Customer Reviews

Divorcing the Corporation:One Woman's Fight to Save Her Family from Multinational Maneuvers

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"The Other Side" of Corporate America is quite accurately and honestly depicted in this book. It's easy to see the more glamorous side of Corporate America seen on TV shows, newscasts, and the shiny company-paid cars executives drive in....what's NOT as visible in the media are the occasions in which employees are "volunteered" or "encouraged / forced to volunteer" for duties and assignments and social situations they or their families may not wish to do on a voluntary basis. What's NOT spoken about in our American culture is the abuse such actions force upon both men AND women...this is nicely addressed in the book. On a personal level, I've heard of many situations in which employees are deprived of decisions which should belong in the domain of the employee's personal life and the employee's family. The book directly outlines and generously shares such events which are whispered about at the water cooler and at the lunch table at work in Corporate America, but rarely are challenged when superiors and "management" are making choices for and forcing decisions on employees and their families.

The book further illustrates the emotional abuses husbands, wives and their children experience when a husband is subjected to "The Fast Track"....which comes at a cost, namely the flip side of The Fast Track, which is the The Breakdown Track...and The Breakdown Track is the cost of human sweat, tears, and emotional wear and tear on marriages, individuals and their families....all for the sake of those selfish entities called, "monetary profits, egotism, control, power, and quarterly/annual reports to shareholders...".

Also highlighted in the book is the mistreatment of corporate wives, who are often treated as second-class citizens, or even "non-citizens", by chauvinistic corporations, or in some cases, the sexist husbands themselves.

A most important book to read for the 1990's and beyond....

Telling one's truth is a very important process. I am in awe of this author's capactiy to communicate facts and feelings. I have lived overseas in Brasil as well as other countries. Many women AND men with open minds and hearts will relate to her story and find encouragement and consolation in her words.

This book is likely to be much maligned because it deals with a executive families. The "common sense" argument is that wives have nothing to complain about in their peripheral roles as unwitting volunteer adjuncts of the corporation, because they are the primary beneficiaries of the husband's position. Many wives are quite willing to cooperate with the demands of their husband's job because they believe it is simply an extension of the sacrifices they have agreed to as part of their role as wife and helpmate. Not to do so would be unthinkable for most. The author of this book apparently has a stubborn streak that did not allow her to acquiesce when she saw her own and her husband's desires and needs systematically bypassed by the Whirlpool corporation and their lives manipulated by corporate threat and cynical promise.

The best part for me was Part Three, which achieved a level of suspense of courtroom drama. Awards for best supporting cast go to lawyers Karen and Ken. The most touching moment for me was when Karen decided to come forward in the author's defense. After so much perseverance, this was the first sign of authentication the author saw coming from outside herself, feedback which is essential for maintaining one's mental balance. After all, in the world of Whirlpool and its ilk, the whole idea is to create a reality in which the only reasonable response to Roz is "she's crazy".

But of course Part Three wouldn't make sense except against the backdrop of Parts One and Two and their carefully documented details. These are details which are painfully familiar and are going to give lots of people much to identify with. They are unembellished snapshots of the little indignities and minor offenses to assume that their own inner world is of less importance than some other world out there.

I see some multinationals making small attempts at compensating families for the sacrifices made by overworked and stressed-out family members in executive positions. I believe, though, that a weekend at a resort hotel is a drop in the bucket (and a pretty cheap one at that) compared to what needs to be changed in corporate policy in order to make corporate pressure compatible with family life... well, with life. Books such as "Divorcing the Corporation" are a small step toward bringing attention to this thorny and still hidden challenge

I very much enjoyed reading the book "Divorcing the Corporation", by Rosalyn Reeder. Having been manipulated by a corporation myself, I could relate to the out-of-control life depicted by the author's experiences. Equally, the pain of a marriage breaking under the strain added to the real life emotions that kept me engrossed as I read. The history of the two main characters was interesting, offering a perspective on the challenges that each had to endure. The book developed nicely. It is time someone told what sacrifices have to be made (to maintain the corporate status quo) in an intelligent and organized way. I hope this writing will help women (and enlightened men) question how "Big Company Ethics" affect them, their families, and communities. Thank you for sharing your courage.

This book deals with the frustration of being a corporate wife in the 70's and the struggle she had trying to prove her own worth. When your husband reaches the level of Vice President in a Corporation there are many personal sacrifices that must be made.

I found the book to be very fragmented and uneven in flow. It is as if the author had kept personal notes throughout her life and then threw them into a book.

I found the book to be more a vehicle for carrying out a personal vendetta than an attempt to provide insight into the role of family values in corporate life. Ms. Reeder appears to have chosen the role of martyr rather than recognizing that both she and her husband had the option of directing their own lives. It is unrealistic and unhealthy to expect a multinational corporation to manage one's marriage and family life.