Customer Reviews

What's Holding You Back? Eight Critical Choices for Women's Success

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"What's Holding You Back" is the most interesting and motivating book I've read since attending college 20 years ago. Dr. Austin provides strategies for women to achieve their dreams, without undermining motherhood. As a former marketing professional and current at-home mom (the last eight years) it's given me the motivation I've needed to stop worrying about all the barriers and rather focus on taking the steps now to achieving my goals.

Dr. Austin explores the differences between men's and women's roles in the family and society and how this shapes women's self-esteem and expectations for achievement. She then offers a practical step-by-step plan for accomplishing your goals. The book is filled with inspiring and amusing stories of famous and not-so-famous women who achieved their goals despite overwhelming obstacles. Whatever your background or age, you'll know "if they can do it, I can do it!".

Regarding her appearance on "Oprah" last week, Dr. Austin was the most intelligent and charismatic psychiatrist Oprah has had. It was fascinating to see how Dr. Austin "zeroed-in" on the conflicts of each guest and provided an insightful and meaningful solution that each woman could use to improve her life. Unfortunately, in one hour they only touched the surface of her book. I hope Dr. Austin will return for a more comprehensive interview.

I have been enthusiastically recommending this book to every woman in my peer group ever since I read it. Before I quit my job, I was a lawyer , but I also had a family that needed me at home. I was perpetually struggling to find a middle ground, to be taken seriously at work, to meet the needs of my family. I know the issues Austin discusses are real! I wish I had read the book at the beginning of my career rather than wait until I was discouraged and had already opted out of the workplace. But, when I was starting my career in the early `80's, there were no such books as this. Austin is a trailblazer, a creative thinker who wrote this book to help other women, and I thank her. My attorney friends have been very enthusiastic about the book when I recommended it, but I was surprised that some women in more "traditionally feminine" careers were put off by the "woman's libber" implication of the title, and they refused to read it. Please, don't make that mistake! Austin doesn't try to say that a woman has to fit into the same career mold as a man, nor define achievement the same way, either. In that sense, this book breaks the mold of many books about women's achievement. Austin's goal is not to give tips about how to fit into a man's world. Instead, she gives a map and compass that a woman can use to navigate her own path. A truly empowering book, it convinced me that many of my personal attributes that had sabotaged me in the workplace were, in fact, assets which I could uniquely appreciate and exploit to forge my own, creative career solutions. I think the ideal, target audience for this book is a woman who is gifted, educated, and who really wants to achieve but who doesn't quite know how to overcome the special obstacles that women typically must confront. These obstacles include things like (a chapter devoted to each of the following): the goals we choose (or don't choose) for ourselves to begin with, having self confidence even when no one encourages us, taking risks even when it's uncomfortable, focusing talents even when that means forgoing other possibilities, taking positions of leadership even if it feels like we are neglecting daily tasks, competing head to head with others, dealing with distractions, coping with failure, and wielding power. I'm not a fan of "self help" books, but I could relate with personal examples to every single issue Austin explores in her book. Her book encouraged me enough, personally, that I'm going to give it a go again in law practice, but this time on my own terms and in a way that is more true to my own values. Finally, for those intellectuals among us, this book is well enough researched and documented that, if it had footnotes, it could have been published as a scholarly text in the psychology of gifted and/or achieving women. But it doesn't read in a stilted way. It reads conversationally and easily, much like Austin's radio talk show that I listen to on S.C. Educational Radio. I honestly believe this book is a "must-read" for any woman who has experienced career frustration and who wants to set and meet goals for herself in life in a way that will be authentic to fulfilling her dream of who she wants to be as a person and as an achiever.

One discovers the keys to uncover your dream job. You can with the author's tips, discover your life's work. The author gradually coaxes you out of your shell, with steps to encourage you to keep on the path of discovery. She teaches you how to rebound, when the " going gets tough "and how to stay focused. Steps are discussed regarding how to face challenges, take risks, and enhance your resilience to continue on the journey. It is never to late to discover your passion, what it is YOU were meant to do, to arrive at your dream job, to use your talent not wake up one day, wondering..if only or I wish i had done .........this book will enhance YOU!

This book gives you the keys to your true desire, of what YOU are meant to do..your life's passion. The author, gradually coaxes you out of your shell so to speak, with steps to encourage to keep on the journey of discovery. She teaches you how to rebound, when the "going gets tough", to stay focused. She highlights on, how to face challenges, fear, take risks,to uncover what it is You want to do with your life. It is never too late..to discover your lifetime passion, what is your position, job in life.

I was about to give up on my own success until I happened upon this book. I read it in 3 days and I have my desire back at full steam. More good books in this vein are Relationship Rescue and The Romantic's Guide. Both have been invaluable to my marriage.

This is a well written book by someone that actually knows of which she writes. She's clear, she's sensible and she's motivating.

Well done!

Women's rights basically began in 1920 and since then women have made great strides in trying to become equal to men in many aspects of life, however in most case they fail to achieve the same accolades as there male counterparts. After reading this book I found that women can succeed and Austin give you the 8 reasons why and how.

Austin's radio program "What's On your Mind?" is the launching pad for this book and each chapter takes and breakdown commonly held myths about why and women are supposed act and what they are entitled to . Austin gives a great explanation into what women must do in order to make headway in a male dominated society.

From the beginning with Channeling Motivation, Austin has you learning how to turn an idea in real action. The learning to take risks chapter dispels the old myth that girls can't play as rough as men, Austin powerful explanation will unlock the inner power and allow you become more confident and change t your outlook in life.

Other chapter include Moving away from Problem Fixing, which has always been the "Women's Role" in learning about the problem finding, which Austin believes is one of the most important steps in becoming successful. Austin also gives you several ways to handling annoying and difficult people in the business world.

Now I am certainly no expert in women's issues, but after reading this book I found myself looking and thinking differently about women in the workplace and how over the past 80 years changes have been made and also how difficult it was to make those changes. Linda Austin has a written a most impressive book that not only women but men as well might want to take a look at.

According to Austin, "Making correct choices will enable women to overcome the obstacles to professional and personal success which they now face." These choices are heavily influenced by "a powerful motivation driven by a sense of meaning" and involve "the capacity for risk-taking; the ability to focus intelligence; the ability to find and define great problems to work on; a willingness to compete in hierarchies as well as individually; the ability to tolerate and learn from failure; significant skill with difficult people; and the development of autonomy and power." Frankly, I continue to wonder why so many (most?) women still have to put up with all the illegal or at least unethical obstacles. Of course, they do. For Austin, there is one force which united all eight issues for variopus women cited, and powerfully shaped their careers: "That force was the feminine drive to affiliate with others, a drive scholars have described as the most gender-specific aspect of women's psychology." When addressing the eight critical choices for women's success, Austin organizes a wealth of information and insight within eight highly informative chapters.

Austin concludes her final chapter with this observation: "Our commonality of values and ambitions may well make it easier to build lives of accomplishment as well as loving relationships, with deeper appreciation of our shared humanity." I agree. One final point: Although Austin's perspectives are gender-specific, just about all of her advice would be of substantial value to males as well as to females. I am convinced that most human limitations are self-imposed. We hold ourselves back, perhaps convinced by others that we must do so. But obviously there are other limits such as those which result from gender discrimination. They are an obscene violation of our "shared humanity" and must be eliminated immediately.

A frustrated young friend asked me the other day how I've accomplished all the changes I've made in the last 3 years, so I got out my copy of this book for her. I'm looking it up online for her because when I found it this weekend I realized it's time to read it again myself.

Three friends and I did a book group together including exercises from the book in early 2002. Since then we all have new jobs; one completed a masters in communications, another a masters in fine arts, I just finished law school, and the 4th got her teachers certification and is already an administrator. We've all made major changes based on working together through this book.

When I got out the book I found the strategic plan I developed as part of the discussion group, and I'm stunned to see I've hit 6 out of 9 goals since then - and I still have 2 years to go in the 5 year plan.

Of course everyone's results will differ, but I recommend getting some friends with your same or similar frustrations and working through this book. Friendly encouragement and accountability make all the difference of course - but as motivated as we were, we still needed something to work from. This book made the difference for us. While not all of us agreed with all the theories or ideas, even delving into those disagreements enriched our understanding of our individual challenges. It was a great piece to work from.

This is one of best researched and reported books on women'sissues I have read in the past year. Dr. Austin knows how to cutthrough the platitudes and stereotypes, revealing what's really going on in top corporations and mom and pop shops alike. This book spoke to me. END