What do you think?
Rate this book
Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success
“A personal, provocative, and challenging book for career women who want less guilt, more life.”
—Diane Sawyer Womenomics, the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay, is an invaluable guide for this generation of professional women, provide knowledgeable advice on how to “Work Less, Achieve More, Live Better.” Shipman and Kay, two TV journalists well acquainted with the stress of the workplace, describe the new economic trends that offer today’s overworked working women more professional and personal choices than ever before. At last, you no longer have to do it all to have it all— Womenomics shows you how.
—Diane Sawyer Womenomics, the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay, is an invaluable guide for this generation of professional women, provide knowledgeable advice on how to “Work Less, Achieve More, Live Better.” Shipman and Kay, two TV journalists well acquainted with the stress of the workplace, describe the new economic trends that offer today’s overworked working women more professional and personal choices than ever before. At last, you no longer have to do it all to have it all— Womenomics shows you how.
226 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
74 people are currently reading
1541 people want to read
About the author
Claire Shipman
18 books32 followersClaire Shipman is an American television journalist, currently the senior national correspondent for the ABC program, Good Morning America. She also blogs at the website True/Slant. She is married to Jay Carney, President Barack Obama's former White House Press Secretary.
Shipman, born in 1962 in Washington, D. C. is the daughter of the late Christie Armstrong and Morgan Shipman, Professor of Law at The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law. She graduated from Worthington High School in Worthington, Ohio in 1980. In 2006, she was recognized by Worthington Schools as a Distinguished Alumna during Convocation. She is a 1986 graduate of Columbia College of Columbia University and also holds a master's degree from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. She is divorced from former CNN Moscow bureau chief Steve Hurst. She and her second husband, Jay Carney, have a son and a daughter. Carney was the White House press secretary from January 27, 2011 to June 20, 2014.
Shipman's broadcast career started with a decade-long stint at CNN. From 1997 to May 2001 Ms. Shipman served as White House Correspondent for NBC News and appeared on NBC Nightly News and The Today Show. She joined ABC News in May 2001, and frequently contributes to other ABC News programs, such as World News Tonight and Nightline. She is a substitute anchor on both Good Morning America and World News Tonight, as well as a regular participant in the "roundtable" segment of ABC News' This Week with Christiane Amanpour.
On June 2, 2009, Harper Collins published Womenomics, a book written by Shipman and BBC World News America correspondent Katty Kay exploring the redefinition of success for working women based on recent trends of the value of women to the business world.
Shipman received a Peabody Award for her work covering the 1991 Soviet coup and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Shipman, born in 1962 in Washington, D. C. is the daughter of the late Christie Armstrong and Morgan Shipman, Professor of Law at The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law. She graduated from Worthington High School in Worthington, Ohio in 1980. In 2006, she was recognized by Worthington Schools as a Distinguished Alumna during Convocation. She is a 1986 graduate of Columbia College of Columbia University and also holds a master's degree from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. She is divorced from former CNN Moscow bureau chief Steve Hurst. She and her second husband, Jay Carney, have a son and a daughter. Carney was the White House press secretary from January 27, 2011 to June 20, 2014.
Shipman's broadcast career started with a decade-long stint at CNN. From 1997 to May 2001 Ms. Shipman served as White House Correspondent for NBC News and appeared on NBC Nightly News and The Today Show. She joined ABC News in May 2001, and frequently contributes to other ABC News programs, such as World News Tonight and Nightline. She is a substitute anchor on both Good Morning America and World News Tonight, as well as a regular participant in the "roundtable" segment of ABC News' This Week with Christiane Amanpour.
On June 2, 2009, Harper Collins published Womenomics, a book written by Shipman and BBC World News America correspondent Katty Kay exploring the redefinition of success for working women based on recent trends of the value of women to the business world.
Shipman received a Peabody Award for her work covering the 1991 Soviet coup and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 13, 2010
This book made for great book club discussion, but it's a lousy book. The title attempts to hitch a ride on "Freakonomics" wave, but it probably only has an audience of 6 women. It purports to explain how women can demand changes in work structure to provide work/life balance. And who knows, for women who have rare skills/characteristics that are highly valued (like TV journalists), it may actually provide useful suggestions and motivation for implementing such changes.
September 26, 2009
The first half was just flat out offensive: the two authors telling me what women want. Not only offensive, but obnoxious that they wasted so much space telling me that I want to spend less time at the office and more time at home with the children. Don't men want to spend time at home with their children, too? Didn't you consider that some of your readers either don't want or don't yet have kids? Skip it.
The second half, starting with the chapter 4 "Goodbye Guilt (And Hello No)", is where the book picks up. The ladies give good tips. I believe that this section is specific to women as, for example, women often do have a harder time saying 'no.' Last year, when I was teaching, I accepted so many additional roles, responsibilities, projects, despite that fact that I was always already bringing my grading home. So, it was nice to be reminded that not only do I not have to say 'yes,' (which I always knew) but that I really should not say 'yes,' for my health, happiness, and life external to work (which I sometimes forget). They listed some good strategies and tactics to make it easier to say 'no' in a polite, professional way. The next few chapters continued in a good, informative way, but I have to acknowledge that the writers' tone was just atrocious, throwing around 'we,' 'I,' and personal stories written in the third person all over the place. They seemed confused on how to write this book, attempted several styles, and shuffled them all in together.
The second half, starting with the chapter 4 "Goodbye Guilt (And Hello No)", is where the book picks up. The ladies give good tips. I believe that this section is specific to women as, for example, women often do have a harder time saying 'no.' Last year, when I was teaching, I accepted so many additional roles, responsibilities, projects, despite that fact that I was always already bringing my grading home. So, it was nice to be reminded that not only do I not have to say 'yes,' (which I always knew) but that I really should not say 'yes,' for my health, happiness, and life external to work (which I sometimes forget). They listed some good strategies and tactics to make it easier to say 'no' in a polite, professional way. The next few chapters continued in a good, informative way, but I have to acknowledge that the writers' tone was just atrocious, throwing around 'we,' 'I,' and personal stories written in the third person all over the place. They seemed confused on how to write this book, attempted several styles, and shuffled them all in together.
July 25, 2012
I think this book does a great job in empowering women to create the job environment that fits their own personal needs and to unlock the life we have always dreamed. As women we have to take on so much in our lives, being a good mother, a care taker, chef, cleaner, looking stunning and being a top notch professional that we are often taking more than what we really should be taking in order to prove ourselves that we have that ability. As a Brazilian-American I am always going back forth to innovative and traditional roles even though I got all of my education in the American academic system it is still very hard to let go what I had seen for a period of 22 years how professional women juggle all of that in Brasil. I want to be different but I am really dropping off the desire of being super women and this book does a good job in showing to me that this is possible in our life time here and now.
September 15, 2019
I’d recommend this book to anyone, male or female, with a demanding job. I loved the key messages in this book on how you can be empowered to change the things you hate in your job - mainly the working hours. It’s mind-opening in a way where you are allowed to say no, and demand a better work/life balance, without having to feel guilty about it.
December 31, 2021
جدا از روش های بررسی و تحقیق نویسنده که گاهی مبهم بنظر میرسید کتاب خوبی برای خوندنه
February 6, 2013
The audience for this book is very narrow: upper class professional women who are midway through their careers. The assumptions are that your work/family/life balance issues are exclusively about time. Their advice is to negotiate by resting on your laurels, which is completely unhelpful to women who may be having children early in their careers, but need their careers to feed said kids. It assumes your job is portable and flexible. This does not reflect most women's lived experiences. You need a lot of privilege to find their advice helpful.
Beyond that, the writing style is not very fun to read. It is written to persuade you that they are right, relying on short sentences and anecdotal evidence. The short sentences add to a general sense I had that the book was too simplistic, and desperately needed nuance, or to be researched more thoroughly. It was disappointing.
Beyond that, the writing style is not very fun to read. It is written to persuade you that they are right, relying on short sentences and anecdotal evidence. The short sentences add to a general sense I had that the book was too simplistic, and desperately needed nuance, or to be researched more thoroughly. It was disappointing.
July 22, 2021
It was a bit outdated when reading this book in 2021.
But the messages in this book on how we can empower women to change their work lives and look from a different perspective is good. There are some practical tips too that we can apply in our daily life.
But the messages in this book on how we can empower women to change their work lives and look from a different perspective is good. There are some practical tips too that we can apply in our daily life.
November 8, 2023
Lean in style 😆
May 5, 2024
3.5 stars. While the gender stereotypes in this book are off-putting at this point in history, I appreciated the overall attitude of the book. The authors repeatedly remind their readers that if you’re struggling with wanting to work and also wanting to be with your family (or whatever it is you want to do in addition to work), there are ways to negotiate for what you want/need. Granted I work in a different field than these authors do, but I have found my workplaces much less willing to accommodate or compromise than theirs…which is part of why I changed jobs (to be fair, this move also fits into their program). I would be really curious to see an updated version of this book post-pandemic, when work from home agreements became much more pervasive. As we know now, there are pitfalls to having the ability to work from home.
The other aspect of this book that didn’t sit well with me was their method for getting Flex Time: just be so good- so much better than anyone else in your field- that your bosses HAVE to say yes. I’m here to tell you that unfortunately, women can be the very best in their field and still be viewed as “less than” Bob who is mediocre on a good day. The implication is that if you’re unable to negotiate for what you want, you just need to work harder. This view denies the sexism that so many top women experience at work.
The other aspect of this book that didn’t sit well with me was their method for getting Flex Time: just be so good- so much better than anyone else in your field- that your bosses HAVE to say yes. I’m here to tell you that unfortunately, women can be the very best in their field and still be viewed as “less than” Bob who is mediocre on a good day. The implication is that if you’re unable to negotiate for what you want, you just need to work harder. This view denies the sexism that so many top women experience at work.
June 29, 2009
I never purchase hardcover books, and I never purchase them at full price, but I bought this one after seeing the authors on Charlie Rose a few weeks ago.
If nothing else, the first half reads (for me) like a confirmation of my professional goals: to balance the personal and professional without feeling like I'm sacrificing one too much for the other. It also confirms my desire to focus on productivity and not time at work (!!). The second half offers more specific guidelines for working smart and getting the kind of schedule you want at work (particulalry if you are trying to balance work with a family). It's worth reading, though I might suggest getting it at the library or waiting for the paperback.
If nothing else, the first half reads (for me) like a confirmation of my professional goals: to balance the personal and professional without feeling like I'm sacrificing one too much for the other. It also confirms my desire to focus on productivity and not time at work (!!). The second half offers more specific guidelines for working smart and getting the kind of schedule you want at work (particulalry if you are trying to balance work with a family). It's worth reading, though I might suggest getting it at the library or waiting for the paperback.
May 19, 2018
I heard about the authors' newest book and had it in my library queue. I thought I might try to read their first one as well. I got both at the same time. A very insightful and an enjoyable read. Makes me look back on my worklife and wonder what if. But then I was a part of bringing flextime to the Louisville Water Company in the 90s. So maybe I'm a trailblazer. Go me. I suspect their ideas work best for women with higher level jobs. I probably won't work for entry level workers with few years of work experience and less education. But it does tell the basics. You have to be valuable to the company. And not as you see value. Many people (young and old, men and women) need to remember that.
March 14, 2010
It has some good points but there is a lot of repetitiveness. It's also geared more for the woman who already has children and is fairly well established in her career. There's nothing in the book that is ground breaking, making it a skimmer.
February 12, 2021
I loved this book and it gave me some great paradigm shifts. Womenomics - economic environments driven by and inclusive of women, their priorities, their unique societal positions, and their talents - will lead to societies in which personal/family time is valued and honored, in which employees are measured by their effectiveness rather than their hours, and priorities are rearranged. This book throws into question - what matters? And are we structuring workplaces around what matters? 1950's style male-dominated professional environments of yore are inefficient and ineffective, riddled with blind-spots and being rendered obsolete.
Flexible hours, generous paid time off, scaling-up and scaling-down in alignment with one's life, time as the new money - this is Womenomics.
This book provides inspiration for today's conversations around rethinking worklife balance!
*I will caveat that it could have used more racial, ethnic, and class diversity awareness when writing about the experience of women at work.
Flexible hours, generous paid time off, scaling-up and scaling-down in alignment with one's life, time as the new money - this is Womenomics.
This book provides inspiration for today's conversations around rethinking worklife balance!
*I will caveat that it could have used more racial, ethnic, and class diversity awareness when writing about the experience of women at work.
April 4, 2022
This is such a misnomer - neither any economics nor feminism. The major fault with it is that it assumes implicitly women are the ones that need to be taking care of children and thus need the work flexibility. This discussion is still important but should not be gendered or made ‘pink’. There are so many stereotypes and clearly sexist ideas - why should ‘pink’ be the colour for my gender (really dislike pink) and why should long nails be a norm as well? It is not news that women have economic power and are economically import. The book also makes sweeping generalisations about biological and trait differences that are clearly scientifically wrong. It is to be expected as the treatment is very superficial and based on anecdotes and interviews. It is obsolete not simple post-COVID but also because this represents an older generation of women who clearly had a hard time in the workplace but still ascribe to very gendered stereotypes.
November 21, 2024
Recomand cartea aceasta tuturor femeilor care simt că este greu să găsească un echilibru între locul de muncă și viața de familie.
Înveți strategii concrete care să te ajute să scapi de teamă și să negociezi cu angajatorul tău astfel încât să obții ceea ce îți dorești.
Pentru că:
📌 Ai dreptul să spui nu proiectelor și activităților care nu te aduc mai aproape de ceea ce îți dorești și de ceea ce ai nevoie
📌 Ai dreptul să ceri un program flexibil care să îți permită să fii alături de copiii tăi
📌 Ai dreptul să îți faci viața mai ușoară pentru că dacă tu ești bine, și copiii tăi sunt bine, și proiectele tale vor fi bine
📌 Ai dreptul să fii alături de familia ta atât în ceea ce privește activitățile de zi cu zi, cât și în momentele importante
Înveți strategii concrete care să te ajute să scapi de teamă și să negociezi cu angajatorul tău astfel încât să obții ceea ce îți dorești.
Pentru că:
📌 Ai dreptul să spui nu proiectelor și activităților care nu te aduc mai aproape de ceea ce îți dorești și de ceea ce ai nevoie
📌 Ai dreptul să ceri un program flexibil care să îți permită să fii alături de copiii tăi
📌 Ai dreptul să îți faci viața mai ușoară pentru că dacă tu ești bine, și copiii tăi sunt bine, și proiectele tale vor fi bine
📌 Ai dreptul să fii alături de familia ta atât în ceea ce privește activitățile de zi cu zi, cât și în momentele importante
July 8, 2025
This one has been sitting on my TBR shelf for a while. Even though I’m currently a stay-at-home mom, I know I’ll eventually return to the workforce—so I figured the content would still be useful. And while the message is empowering, the book was published in 2009, and the workplace has changed drastically since then—especially post-pandemic. A lot of what they push for (like flexible work and remote options) is now more standard than revolutionary.
That said, Chapter 4 was solid—all about the power of saying no. That’s where most of my highlights and notes came from. Honestly, you could just read that chapter and get the most important takeaways.
🗣️ “Are you trying to be good enough in your own eyes or everybody else’s eyes?” (p. 136)
That said, Chapter 4 was solid—all about the power of saying no. That’s where most of my highlights and notes came from. Honestly, you could just read that chapter and get the most important takeaways.
🗣️ “Are you trying to be good enough in your own eyes or everybody else’s eyes?” (p. 136)
October 18, 2022
I enjoyed this book as it showed how to ask and demon your value at work in order to have a work/life balance. It talks about the new currency of female at work which is flexibility. This is a great book that should be read not only by women but men also so they can encourage women to stay in the workforce and balance demands of family at the same time. It shows how to prioritize what is essential in your work not to get stressed out with minute details and ask your bosses for some flexibility to do your work. Great book for career oriented women!
June 10, 2020
I couldn't finish it up.
I believe its a good book, but I see my future self needing it more than my current self. So maybe after I relate with the working mums and how this is a tough juggling system for their careers and life overall, then I will be in the right place to read this books.
In the meantime, I like what it exposes women to, and I hope to pick up the book again in the future.
I believe its a good book, but I see my future self needing it more than my current self. So maybe after I relate with the working mums and how this is a tough juggling system for their careers and life overall, then I will be in the right place to read this books.
In the meantime, I like what it exposes women to, and I hope to pick up the book again in the future.
July 14, 2017
Written for women with children but out-dated now since job markets changed and working flexi-hours are the norm around the world.
April 12, 2018
I gave up after about 30 pages. This book was repetitive and draggy.
October 25, 2019
Only read half of the book. Can't finish.
May 6, 2021
Enjoyed the reality posed by this book of taking a diverse, new look at ways of working.
Just felt like a chapter turned into a book.
Just felt like a chapter turned into a book.
June 29, 2021
Good content but a bit dated
Read
September 24, 2024Not helpful. Dated.
September 13, 2025
feminismo blanco (aunque insista en su diversidad) y privilegiado, un libro que en términos de utilidad podría comprimirse en 30 páginas.
April 1, 2018
Listened to this audiobook, had some great tips for the future of women in the workforce. The book is about 10 years old, so not all of the tips are still relevant, but interesting to see how some of the strategies for work life balance are becoming more common in today’s workforce.
July 1, 2015
This book wasn't that great. It makes a pretty fundamental assumption that the biggest barrier to a working woman being able to get more flexibility in her schedule is dealing with feelings of guilt, and they devote an entire chapter to how to deal with that. They only briefly mention women who work unflexible jobs because they have to in order to support their family, and have limited options and job mobility. This is done in the epilogue, and they basically just say "Well, sucks to be them. Be thankful you're not in that position."
They also briefly mention that getting more time can be used for a variety of reasons, such as caring for an elderly parent, having more time to work on hobbies / social life, maybe a pet, etc. But for most of the book they focus on women who have a husband who works full time and with whom they have children or are planning to have children. The book devotes no energy to trying to work with the husband or other partners to help achieve a better work schedule. It's basically assumed that the husband is going to be at work from 8am to 6pm and it's up to the woman to find the flexibility she needs to be able to manage work and the kids. Kudos for trying to find solutions beyond simply sucking it up and doing it all, but I would have liked to see a little bit of effort put into examining alternatives. Maybe the husband can take on some of the work shuttling the kids to soccer practice. Maybe the woman's partner / significant other can help out with the care of a parent. These options were not even mentioned, much less explored. Instead, the book focused solely on how a woman can manage how her own job affects her life and her family.
The basic premise is that in this day and age, the most valuable commodity you can be paid with is time (and/or flexibility of working schedule, but that amounts to the same thing). They give lots of testimonials from people who have created a better working schedule for themselves - 4 day work weeks, ability to work from home, taking additional vacation days in lieu of pay raises or bonuses, etc.
They focused a lot on Best Buy's rollout of their Results-Oriented Work Environment (ROWE) where employees are more or less free to determine what sort of schedule works best for them as long as they are meeting their deliverables.
Lots of the examples in this book are from workforce segments where you really can do your work wherever and whenever. Accounting, Legal practice, Sales, etc. They briefly mentioned how face time can be important in some instances, but this is at the end of the book and is not covered in much depth.
The one thing that bothered me most about this book is the Machiavellian attitude taken by the authors towards getting what you want out of your work schedule. They gave examples of manipulating, deceiving, even flat out lying if that's what it takes to make your desired schedule work.
Part of being able to work effectively is to be able to build trust. Results-only attitudes will only work to a point. If you're caught lying to get your desired work schedule, your trust is going to drop to zero and you may even be fired. It won't be because of the schedule, but rather from the deception.
There were a few good bits throughout the book, particularly the section on how to anticipate and prepare for the various push-back and challenges a woman may get when trying to set up a better work schedule. If they had kept those sections and made this book shorter, the overall effect would have been much better.
They also briefly mention that getting more time can be used for a variety of reasons, such as caring for an elderly parent, having more time to work on hobbies / social life, maybe a pet, etc. But for most of the book they focus on women who have a husband who works full time and with whom they have children or are planning to have children. The book devotes no energy to trying to work with the husband or other partners to help achieve a better work schedule. It's basically assumed that the husband is going to be at work from 8am to 6pm and it's up to the woman to find the flexibility she needs to be able to manage work and the kids. Kudos for trying to find solutions beyond simply sucking it up and doing it all, but I would have liked to see a little bit of effort put into examining alternatives. Maybe the husband can take on some of the work shuttling the kids to soccer practice. Maybe the woman's partner / significant other can help out with the care of a parent. These options were not even mentioned, much less explored. Instead, the book focused solely on how a woman can manage how her own job affects her life and her family.
The basic premise is that in this day and age, the most valuable commodity you can be paid with is time (and/or flexibility of working schedule, but that amounts to the same thing). They give lots of testimonials from people who have created a better working schedule for themselves - 4 day work weeks, ability to work from home, taking additional vacation days in lieu of pay raises or bonuses, etc.
They focused a lot on Best Buy's rollout of their Results-Oriented Work Environment (ROWE) where employees are more or less free to determine what sort of schedule works best for them as long as they are meeting their deliverables.
Lots of the examples in this book are from workforce segments where you really can do your work wherever and whenever. Accounting, Legal practice, Sales, etc. They briefly mentioned how face time can be important in some instances, but this is at the end of the book and is not covered in much depth.
The one thing that bothered me most about this book is the Machiavellian attitude taken by the authors towards getting what you want out of your work schedule. They gave examples of manipulating, deceiving, even flat out lying if that's what it takes to make your desired schedule work.
Part of being able to work effectively is to be able to build trust. Results-only attitudes will only work to a point. If you're caught lying to get your desired work schedule, your trust is going to drop to zero and you may even be fired. It won't be because of the schedule, but rather from the deception.
There were a few good bits throughout the book, particularly the section on how to anticipate and prepare for the various push-back and challenges a woman may get when trying to set up a better work schedule. If they had kept those sections and made this book shorter, the overall effect would have been much better.
March 24, 2009
How I Came To Read this Book: Harper Collins sent me an ARE. A *really* ARE - like, a pregalley copy.
The Plot: Claire Shipman & Katty Kay are a team of journalists based in the USA that were tired of the demands their workplaces were imposing on them. Both women successfully negotiated for packages that would provide a better work/life balance for them - and this book is designed to tell women how they can do the same. Primarily designed for professionals, with families, in their 30s-40s, Womenomics is a movement that (apparently) has been a long time coming - and will only continue to evolve. Indeed, the currency of time has outshone the drive for money in the last decade, and women are at the forefront of demanding a trade of money for time. The book basically outlines a bunch of strategies, anecdotes, and exercises to get you in the Womenomics frame of mind.
The Good & The Bad: So Womenomics. Sounds a bit flaky right? Like Yogalates? Well unfortunately, it kind of is. The book has a very upbeat, peppy attitude - but it comes off more fluffy and vapid than GO TEAM! The unfortunate part of this book is that each chapter builds on the foundation the previous one(s) set up, normally a good strategy, but the opening chapter of this book falls flat and skewed, rhyming off a compendium of facts that don't necessarily ring true (at least not for me). So if the whole book is supposed to be based on this foundational chapter, it makes it hard to believe. Also, the peppy attitude of the book often comes off as flippant, particularly when the authors use really archaic female stereotypes in analogies (we women love to shop right!?!?). That being said, it wasn't all bad. Underneath the flaky tones, the general sentiment of the book was dead on, and helpful. Hearing anecdotes from women in a variety of professional situations was so helpful, and made me feel like I'm not alone with any workplace frustrations or quandaries I've had. It also took some time to wrap my head around / accept that women and men really are wired differently when it comes to the workplace - and that it's okay. I've always noticed the discrepancies between how women are, and how they feel like they have to act in the workplace, and it was a bit comforting (albeit frustrating) to hear this wasn't right. Additionally, the book definitely gave me a lot to think about in terms of what I want now, and what I'd like want in the future from my work. While I'm not quite a Womenomics convert, I would recommend this book to my girlfriends, to at least give them something to think about.
The Bottom Line: Full of emotion & spirit, light on content you can believe in.
Anything Memorable?: I used a part of this book - the "no sandwich" - to avoid an after-work task I knew wouldn't benefit me (or my office) much.
50-Book Challenge?: Book #12 in 2009.
The Plot: Claire Shipman & Katty Kay are a team of journalists based in the USA that were tired of the demands their workplaces were imposing on them. Both women successfully negotiated for packages that would provide a better work/life balance for them - and this book is designed to tell women how they can do the same. Primarily designed for professionals, with families, in their 30s-40s, Womenomics is a movement that (apparently) has been a long time coming - and will only continue to evolve. Indeed, the currency of time has outshone the drive for money in the last decade, and women are at the forefront of demanding a trade of money for time. The book basically outlines a bunch of strategies, anecdotes, and exercises to get you in the Womenomics frame of mind.
The Good & The Bad: So Womenomics. Sounds a bit flaky right? Like Yogalates? Well unfortunately, it kind of is. The book has a very upbeat, peppy attitude - but it comes off more fluffy and vapid than GO TEAM! The unfortunate part of this book is that each chapter builds on the foundation the previous one(s) set up, normally a good strategy, but the opening chapter of this book falls flat and skewed, rhyming off a compendium of facts that don't necessarily ring true (at least not for me). So if the whole book is supposed to be based on this foundational chapter, it makes it hard to believe. Also, the peppy attitude of the book often comes off as flippant, particularly when the authors use really archaic female stereotypes in analogies (we women love to shop right!?!?). That being said, it wasn't all bad. Underneath the flaky tones, the general sentiment of the book was dead on, and helpful. Hearing anecdotes from women in a variety of professional situations was so helpful, and made me feel like I'm not alone with any workplace frustrations or quandaries I've had. It also took some time to wrap my head around / accept that women and men really are wired differently when it comes to the workplace - and that it's okay. I've always noticed the discrepancies between how women are, and how they feel like they have to act in the workplace, and it was a bit comforting (albeit frustrating) to hear this wasn't right. Additionally, the book definitely gave me a lot to think about in terms of what I want now, and what I'd like want in the future from my work. While I'm not quite a Womenomics convert, I would recommend this book to my girlfriends, to at least give them something to think about.
The Bottom Line: Full of emotion & spirit, light on content you can believe in.
Anything Memorable?: I used a part of this book - the "no sandwich" - to avoid an after-work task I knew wouldn't benefit me (or my office) much.
50-Book Challenge?: Book #12 in 2009.
February 22, 2017
Women's work and benefits history through time.
How women have achieved more rights and benefits.
How to achieve flexibility in the work and keep maintaining the career and balance you want.
Must read, specially if you have a conventional office job.
How women have achieved more rights and benefits.
How to achieve flexibility in the work and keep maintaining the career and balance you want.
Must read, specially if you have a conventional office job.
November 11, 2009
This book just came out this summer, by Kay and Shimpman from news television. This manifesto argues that woman can have the "New All." The New All being whatever it is you want it to mean-- maintaining a career-life balance that works for you, whether your "life" means kids, pilates class, dog walking, etc, or all of the above.
Kay and Shipman say that professional women now have enough power (showing loads of interesting statistics) to expect a flexible work life from most corporations. A flexible or life could mean working from home, working part time, working later in the day rather than early, or vice versa. Kay and Shipman put them emphasis on doing work well, rather than when or where you do it.
With the current talent shortage, corporate $ shortage, and the new benefits of technology, the authors claim that, once you show your employer what you're made of, you can request from your employer to be flexible, like thousands of corporations are doing already. Meanwhile, you become that much better of an employee (showing additional loads of statistics) as you reach the right balance of a flexible work schedule and "life," whatever your life you lead.
This is for a little older audience that me (maybe 35-50?), but I found it somewhat useful and inspiring. Kay and Shipman say we Generation Y-ers are "already entitled to everything," such that we don't need as big of a push from this book as others may ;-)
Kay and Shipman say that professional women now have enough power (showing loads of interesting statistics) to expect a flexible work life from most corporations. A flexible or life could mean working from home, working part time, working later in the day rather than early, or vice versa. Kay and Shipman put them emphasis on doing work well, rather than when or where you do it.
With the current talent shortage, corporate $ shortage, and the new benefits of technology, the authors claim that, once you show your employer what you're made of, you can request from your employer to be flexible, like thousands of corporations are doing already. Meanwhile, you become that much better of an employee (showing additional loads of statistics) as you reach the right balance of a flexible work schedule and "life," whatever your life you lead.
This is for a little older audience that me (maybe 35-50?), but I found it somewhat useful and inspiring. Kay and Shipman say we Generation Y-ers are "already entitled to everything," such that we don't need as big of a push from this book as others may ;-)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews