dying have to do with her career change? What affect did her mother's death have on her professionally? How did the feelings about her mother's death connect to her feelings about work? None of these are answered, or even considered. The entire book is like this. Every woman is just SO hard working, SO brilliant, SO confident and ready to take on challenge. This isn't reality! This isn't how most people feel about themselves or their careers (especially early on).
This book is useless if you want to learn about what motivated people, or how to "rethink" your career path. It's particularly disappointing given the author is an anthropologist who claims to very interested in people's stories and understanding them.
I told myself I would only talk about this one big complaint, but I have no self control. The book also REAKS of privilege. I got so mad when the author is making the point that each of the stories falls into different themes. In discussing the theme of "rags to riches" story, she pointed out the struggle of a woman who had trouble figuring out how to do payroll for her nanny so she started a multi-million dollar company. GTFOH with that BS.
Anyway, there's a few nice anecdotes but this book is not worth reading. Big disappoint.
January 15, 2021
I received an audiobook of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, with thanks to them and the publisher. This has not impacted my review in any way.
Dr Andi Simon is an anthropologist who explores in this book, the relationship and the myths that exist between women and business, no matter the industry. Breaking down 11 different myths from women can't be good leaders, to women can't be geoscientists and highlighting the women who were trailblazing and setting these myths on fire. This book is set to inspire younger generations to not accept the inequality between women and men within business and de-establish these myths that hold women back.
The reason this book hasn't received higher praise from myself is probably due to an inability to relate to it's content. Many of the women in these books established their careers in the 1980s and the early 1990s. As a child of the late 90s, I find it hard to relate to these women who worked in a time of more limited technology, in different vocational careers and had completely different paths to the one I have before me as a recent university graduate. I don't doubt for a second these are important stories to share, but I also feel like this book could have benefitted from having a couple of younger voices throughout it's 11 or so chapters. I will read more from this author in the future but as of now, I didn't love this book.
Dr Andi Simon is an anthropologist who explores in this book, the relationship and the myths that exist between women and business, no matter the industry. Breaking down 11 different myths from women can't be good leaders, to women can't be geoscientists and highlighting the women who were trailblazing and setting these myths on fire. This book is set to inspire younger generations to not accept the inequality between women and men within business and de-establish these myths that hold women back.
The reason this book hasn't received higher praise from myself is probably due to an inability to relate to it's content. Many of the women in these books established their careers in the 1980s and the early 1990s. As a child of the late 90s, I find it hard to relate to these women who worked in a time of more limited technology, in different vocational careers and had completely different paths to the one I have before me as a recent university graduate. I don't doubt for a second these are important stories to share, but I also feel like this book could have benefitted from having a couple of younger voices throughout it's 11 or so chapters. I will read more from this author in the future but as of now, I didn't love this book.
January 31, 2021
Disclaimer: I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I was excited to read this based on the title and premise but only finished it because I hate not finishing books.
I couldn’t connect with the stories and they felt like a lot of fluff without a lot of content. I had hoped for more explanation on how these women actually accomplished what they did, but it felt like a checklist of their entire life, from childhood up to success, rather than an exploration of the skills and tools they used to attain their success. The hurdles they faced were called out but they (somehow) got through them, and those details were missing. I’m sad that I couldn’t connect well with this book.
I was excited to read this based on the title and premise but only finished it because I hate not finishing books.
I couldn’t connect with the stories and they felt like a lot of fluff without a lot of content. I had hoped for more explanation on how these women actually accomplished what they did, but it felt like a checklist of their entire life, from childhood up to success, rather than an exploration of the skills and tools they used to attain their success. The hurdles they faced were called out but they (somehow) got through them, and those details were missing. I’m sad that I couldn’t connect well with this book.
December 27, 2023
Although I appreciate the concept that this book is based on, I found it difficult to attend for any lengthy duration. I attempted to connect with each story and find inspiration in them, but just found myself disinterested and speed reading through. Overall, it left me unsatisfied/wanting more. *I received this through a Goodreads giveaway.
November 25, 2020
I was thinking for a while on how stories about women can inspire. They actually do and I like those inspiring stories selected by the author. It is even difficult to come up with one that touched my heart more as every one of them has its charm and learning points. There are many myths around capabilities of genders and many of them are broken by us. This is inspiring!
Read
July 11, 2022I saw these list from Andrew review from other book. I guess these are perfect here.
Business
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, by Chris Anderson
The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss
Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell
David and Goliath, by Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures, by Malcolm Gladwell
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, by Seth Godin
The $100 Startup, by Chris Guillebeau
Side Hustle, by Chris Guillebeau
Outwitting the Devil, by Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
Blue Ocean Strategy, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
The Phoenix Project, by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford
Business Model Generation, by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur
Practical Genius, by Gina Amaro Rudan
The Fifth Discipline, by Peter M. Senge
Start With Why, by Simon Sinek
Scrum, by Jeff Sutherland
Networking Is a Contact Sport, by Joe Sweeney
Hit Makers, by Derek Thompson
Career
The New Rules of Work, by Alexandra Cavoulacos and Kathryn Minshew
Mastery, by Robert Greene
Business Model You, by Alexander Osterwalder, Tim Clark, and Yves Pigneur
The Element, by Ken Robinson
Getting There, by Gillian Zoe Segal
Change
Transitions: Making sense of Life’s Changes, by William Bridges
Switch, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Change Anything, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
Communication
If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?, by Alan Alda
The Lost Art of Listening, Second Edition, by Michael P. Nichols
Getting to Yes, by Roger Fisher and William Ury
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence 2.0, by Travis Bradberry
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, by Daniel Goleman
Gamification
Level Up Your Life, by Steve Kamb
Reality is Broken, by Jane McGonigal
SuperBetter, by Jane McGonigal
Health
Head Strong, by Dave Asprey
The 4-Hour Body, by Timothy Ferriss
In Defence of Food, by Michael Pollan
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
The Dorito Effect, by Mark Schatzker
Anticancer, by David Servan-Schreiber
Sleep Smarter, by Shawn Stevenson
Good Calories, Bad Calories, by Gary Taubes
The Sleep Solution, by W. Chris Winter, MD
Mindfulness
The Miracle of Mindfulness, by Thich Nhat Hanh
Waking up, by Sam Harris (note: this is a book for the nonreligious-nonspiritual)
Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Catching the Big Fish, by David Lynch
Mindfulness at Work, by Stephen McKenzie
The Buddha Walks Into a Bar, by Lodro Rinzler
Money
Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide To Money, by Dave Ramsey
The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
The Millionaire Mind, Thomas J. Stanley
Motivation
The Willpower Instinct, by Kelly Mcgonigal
Essentialism, by Greg McKeown
Drive, by Daniel H. Pink
Do the Work, by Steven Pressfield
Turning Pro, by Steven Pressfield
The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
NLP: The Essential Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming, by Susan Sanders, Tom Dotz, and Tom Hoobyar
NLP: principles in practice, by Lisa Wake
Philosophy of Living
The Consolations of Philosophy, by Alain de Botton
The Pleasures of Sorrows of Work, by Alain de Botton
Status Anxiety, by Alain de Botton
Daily Rituals, by Mason Currey
The Art of Living, by Epictetus
Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, by Benjamin Franklin
Mastery, by George Leonard
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson
Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, by Plato
The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Confession, by Leo Tolstoy
The Book, by Alan Watts
The Wisdom of Insecurity, by Alan Watts
Practice
Talent is Overrated, by Geoff Colvin
The Little Book of Talent, by Daniel Coyle
The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle
Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon
Bounce, by Matthew Syed
Psychology
Grit, by Angela Duckworth
The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
Mindset, by Carol S. Dweck
Moonwalking With Einstein, by Joshua Foer
A Whole New Mind, by Daniel H. Pink
Why We Work, by Barry Schwartz
The Happiness Track, by Emma Seppala
Writing
On Writing, by Stephen King
The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
Blogs
Dave Asprey blog.bulletproof.com/
Leo Babauta: zenhabits.net/
Tim Ferriss: tim.blog/
Seth Godin: sethgodin.typepad.com/
Chris Guillebeau: chrisguillebeau.com/
Lara Callender Hogan: larahogan.me/blog/
Steve Kamb (Nerd Fitness): nerdfitness.com/
Mark Manson: markmanson.net/archive
The Muse: themuse.com/advice
Paula Pant: affordanything.com/blog/
Gary Vaynerchuk: garyvaynerchuk.com/blog/
My blog: andrewjwilt.com/blog
Podcasts
The James Altucher Show: jamesaltucher.com/category/the-james-...
Melissa Ambrosini: melissaambrosini.com/podcast/
Dave Asprey's Bulletproof Radio: blog.bulletproof.com/bulletproof-radi...
Lisa Chow's StartUp: gimletmedia.com/startup/
The Tim Ferriss Show: tim.blog/podcast/
Freakonomics Radio: freakonomics.com/archive/
Chris Guillebeau’s Side Hustle: sidehustleschool.com/podcasts/
10% Happier with Dan Harris: tunein.com/radio/10-Happier-with-Dan-...
John Henry's Open For Business: creative.gimletmedia.com/shows/open-f...
Marketplace: marketplace.org/
Ana Melikian's Mindset Zone: anamelikian.com/mindsetzone/
NPR’s How I Built This: npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this
NPR’s Modern Love: npr.org/podcasts/469516571/modern-love
NPR’s Planet Money: npr.org/planetmoney
NPR's TED Radio Hour: npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/
Optimal Finance Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
Optimal Health Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
Optimal Living Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
Optimal Relationships Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
Optimal StartUp Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
The Pitch: gimletmedia.com/thepitch/
Success: success.com/podcasts
TEDTalks Business: player.fm/series/tedtalks-business
Lea Thau's Strangers: storycentral.org/strangers/
Emily Thompson & Kathleen Shannon's Being Boss: beingboss.club/category/podcast/full-...
Johanna Buchweitz Limitless Podcast: https://franklyco.com/limitless-podcast/
On Being with Krista Tippett: onbeing.org/
Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything: toe.prx.org
Robert Wright’s Meaning of Life: meaningoflife.tv/
Business
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, by Chris Anderson
The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss
Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell
David and Goliath, by Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures, by Malcolm Gladwell
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, by Seth Godin
The $100 Startup, by Chris Guillebeau
Side Hustle, by Chris Guillebeau
Outwitting the Devil, by Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
Blue Ocean Strategy, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
The Phoenix Project, by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford
Business Model Generation, by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur
Practical Genius, by Gina Amaro Rudan
The Fifth Discipline, by Peter M. Senge
Start With Why, by Simon Sinek
Scrum, by Jeff Sutherland
Networking Is a Contact Sport, by Joe Sweeney
Hit Makers, by Derek Thompson
Career
The New Rules of Work, by Alexandra Cavoulacos and Kathryn Minshew
Mastery, by Robert Greene
Business Model You, by Alexander Osterwalder, Tim Clark, and Yves Pigneur
The Element, by Ken Robinson
Getting There, by Gillian Zoe Segal
Change
Transitions: Making sense of Life’s Changes, by William Bridges
Switch, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Change Anything, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
Communication
If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?, by Alan Alda
The Lost Art of Listening, Second Edition, by Michael P. Nichols
Getting to Yes, by Roger Fisher and William Ury
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence 2.0, by Travis Bradberry
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, by Daniel Goleman
Gamification
Level Up Your Life, by Steve Kamb
Reality is Broken, by Jane McGonigal
SuperBetter, by Jane McGonigal
Health
Head Strong, by Dave Asprey
The 4-Hour Body, by Timothy Ferriss
In Defence of Food, by Michael Pollan
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
The Dorito Effect, by Mark Schatzker
Anticancer, by David Servan-Schreiber
Sleep Smarter, by Shawn Stevenson
Good Calories, Bad Calories, by Gary Taubes
The Sleep Solution, by W. Chris Winter, MD
Mindfulness
The Miracle of Mindfulness, by Thich Nhat Hanh
Waking up, by Sam Harris (note: this is a book for the nonreligious-nonspiritual)
Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Catching the Big Fish, by David Lynch
Mindfulness at Work, by Stephen McKenzie
The Buddha Walks Into a Bar, by Lodro Rinzler
Money
Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide To Money, by Dave Ramsey
The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
The Millionaire Mind, Thomas J. Stanley
Motivation
The Willpower Instinct, by Kelly Mcgonigal
Essentialism, by Greg McKeown
Drive, by Daniel H. Pink
Do the Work, by Steven Pressfield
Turning Pro, by Steven Pressfield
The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
NLP: The Essential Guide to Neuro-Linguistic Programming, by Susan Sanders, Tom Dotz, and Tom Hoobyar
NLP: principles in practice, by Lisa Wake
Philosophy of Living
The Consolations of Philosophy, by Alain de Botton
The Pleasures of Sorrows of Work, by Alain de Botton
Status Anxiety, by Alain de Botton
Daily Rituals, by Mason Currey
The Art of Living, by Epictetus
Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, by Benjamin Franklin
Mastery, by George Leonard
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson
Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, by Plato
The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Confession, by Leo Tolstoy
The Book, by Alan Watts
The Wisdom of Insecurity, by Alan Watts
Practice
Talent is Overrated, by Geoff Colvin
The Little Book of Talent, by Daniel Coyle
The Talent Code, by Daniel Coyle
Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
Steal Like an Artist, by Austin Kleon
Bounce, by Matthew Syed
Psychology
Grit, by Angela Duckworth
The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
Mindset, by Carol S. Dweck
Moonwalking With Einstein, by Joshua Foer
A Whole New Mind, by Daniel H. Pink
Why We Work, by Barry Schwartz
The Happiness Track, by Emma Seppala
Writing
On Writing, by Stephen King
The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
Blogs
Dave Asprey blog.bulletproof.com/
Leo Babauta: zenhabits.net/
Tim Ferriss: tim.blog/
Seth Godin: sethgodin.typepad.com/
Chris Guillebeau: chrisguillebeau.com/
Lara Callender Hogan: larahogan.me/blog/
Steve Kamb (Nerd Fitness): nerdfitness.com/
Mark Manson: markmanson.net/archive
The Muse: themuse.com/advice
Paula Pant: affordanything.com/blog/
Gary Vaynerchuk: garyvaynerchuk.com/blog/
My blog: andrewjwilt.com/blog
Podcasts
The James Altucher Show: jamesaltucher.com/category/the-james-...
Melissa Ambrosini: melissaambrosini.com/podcast/
Dave Asprey's Bulletproof Radio: blog.bulletproof.com/bulletproof-radi...
Lisa Chow's StartUp: gimletmedia.com/startup/
The Tim Ferriss Show: tim.blog/podcast/
Freakonomics Radio: freakonomics.com/archive/
Chris Guillebeau’s Side Hustle: sidehustleschool.com/podcasts/
10% Happier with Dan Harris: tunein.com/radio/10-Happier-with-Dan-...
John Henry's Open For Business: creative.gimletmedia.com/shows/open-f...
Marketplace: marketplace.org/
Ana Melikian's Mindset Zone: anamelikian.com/mindsetzone/
NPR’s How I Built This: npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this
NPR’s Modern Love: npr.org/podcasts/469516571/modern-love
NPR’s Planet Money: npr.org/planetmoney
NPR's TED Radio Hour: npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/
Optimal Finance Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
Optimal Health Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
Optimal Living Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
Optimal Relationships Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
Optimal StartUp Daily: optimallivingdaily.com/category/optim...
The Pitch: gimletmedia.com/thepitch/
Success: success.com/podcasts
TEDTalks Business: player.fm/series/tedtalks-business
Lea Thau's Strangers: storycentral.org/strangers/
Emily Thompson & Kathleen Shannon's Being Boss: beingboss.club/category/podcast/full-...
Johanna Buchweitz Limitless Podcast: https://franklyco.com/limitless-podcast/
On Being with Krista Tippett: onbeing.org/
Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything: toe.prx.org
Robert Wright’s Meaning of Life: meaningoflife.tv/
March 2, 2021
I won a Kindle version of Andi Simon's new book Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business, which is all about 11 different women and the obstacles they overcame to be leaders in their industry. From the worlds of aerospace engineering and higher education to law and IT, these women span a variety of male-dominated industries, but they all have one thing in common: they kept pushing forward.
This was an interesting book for me to read in tandem with Marianne Schnall's What Will It Take to Make a Woman President? The main theme of both books seems to be there aren't enough women in these fields and women need to have confidence in their own skills and abilities to change that. It might be hard, but it's worth it. And men need to realize just what women in business are capable of. Myths and stereotypical thinking need to be shattered on both gender sides.
This was an interesting book for me to read in tandem with Marianne Schnall's What Will It Take to Make a Woman President? The main theme of both books seems to be there aren't enough women in these fields and women need to have confidence in their own skills and abilities to change that. It might be hard, but it's worth it. And men need to realize just what women in business are capable of. Myths and stereotypical thinking need to be shattered on both gender sides.
January 3, 2021
Rethink is a highly engaging examination of the many challenges women face in the quest to break through the glass ceiling in traditionally male-dominated industries. In my opinion, one of the largest strengths of this book was how Dr. Simon intertwined the compelling personal profiles and stories of the eleven women who are working to bust some of the prevailing myths against women leaders and innovators alongside seamlessly integrated and relevant statistics and historical facts to back up all of her points and provide context of how opportunities in the workplace for women have grown over time, yet still require sustained effort to move towards a truly equitable larger work culture. I think it’s crucial to simultaneously acknowledge remaining gender equality barriers, yet also celebrate how far women have come in the professional sphere, and I felt that this book balanced both of these aspects very well.
I particularly enjoyed the diversity of business-rooted industries Andi sampled from to choose the women she highlighted, from geoscience to aerospace to fashion to IT to law. One thing I would have loved to hear a bit more about is the additional challenges faced by BIPOC women, but I did feel the chapter featuring Delora Tyler, a Black woman who worked at the Detroit News in the ‘70s before setting out to create her own marketing business, was very well-done and did focus in on and reflect on a number of these issues which was great to see.
Ultimately, as a current undergrad who is majoring in medical anthropology and planning to enter a STEM field, I really enjoyed seeing everything presented through a very holistic, anthropology-based lens and found all the stories of these women setting positive examples and overcoming obstacles with often unconventional methods to be so inspiring. Also, prior to picking up this book, I did not actually know anything about the role of a corporate anthropologist, so I truly enjoyed learning about this career through Andi’s own experiences as presented here and definitely think that especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, as society rearranges and stagnant models of business are deemed out of touch in the coming decades, that it will be more important than ever for all industries to incorporate more nuanced, anthropological strategies that work to promote equality in the workplace. Overall, this book contains many important messages and I would definitely recommend. Personally, I am so excited in the coming years as I complete my next degrees and eventually enter the workforce to do my own part to help continue to break down barriers, prove outdated and inaccurate gender myths wrong, and write the next chapter of my own story, and tales like the ones in this book have been instrumental in influencing me to seek out mentors and set these goals!
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
I particularly enjoyed the diversity of business-rooted industries Andi sampled from to choose the women she highlighted, from geoscience to aerospace to fashion to IT to law. One thing I would have loved to hear a bit more about is the additional challenges faced by BIPOC women, but I did feel the chapter featuring Delora Tyler, a Black woman who worked at the Detroit News in the ‘70s before setting out to create her own marketing business, was very well-done and did focus in on and reflect on a number of these issues which was great to see.
Ultimately, as a current undergrad who is majoring in medical anthropology and planning to enter a STEM field, I really enjoyed seeing everything presented through a very holistic, anthropology-based lens and found all the stories of these women setting positive examples and overcoming obstacles with often unconventional methods to be so inspiring. Also, prior to picking up this book, I did not actually know anything about the role of a corporate anthropologist, so I truly enjoyed learning about this career through Andi’s own experiences as presented here and definitely think that especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, as society rearranges and stagnant models of business are deemed out of touch in the coming decades, that it will be more important than ever for all industries to incorporate more nuanced, anthropological strategies that work to promote equality in the workplace. Overall, this book contains many important messages and I would definitely recommend. Personally, I am so excited in the coming years as I complete my next degrees and eventually enter the workforce to do my own part to help continue to break down barriers, prove outdated and inaccurate gender myths wrong, and write the next chapter of my own story, and tales like the ones in this book have been instrumental in influencing me to seek out mentors and set these goals!
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
February 12, 2021
More Reviews at www.booksontour.net
---------------
That women are equal to men is something that still in 2021 causes perplexity to a lot of men. And if we take into consideration the Business field, then that perplexity reaches incredible and shameful levels…
PhD Andi Simon is a corporate anthropologist who has written “Rethink” to debunk some of the myths about women in the working sphere.
The book is divided in 11 chapters, each one centred in a specific myth about working women. The author presents the woman she has chosen as an example of how that particular myth can be tackled and she reaches a sort of conclusion at the end of the chapter.
THE ROLE MODELS
Until here everything is ok. However (and this is the big “BUT” of the book) I failed to connect to any of the stories I heard. So forget about feeling inspired by them!
Most women portrayed in the book (except one, I think) started their career during the 70s or 80s. I think the biggest cause for my disconnection comes from this fact. The business field has changed so much only in the last 10 years (let alone 30 years), that the paths followed by these women and their professional possibilities are simply not working nowadays.
The technologies were quite limited then. The work environments and the companies strategies were totally different to what they are now.
Furthermore, I may recall that only one of them is said to have a humble background. The rest come from upper class families and have access to advantages or possibilities that simply not everyone (including me) has at hand.
In addition, it felt overall as if for every woman role model, the author was just writing a list of these women’s accomplishments: “And she did this, and then this, and then this, etc…”. There was not a complete (nor partial) explanation on how they achieved their success…
FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT “RETHINK”
It has been MY mistake to have listened to this book. I felt intrigued by the title and the story plot that I read in the description.
I did not realize that all the women included in the book as role models would be all a lot older than me and all of them Americans. These two facts made me feel very unconnected to them and they did not motivate me at all. Of course they deserve to be known and their stories heard but the purpose of the book, in my case, has not been reached.
What is interesting, is when the author talks about statistics related to women in the working field. They are horrendous. Of course I knew that the disparity between men and women at work is huge, but to listen to this in every possible professional field and aspect made me feel furious at times.
Furthermore, the chapter about Black women workers made me reach levels of angriness about their unjust situation that I didn’t know I could reach…
So, would I recommend this book? Perhaps if you are an anthropologist like the author you can find it useful. If you don’t live in the States and have a certain age, I would probably skip it.
One last point: I have to recognize the tremendous effort of the author to collect every single possible statistics about women’ careers. I cannot more than applaud this.
In addition, it has also served me to learn what a corporate anthropologist is. I have never heard of this career and I found it quite interesting. I am happy to have learnt about it and what these professionals do in companies.
--------------
Thanks to the publisher, Greenleaf Audiobooks, the author PhD Andi Simon and NetGalley for providing me with a free audiobook of “Rethink” in exchange for an honest review.
---------------
That women are equal to men is something that still in 2021 causes perplexity to a lot of men. And if we take into consideration the Business field, then that perplexity reaches incredible and shameful levels…
PhD Andi Simon is a corporate anthropologist who has written “Rethink” to debunk some of the myths about women in the working sphere.
The book is divided in 11 chapters, each one centred in a specific myth about working women. The author presents the woman she has chosen as an example of how that particular myth can be tackled and she reaches a sort of conclusion at the end of the chapter.
THE ROLE MODELS
Until here everything is ok. However (and this is the big “BUT” of the book) I failed to connect to any of the stories I heard. So forget about feeling inspired by them!
Most women portrayed in the book (except one, I think) started their career during the 70s or 80s. I think the biggest cause for my disconnection comes from this fact. The business field has changed so much only in the last 10 years (let alone 30 years), that the paths followed by these women and their professional possibilities are simply not working nowadays.
The technologies were quite limited then. The work environments and the companies strategies were totally different to what they are now.
Furthermore, I may recall that only one of them is said to have a humble background. The rest come from upper class families and have access to advantages or possibilities that simply not everyone (including me) has at hand.
In addition, it felt overall as if for every woman role model, the author was just writing a list of these women’s accomplishments: “And she did this, and then this, and then this, etc…”. There was not a complete (nor partial) explanation on how they achieved their success…
FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT “RETHINK”
It has been MY mistake to have listened to this book. I felt intrigued by the title and the story plot that I read in the description.
I did not realize that all the women included in the book as role models would be all a lot older than me and all of them Americans. These two facts made me feel very unconnected to them and they did not motivate me at all. Of course they deserve to be known and their stories heard but the purpose of the book, in my case, has not been reached.
What is interesting, is when the author talks about statistics related to women in the working field. They are horrendous. Of course I knew that the disparity between men and women at work is huge, but to listen to this in every possible professional field and aspect made me feel furious at times.
Furthermore, the chapter about Black women workers made me reach levels of angriness about their unjust situation that I didn’t know I could reach…
So, would I recommend this book? Perhaps if you are an anthropologist like the author you can find it useful. If you don’t live in the States and have a certain age, I would probably skip it.
One last point: I have to recognize the tremendous effort of the author to collect every single possible statistics about women’ careers. I cannot more than applaud this.
In addition, it has also served me to learn what a corporate anthropologist is. I have never heard of this career and I found it quite interesting. I am happy to have learnt about it and what these professionals do in companies.
--------------
Thanks to the publisher, Greenleaf Audiobooks, the author PhD Andi Simon and NetGalley for providing me with a free audiobook of “Rethink” in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2021
Kamala Harris is the Vice-President of the United States. Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart are wildly successful moguls. Women run Fortune 500 companies. Women have been in outer space. And women are at the helm of major colleges and universities. Many glass ceilings have been shattered, yet there is still this idea that women don’t belong at the top of various businesses. Thus thinking is wrong. And author and consultant Andi Simon wants people to reevaluate this mindset in her Book Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business.
In Rethink, Simon tells the stories of several women who have achieved greatness in their respective fields. These fields include entrepreneurship, business, law, education, science, and technology. Some of these women come from modest backgrounds, others more privileged. Yet, the recall obstacles they faced and naysayers who said they’d never make it.
All these women excelled not only due to talent and skill, but also because they believed in themselves and had tenacity and strong work ethic.
The women profiled include knitwear designer Babette Ballinger, college president Dr. Maria Gallo, business leader Delora Tyler, and IT expert Samantha Radocchia.
Though these women come from different backgrounds, races, and age groups, there are similarities among them. Many of them came from supportive families who encouraged their ambitions. These women had various jobs and career paths. Some of them never expected they’d be in their current positions. They dealt with a lot of sexist behavior and sometimes, self-doubt. They’ve written books and given TED talks.
For the most part, I appreciated this book. I found the women’s stories interesting. In fact, I wish for more stories of successful women in show business, media, politics, sports, and philanthropy.
Still, I found Rethink to be a timely book in an era where women have come so far, yet have ways to go.
Originally published at The Book Self:
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
In Rethink, Simon tells the stories of several women who have achieved greatness in their respective fields. These fields include entrepreneurship, business, law, education, science, and technology. Some of these women come from modest backgrounds, others more privileged. Yet, the recall obstacles they faced and naysayers who said they’d never make it.
All these women excelled not only due to talent and skill, but also because they believed in themselves and had tenacity and strong work ethic.
The women profiled include knitwear designer Babette Ballinger, college president Dr. Maria Gallo, business leader Delora Tyler, and IT expert Samantha Radocchia.
Though these women come from different backgrounds, races, and age groups, there are similarities among them. Many of them came from supportive families who encouraged their ambitions. These women had various jobs and career paths. Some of them never expected they’d be in their current positions. They dealt with a lot of sexist behavior and sometimes, self-doubt. They’ve written books and given TED talks.
For the most part, I appreciated this book. I found the women’s stories interesting. In fact, I wish for more stories of successful women in show business, media, politics, sports, and philanthropy.
Still, I found Rethink to be a timely book in an era where women have come so far, yet have ways to go.
Originally published at The Book Self:
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
January 7, 2021
“When people share their stories, they do so to give their wisdom. When this happens, we can activate our own story and change it.” (Andi Simon PhD)
Thru the 11 biographical sketches shared in her book, “Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business”, author, Andi Simon introduces readers to amazing women who have busted the myths that are deeply ingrained into the fabric of business and sadly, society, as it pertains to women in the business world: men are more creative, negotiate better, are more dedicated, more forceful, better managers and on and on. These traits are then applied to specific jobs and become: women aren’t/can’t/shouldn’t be doctors, lawyers, designers, entrepreneurs, bankers, scientists,college presidents, etc.
After the introduction, Simon takes a chapter for each woman and shares her specific story, commenting briefly along the way. At the conclusion of the bio section, Andi has an area called “From the Observation Deck”. It’s here that she shares her anthropologist’s view of how each woman achieved success and smashed her specific myth and what the effect has been for women going forward.
I found the last chapter to be most useful, altho’ the others were interesting. Here Simon has put “ The Smashing Myth Tool Kit” It’s an 8 point list that features fairly common sensical ideas for how woman can be MYTH BUSTERS.
Forgive me, but I’m going to seriously summarize and truncate - read the book for the blown up version!
~ visualize who you are
~ be specific/literal
~ visualize the future
~ write your story 5 years from now
~ how will you get there
~ keep a diary
~ delete negative self speak
~ collect ideas
Accessible, at times inspiring and practical, if you take the time to harvest the nuggets. This isn’t an hardcore business book but more like a seminar that needs breaks. Fortunately, you’re able to take them as needed📚
Read and Reviewed from a GoodReads Giveaway
Thru the 11 biographical sketches shared in her book, “Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business”, author, Andi Simon introduces readers to amazing women who have busted the myths that are deeply ingrained into the fabric of business and sadly, society, as it pertains to women in the business world: men are more creative, negotiate better, are more dedicated, more forceful, better managers and on and on. These traits are then applied to specific jobs and become: women aren’t/can’t/shouldn’t be doctors, lawyers, designers, entrepreneurs, bankers, scientists,college presidents, etc.
After the introduction, Simon takes a chapter for each woman and shares her specific story, commenting briefly along the way. At the conclusion of the bio section, Andi has an area called “From the Observation Deck”. It’s here that she shares her anthropologist’s view of how each woman achieved success and smashed her specific myth and what the effect has been for women going forward.
I found the last chapter to be most useful, altho’ the others were interesting. Here Simon has put “ The Smashing Myth Tool Kit” It’s an 8 point list that features fairly common sensical ideas for how woman can be MYTH BUSTERS.
Forgive me, but I’m going to seriously summarize and truncate - read the book for the blown up version!
~ visualize who you are
~ be specific/literal
~ visualize the future
~ write your story 5 years from now
~ how will you get there
~ keep a diary
~ delete negative self speak
~ collect ideas
Accessible, at times inspiring and practical, if you take the time to harvest the nuggets. This isn’t an hardcore business book but more like a seminar that needs breaks. Fortunately, you’re able to take them as needed📚
Read and Reviewed from a GoodReads Giveaway
January 5, 2021
Andi Simon takes an anthropologist's approach to examining how social mythologies have structured societal expectations relating to women in business. Each chapter follows a common structure: social history and data relating to the chapter's "Myth," the story of a woman who has succeeded in business in contravention of the Myth, and the author's summary and conclusion (which she cleverly calls the "From the Observation Deck"). When I originally saw the reference to "Myths" in the Table of Contents, my thoughts turned to cliches and mindless beliefs ("girls aren't good at math"), but Simon isn't writing about cliches. Her "Myths" are stories and mythologies that have been ingrained in our culture over time. These stories (of, say, men succeeding in investing decisions) allow society to adopt the idea that the story elements are immutable (eg, since the stories aren't of *women* succeeding in investing decisions, women must not be good investors), and the stories establish a myth. What I love about Simon's thesis is that the way to overcome mythologies—these ingrained stories—is to tell new stories and to change the mythologies. In other words, tell the stories of how women succeed. The more of these stories that are told, the more of these stories we help write...the more these stories will stop being seen as anomalies and will become the new story template.
Recommended for women living or launching their own business success stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for providing a copy of this book for review purposes.
Recommended for women living or launching their own business success stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for providing a copy of this book for review purposes.
March 20, 2021
>> Audiobook gifted by NetGalley in exchange for honest review<<
Andi Simon starts the book by explaining why she wrote it. Her previous book was about entrepreneurs who challenged the status quo, but she realized that most of them were men, so another book needed to be written.
I agree with her that a book about women breaking the glass ceiling in different markets is a very necessary book - but wouldn't it be better to have one diverse book about successful professionals overcoming challenges, with a good proportion of men and women (and LGBTQ+)?
In any case, it is a necessary book, especially for women readers. We don't hear nearly enough about the success stories of people other and Oprah Winfrey and Sheryl Sandberg.
This book brought stories from the fields of anthropology, law, science, academia, finance, aviation, and other fields.
The format is interesting: it starts with a myth (like "women aren't good lawyers") and it goes to an example of one woman who broke this myth, telling her story from childhood until recent times. Many of these women have decades of experience and are sharing what they learned along the way.
What is shocking is how many women, and not only men, believe in the myths. And how women can be overly competitive towards other women, causing them both to jeopardize their success.
Besides the clear good takeaways of the book, there were some things that didn't work for me:
- The narrator of the audiobook was overly cheerful - it was incredibly annoying
- The writing style was full of business jargons that didn't mean anything
- It seems very dated for a new book. A lot of the examples were of women starting their careers in the 80s, and the current challenges are very different from then. There was only one example of a younger entrepreneur, Sam Rad.
I will definitely look up more info about these and other successful women in other to smash my own myths.
Andi Simon starts the book by explaining why she wrote it. Her previous book was about entrepreneurs who challenged the status quo, but she realized that most of them were men, so another book needed to be written.
I agree with her that a book about women breaking the glass ceiling in different markets is a very necessary book - but wouldn't it be better to have one diverse book about successful professionals overcoming challenges, with a good proportion of men and women (and LGBTQ+)?
In any case, it is a necessary book, especially for women readers. We don't hear nearly enough about the success stories of people other and Oprah Winfrey and Sheryl Sandberg.
This book brought stories from the fields of anthropology, law, science, academia, finance, aviation, and other fields.
The format is interesting: it starts with a myth (like "women aren't good lawyers") and it goes to an example of one woman who broke this myth, telling her story from childhood until recent times. Many of these women have decades of experience and are sharing what they learned along the way.
What is shocking is how many women, and not only men, believe in the myths. And how women can be overly competitive towards other women, causing them both to jeopardize their success.
Besides the clear good takeaways of the book, there were some things that didn't work for me:
- The narrator of the audiobook was overly cheerful - it was incredibly annoying
- The writing style was full of business jargons that didn't mean anything
- It seems very dated for a new book. A lot of the examples were of women starting their careers in the 80s, and the current challenges are very different from then. There was only one example of a younger entrepreneur, Sam Rad.
I will definitely look up more info about these and other successful women in other to smash my own myths.
January 30, 2021
This book will teach you how to shatter the myths which get in the way of your success. Instead of “blamestorming” and listing all of the hurdles and the people preventing you from achieving your dreams, this book encourages you to shift to “brainstorming” about all of the ways you can reframe your world to make it work for you. It is very easy to become overwhelmed when you feel like the deck is stacked against you, but this book gives you actionable advice that will propel you forward. Each chapter is dedicated to a woman who has shattered her myths and achieved great success. These women come from a wide variety of professions and have an array of personal issues they are battling as well. I related to the stories of Stephanie Breedlove and Jamie Candee the most as I have experienced similar challenges in my career journey. Both of them found innovative and creative ways to succeed in the face of the hurdles placed in their way. In addition to real-life success stories, this book provides a detailed tool kit for you to use in planning your next steps to achieving your dreams. In reading this book, I was deeply connected to the focus on the human side of the equation. This strong message of hope and optimism in the face of reality sets this book apart from any other business book for entrepreneurs. The source of this special and differentiating message is the author Andi Simon Ph.D. who is a corporate anthropologist. Andi has a perspective like no other in that she observes people through the lens of her anthropological expertise. The result is a book that is as relatable as it is deep in analysis and recommendations. I have made a long list of people I am sending this book to as I know it will help them achieve their dreams as entrepreneurs and as professional women. I will also keep this book on my reference bookshelf as I love referring back to each of these stories for inspiration and motivation. This book is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
March 2, 2021
Eleven inspiring women, breaking down the myths that women cannot be successful in male-dominated sectors; Women creating their career paths despite being despite the blocks along the way.
Andi Simon detailed the route taken by these brilliant women into sectors not openly accessible to them. Their ability to move through the barriers aren't fully detailed; Still, she makes sure that the reader knows these were not comfortable journeys.
I am pleased there are so many anthologies of inspiring women books being released this year. My past read, which I highly recommend, is Firebrand Females by Mikaela Kiner. I will be on the hunt for more new releases like these.
The direction taken by Andi Simon as an anthropologist was more clinical, which is understandable; personal preference would be a more storytelling approach, although it did not spoil my enjoyment.
These two publications spotlight that despite research proving the positive strength created in gender-equal workspaces, there are still more glass and cement ceilings to be broken.
I would like to thank #NetGalley & #for the opportunity of reading this advanced copy in exchange for my own honest review. This book is due for release on February 09, 2021.
#RethinkWomenInBusiness
Andi Simon detailed the route taken by these brilliant women into sectors not openly accessible to them. Their ability to move through the barriers aren't fully detailed; Still, she makes sure that the reader knows these were not comfortable journeys.
I am pleased there are so many anthologies of inspiring women books being released this year. My past read, which I highly recommend, is Firebrand Females by Mikaela Kiner. I will be on the hunt for more new releases like these.
The direction taken by Andi Simon as an anthropologist was more clinical, which is understandable; personal preference would be a more storytelling approach, although it did not spoil my enjoyment.
These two publications spotlight that despite research proving the positive strength created in gender-equal workspaces, there are still more glass and cement ceilings to be broken.
I would like to thank #NetGalley & #for the opportunity of reading this advanced copy in exchange for my own honest review. This book is due for release on February 09, 2021.
#RethinkWomenInBusiness
March 27, 2021
I really wanted to love this but it was just okay. I appreciated the author's inclusion of specific statistics (and sources) for different industries; this was probably the best of the content throughout the book.
The audio was well done, but the tone of the book itself felt off to me, like it was an advertisement for the author's consulting services. It felt like someone just telling you what they know about how things work--I know how things work in my industry but I wouldn't write a book about it just using examples from people I know. Also, all the examples are women who are, well, not young--they "smashed myths" decades ago, making the stories less relevant to today's world, and in many cases, the motivations and how they did it were described in a manner I can only call "the Nike method" (just do it.) I don't think that is really helpful to younger women trying to figure out why they are struggling so hard to be successful in a world designed for men's success.
Some readers will find this enlightening but I think there are better places to start reading on this topic, and the author includes a list of some big hitters in the bibliography, including one on my 2021 TBR: Invisible Women.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a digital review copy.
The audio was well done, but the tone of the book itself felt off to me, like it was an advertisement for the author's consulting services. It felt like someone just telling you what they know about how things work--I know how things work in my industry but I wouldn't write a book about it just using examples from people I know. Also, all the examples are women who are, well, not young--they "smashed myths" decades ago, making the stories less relevant to today's world, and in many cases, the motivations and how they did it were described in a manner I can only call "the Nike method" (just do it.) I don't think that is really helpful to younger women trying to figure out why they are struggling so hard to be successful in a world designed for men's success.
Some readers will find this enlightening but I think there are better places to start reading on this topic, and the author includes a list of some big hitters in the bibliography, including one on my 2021 TBR: Invisible Women.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a digital review copy.
January 15, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Audiobooks / Fast Company Press for the ALC of this audiobook.
I requested this book because it was one of the first that popped up when I needed to test an app, but I ended up really enjoying it. Women are constantly challenged on what they can and can’t do, even in our modern times, and this book examines women who have pushed back and done their own thing to great success.
Corporate anthropologist, Andi methodically debunks many myths with real stories from eleven women who have succeeded in blazing trails and breaking down walls, and through these stories and her research, she inspires women to continue achieving our dreams.
This moved pretty quickly, and I enjoyed learning about the women who didn’t let preconceived notions stop them in their pursuits. I have pretty simple dreams, but there are still obstacles to achieving them, so hearing about women who have done it was inspiring to me, and I now have some concrete steps and plans to achieving what I want. A little encouragement never hurt anyone.
This book is out next month, so keep an eye out for it.
January 26, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It is set to be published in February 2021.
"Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business" by Andi Simon is an inspiring, very well researched book about the myths that underlie our sexist society.
I admit I'm not usually a big fan of non-fiction literature, but this book is so well written that it reads almost as swiftly as a novel.
The women who are portrayed in these pages come from diverse backgrounds and each and every one of them overcomes all the obstacles that gender-based discrimination has put in her way and ends up succeeding in her field.
Every woman who reads this book will be able to relate to one or more of the protagonists and to the issue they all encounter along the way.
I can definitely recommend reading this to any woman who wants to develop professionally and also to every man who wants to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
"Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business" by Andi Simon is an inspiring, very well researched book about the myths that underlie our sexist society.
I admit I'm not usually a big fan of non-fiction literature, but this book is so well written that it reads almost as swiftly as a novel.
The women who are portrayed in these pages come from diverse backgrounds and each and every one of them overcomes all the obstacles that gender-based discrimination has put in her way and ends up succeeding in her field.
Every woman who reads this book will be able to relate to one or more of the protagonists and to the issue they all encounter along the way.
I can definitely recommend reading this to any woman who wants to develop professionally and also to every man who wants to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
February 5, 2021
Rethink is about women who broke into men dominated careers. Andi Simon is a Ph.D. in Anthropology and uses it in this book to observe how the women used everyday skills to become successful. The skills that stuck with me are recognizing opportunity and not feel so humble to not tell of your accomplishments. I didn't know that the fashion industry was so dominated by men before the 1970s. Maybe because I always see more women than men designer in today's fashion world.
Overall, this book was informative in many ways. Much of it was not new information to me. This would be a great book for people who are just learning about the discrimination against women in the workforce. Also for people looking for encouragement to be a female glass breaker or to support women to do so.
Thank you to NetGalley & Greenleaf Audiobooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this book was informative in many ways. Much of it was not new information to me. This would be a great book for people who are just learning about the discrimination against women in the workforce. Also for people looking for encouragement to be a female glass breaker or to support women to do so.
Thank you to NetGalley & Greenleaf Audiobooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2021
I couldn't wait to read "Rethink" when I read the premise but was very disappointed with how it unfolded. The author is a very educated woman who has also smashed her own myths in business, but although she had interesting women with incredible stories that could be very inspiring to those of us that are wanting to start our own business, she took a more clinical route in sharing their stories. And to be honest, that's where this failed. When she was telling their stories it could have been more emotional and heartfelt about their trials and triumphs, and in her observations, she could've put her analysis of the situations they went through. I ended up feeling like I was being taken through a book of facts and nothing more. Future generations of women need to be inspired by those women that have knocked down these barriers before us!
April 13, 2021
A great read about successful women and what they did to navigate the roadblocks faced by being a woman in their careers. Generation Z’er and Millennials from comments are rather demanding about not reading career examples of persons in their age brackets. Not sure why, as it takes time to carve a successful career. Adding in the recent historical content 1965 all race of women could vote, 1970s able to apply for credit as women. It is incredible to read the examples of regular women with smarts who battled through to be rewarded with successful careers. Every human should read this interesting book.
March 17, 2021
This easy and impactful read debunks myths surrounding women and what they “can’t” do. This book shares 11 powerful stories of women from different industries, who are disrupting long held beliefs about what women can and can’t do. Powerful insights backed with real life stories, this is a book you don’t want to miss.
I love learning about people that make a difference and businesses, this book combines both! The powerful stories in each chapter make this hard to put down. Make sure to add this to your collection 🙌.
I love learning about people that make a difference and businesses, this book combines both! The powerful stories in each chapter make this hard to put down. Make sure to add this to your collection 🙌.
November 27, 2020
There are so many "women can't..." barriers and more so the ones we tell ourselves as women and accept when thrust upon us but in reading this book, I am challenged first to change my narrative, the stories I tell myself and also draw inspiration from the women whose stories are shared here.
The greatest takeaway for me was the importance of having a women's circle that is purposeful in uplifting me in my professional growth.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.
The greatest takeaway for me was the importance of having a women's circle that is purposeful in uplifting me in my professional growth.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.
Read
February 13, 2021I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
DNF @~30%
This is case studies of women who have achieved greatness in their careers, as written and explained by an anthropologist. I don't think there's anything new in here, and I personally found it a slog to read the life stories because they are totally devoid of emotion. People interested in being in the corporate world may find this interesting, though. Turns out this book taught me I have zero interest in business.
DNF @~30%
This is case studies of women who have achieved greatness in their careers, as written and explained by an anthropologist. I don't think there's anything new in here, and I personally found it a slog to read the life stories because they are totally devoid of emotion. People interested in being in the corporate world may find this interesting, though. Turns out this book taught me I have zero interest in business.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2021
Enclosed in this book are inspirational stories of women who smash myths around women in the workplace. The author approaches from an anthropological viewpoint and I think that is a new take on the subject. The narrator has a positive and professional demeanor.
Thanks Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thanks Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
January 31, 2021
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I was very excited and really thought I'd enjoy it. Infuriated, I didn't connect well with this book. Each chapter was a short of biography of one successful woman in a particular industry. Each myth was "women aren't..." but it felt like basically the same chapter over and over again without actionable takeaways.
March 10, 2021
Wow what a enlightening book. I loved how the she had different myths. Than showed an amazing women who busted thru that glass ceiling. She not only showed where we are lacking but how to be part of the solution. The author did not push her agenda just showed the facts. Giving this a five star. Bravo!
May 4, 2021
Empowering
I listened to this book while working out and it’s an empowering self-help book about overcoming the patriarchy. At times it comes off a little strong and the first chapter is basically just statistics that women already know, but once you get further into it it’s really good.
I listened to this book while working out and it’s an empowering self-help book about overcoming the patriarchy. At times it comes off a little strong and the first chapter is basically just statistics that women already know, but once you get further into it it’s really good.
December 1, 2021
While I appreciate the effort that went into this book, I wasn't that impressed with it. Parts of it felt shallow, like there was more depth that could've been explored. Other parts felt unnecessary for the point being made. Some areas were excellent with the right amount of depth and good stories to better explore the points being made.
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.
November 11, 2023
This title is a series of biographies of successful American business women. Spanning sectors, and generations there are some common threads throughout but also uniques insights. It proves there isn't one way to break the glass ceiling but it doesn't hide from the fact that it's incredibly difficult. Despite this, this book is a rallying cry to follow in these women's inspirational footsteps.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews