Customer Reviews

Beside Every Successful Man: A Woman's Guide to Having It All

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was led to read this book because of the Today show appearance on 9/16, featuring author Megan Basham, and feminist author Leslie Bennets ("The Feminine Mistake"). It intrigued me that Ms. Bennets claimed that
Ms. Basham had "cherry-picked the research" and that her book was a "dangerous fairy tale." After reading the book, my view is that it is both intensively and extensively researched, and that research creates the context for the real meat of the book: the anecdotal research into a large number of marriages where the wife is functioning to exemplify the principles that Basham profiles. My other point about the research is this: claiming it to be "cherry-picked" is the equivalent of conceding the research supports the author's premise. It's sort of like conceding the match point in tennis. Game, Set, Match.

The book is lively, the personal stories informative and entertaining. The design of the book brings any number of helpful resources to the table for anyone who wants to pursue its principles. It's not a book that tells wives (or husbands) what they should do, but what they can achieve in a quest to encourage each other and create satisfying careers.

I was offended by the review by amazon that states that career gals and feminists need not apply-- why not? Is it not a feminist value that women should be afforded choices? I choose to stay home and help my husband's career because it is what I am good at and what I love. Does this make me not a feminist? Of course not. Feminism teaches that women are not subservient to men. Well, women are not subservient to the feminist movement either! Staying home and raising your own family IS a career, so why would career gals need not apply? Being a full time homemaker means keeping up with the latest info in your field, setting and reaching goals, and improving skills. That sounds like a career to me!

This is an interesting read and if you liked it, you might also like How to Help Your Husband Make More Money so You Can Be a Stay at Home Mom by Joanne Watson. There are some super helpful hints about resume writing, networking, and other ways in which you can help your spouse succeed in his/her career.

This book would be most helpful to a wife whose husband is currently struggling with his career and direction in life (I *highly* recommend reading this book if you're in that position). However, my husband is doing well in his career, and I was still able to learn from the book. Very encouraging and lots of good ideas!

This book really expressed the idea that a wife can make a huge difference in her husband's career. I especially enjoyed the examples of well-known and high-income/high-profile men and how much credit they give to their wives for helping them become successful. (for example, it was Alan Jackson's wife who got his demo tape into the right hands and that eventually led to him becoming a country music star!)

My only negative is that this book went on a little. It could have been a bit shorter and still gotten the excellent message through to the reader.

I was drawn to Basham's book because it highlights the importance of a husband and wife working together as a team for a common good. Throughout her book, Basham gave example after example of successful couples where the wife supported, encouraged and helped her husband achieve more success in the workplace. What a great and effective way to bring a couple together. Having oneness in a marriage is lost so much in our culture today and this book was a refreshing change! I'm excited to use the techniques Basham recommends in my own marriage!

I thought the book was full of inspiring options for wives whether you work or stay home. It was also a great read, not at all boring like some self-help books can be. I enjoyed reading it, and gained useful insight.

What a truely amazing book!! Mrs. Basham's positive and refreshing book is just what is needed in todays' world. Through this excellent work we learn of the defining element in marriage as a partnership and interdependence through recognizing and serving each others needs, aspirations and desires instead of seeing our husband as a rival. A wife's interest in her husband's success, and her availability to help him become his best self in the workplace have a direct impact on her own happiness and fullfillment in all areas of the marital relationship. Not only is this book full of hope and inspiration, but is also extremely practical with each chapter's ending giving us a..."Game Plan", or "Take Away Facts". There is also an abundance of statistics on the real story behind divorce that we very conveniently don't hear from the feminist rhetoric. In addition, there is a wonderful appendix full of additional resourses that further expand on the information in each chapter. I can not reccommend this book hightly enough - no matter how long one has been married.

This is one of the freshest "how to treat your man" books I've read. Basham takes the reader through a personal journey and has specific and tested advice for wives. Even though my husband is set and successful in his career, there are many ideas on how to give support that a man will respond to positively. This book has so many examples of studies and couples who struggled I wonder how long it took to write! I can't wait to see what Basham does next.

Very good book, down to earth practical advice that can work in today's rush and hurry stressful world. Every age female (or male) can benefit from the book. The book gives some great exampes of how to be a support in your relationship.

There isn't really much in this book; her central theme only makes sense if the husband earns enough money to support his household and family without his wife having to also work. This isn't the case with most middle to low income families. Essentially this book only makes sense if you are upper middle to upper class with a high income in a professional career. Most low and middle income men (and indeed women) do not have a "career"; instead they have a job where the prospects of advancement are either limited or non-existant. In these cases there is little to nothing that the stay at home wife can do to assist her partner with his career. Writing a CV for her husband is pretty pointless if her husband works as a steel fixer, long haul truck driver or scaffolder.

Also, after the marriage falls apart here is a woman left without an independant source of income, any major career skills, financial security and not linked into work based networks. Anyway, Basham is essentially pushing on an open door, her themes are not radical or new; most families have been doing this anyway, the mother staying at home to take care of the kids for the first few years and then moving back into the workforce. Also this idea would only have limited application for many women as a large number actually enjoy working, getting stimulation outside of the home and relearning how to talk to adults after 5 years of baby talk, dirty nappies and feed times.

So unless your family has a husband with a professional career with a high income and the wife is happy to give up working (and actually can, given the need for most households for two incomes) and become de-skilled then there really isn't much in this book. Keep in mind that Basham is yet to have children and belongs to the upper income bracket and would probably be able to afford to hire a woman (who probably has young children at home) to take care of her child while she writes her next book.

After reading Basham's book, I can't see what the objection is. To me, the book simply seemed like a how-to book for all wives who want to help their husbands. She does say that it will give women who want to stay home more options for doing so, but I don't hear her tell women what to do. I think Basham's book just re-iterates the fact that women have the freedom to choose their own paths. I thought it was super insightful and a great book! I would encourage all women to get this book whether you choose to work outside the home or in the home.