Product Description Noting a phenomenon that might seem to recall a previous era, The New York Times Magazine recently portrayed women who leave their careers in order to become full-time mothers as "opting out." But, are high-achieving professional women really choosing to abandon their careers in order to return home? This provocative study is the first to tackle this issue from the perspective of the women themselves. Based on a series of candid, in-depth interviews with women who returned home after working as doctors, lawyers, bankers, scientists, and other professions, Pamela Stone explores the role that their husbands, children, and coworkers play in their decision; how women's efforts to construct new lives and new identities unfold once they are home; and where their aspirations and plans for the future lie. What we learn--contrary to many media perceptions--is that these high-flying women are not opting out but are instead being pushed out of the workplace. Drawing on their experiences, Stone outlines concrete ideas for redesigning workplaces to make it easier for women--and men--to attain their goal of living rewarding lives that combine both families and careers.
Could have been interesting but.....NO August 9, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This books goes in circles - how many ways can you say the same thing over and over again. Could have been interesting if the research reached more horizons, but.....NO. This book came up short for me.
Excellent Examination of the Complicated Decision to Stay Home August 2, 2008 Pamela Stone's examination of the issues and complexities of making the decision to leave a career, or at least to take a multi year career break, is spot on. I was on maternity leave with my first child when my company collapsed, so I knew I wasn't returning to that job. But I did have to decide whether to start looking for another full time job. My husband and I weren't getting any younger and we wanted to have more kids so I ended up working in limited part time jobs for a few years and then took a complete career break when my fourth child was born. It was tough to watch my peers advance in their careers while mine was at a standstill. Ultimately I returned to work, first in a demanding full time job at an investment firm and then as the author of a book on career reentry and founder of a company focusing on career reentry programming. But it was a long journey and I could relate directly to experiences of the women profiled in Stone's book. Her voice is a critical one in the "opt out/opt in" discussion.
Not really applicable to us "normal folks" June 8, 2008 5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Although it seems that the author really did her homework, the bottom line is that the subjects in this book are super high earning and super high acheiving women married to even higher acheiving/earning husbands. The study itself is fascinating and I'm sure that many of the home "pull" and workplace "push" factors apply to women of all income, education, and racial/ethnic backgrounds but the bottom line is that these were women who could AFFORD to stay home seemingly without making any compromises in their lifestyles. I was more interested in learning about average/middle class families, with moms who ended up staying home even with great consequence to their socioeconomic status, as is the case with many moms who choose to stay at home. I mean, this book is talking about women married to high-powered Wall Street investment bankers, women who are CEO's and stockbrokers themselves...sorry, but these women could afford to stay home. What was so groundbreaking about that? "Feminine Mistake" was much more in tune with the "real world" types of lifestyles and it went across economic and racial lines, something that this book does not do. Plus, it made for a somewhat dry and boring read.
Good Read April 29, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book was great. I would recommend this book to any women thinking about starting a family or anyone concerned with the shortage of women in corporate world. This book read almost like a novel since you follow the lives of several women. It is very enjoyable and dosen't preach about which choice is better for a women to make, working or staying at home. I really liked it and learned a lot. My one complaint is that women in this book are all super rich and had very powerful jobs. Perhaps the author should have looked at minority and middle class women as well.
Stories that grabbed my heart March 1, 2008 Beautifully written,this book tells compelling stories of real lives, while exposing the often hidden factors that force women to make tough choices between caring for their families and continuing in their chosen professions. Lack of flexibility on the job, luck of the draw in finding sympathetic bosses, ridiculous social norms of working as if no employee had a personal life, lack of mentoring, low continuity in corporate relationships and networks, stigma of part-time work, pressure on single-earner spouses to spend more and more time on the job--all these constrain our ability to find the optimal balance of work and life. The women in this book speak to all of us, men, women, stay-at-home moms and working moms, with or without children, seeking to find true productivity and happiness. This book is thought-provoking! Enjoy it!
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