Customer Reviews

I Can't Believe She Did That!: Why Women Betray Other Women at Work

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am grateful that this conversation has begun, but this book is by no means the final word on the subject.

I found 200 pages of individual acts of backstabbing to be uninsightful. We already know women can be vicious. While this book takes heroic steps to sympathetically rationalize treachery and dispel the "good girl-bad girl" dichotomy, it would be a far more inspirational read if it gave practical advice for dealing with our inevitable day to day confrontations.

I was hoping this book would lay out the nuances and pitfalls of working with women before dispensing some apt suggestions for diffusing tense situations. Perhaps with some humorous/memorable examples of these tactics applied. I was disappointed.

I had to glean from the anecdotes the sorts of environmental conditions which could lead to thinly veiled hostility: feeling threatened by youth, talent, beauty, race, social class or contested token woman status. Should I find myself in possession of one of these threatening advantages, I'm unsure how to react outside of warily paranoid.

Although this book alludes to individual advocacy, at its core it is a collective action cop-out. Women are reluctant to make individual changes because their less altruistic coworkers will take advantage of them. The solution? Macro-level reform meted out by our government, media and employers.

Amidst a slew of gratuitous quotes, it seems Margaret Mead's critical message has been left out: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

This book has gotten me thinking: about my relationships with fellow females in past jobs; about my interactions with women in my current mostly-female career; and about various experiences my friends are having in the workplace. In all, the anecdotes and analysis that Mooney presents here ring true and will be a great source for discussion. Women should read this book in bookgroups and also on their own. The issues highlighted here -- backstabbing, lack of direct communication, healthy (though fierce) competition, etc -- are incredibly important. I feel heartened that other women are having similar experiences and emboldened to talk about some of these issues (both theoretically and specifically) with key people at work. This is an excellent read.

This book is horrid; there are so many that are better reading and better advice. The answer to "why" is simple: everyone is out for their best interest, and only advances yours if it achieves their objective. And here Mooney is pretending to advance your objective by selling you a bad book.

Get over the sisterhood myth and move on to better researched, better written books, such as Lois Frankel's "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office" and Gail Evans' "Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman".

I just finished Mooney's last work, "My Racing Heart," which made my heart race right along with hers. Pages 18-19 give me chills each time I re-read them, as she describes how one misstep, one split second, can end a thoroughbred's career. With this anecdote from the track, she reminds her readers to seize the day in thier own lives, as at any moment, all opportunities to come out a winner could vanish.

In this new book, she does a brilliant job (yet again)of delving into the bizarre issue of why women stab other women in the back in the workplace. It's one of those topics I have talked about with many female friends, but haven't seen so thoroughly explored through extensive research in print. Hats off to Mooney...and let's hope all her literate, female contemporaries take this chance to support her, not undermine her!

I was surprised when I could not put this book down! I found the interviews fascinating and yet Mooney had a deep sense of compassion for all sides. The book brought up for me many memories of jobs and experiences I had forgotten- working both as an employee and a boss with many women.
The book is insightful and inspiring. I felt motivated to speak up and hold my ground and not be so afraid of conflict. I highly recommend this book!! Women of all ages can read this and learn something new.

I seriously loved this book! Having been in corporate America for sometime, especially in a cutthroat, NYC work-environment in financial services where women are out for themselves, create these politics and only the sane ones are probably on some kind of medication, it's really comforting to know it's not just me, there are plenty of other women out there who know that women working with other women can be challenging.

Nan Mooney brings much care and a healthy dose of humor in exploring how and why women often treat each other so poorly in the workplace and in other professional settings. Her writing reflects the thoughtful and thorough research methods employed to learn the stories of 100 women who, at some point in their professional lives, experienced minor and major conflicts with female co-workers, supervisors and mentors. Not only does Nan describe the problems faced by these extraordinary women, but also she offers analyses and insights into how problems could be avoided, and what our responsibilities as a society and to each other really are.

This book should be required reading for any woman about to enter or re-enter the workplace, change careers, assume greater levels of leadership or management, or for anyone with a genuine interest in knowing more about interpersonal workplace dynamics and organizational culture. It provides the reader with a strong, uplifting message about the importance of honesty, candor, humor, sensitivity and compassion when dealing with others and with ourselves.

Nan Mooney writes about racing, whether between horses on the track or women in the workplace--and the results are riveting! This book should be required reading for every young woman entering the work force--and those of us who have been there for decades. Her description of relational aggression (RA) shows that such behavior can destroy relationships at work, home, and play, for men as well as women.

I was thrilled to read Nan Mooney's latest book. She is so wise on the subject at hand. The book is well written, witty,and just so much fun to read.

I am 3/4 through this book; it is an excellent discussion of what is happening in the work force between and among women. I am hopeful that the author will provide some suggestions for dealing with such situations in the remaining l/4 of the book. If not, I recommend she author a sequel. Thank you