Amazon.com Review
Effective communication is a crucial life skill, and John Gray's Mars and Venus series has helped millions peacefully sort out emotional issues in their personal relationships. Now he turns his attention to the professional side of life with
Mars and Venus in the Workplace. The concepts remain the same, but are in an entirely new setting; as he says in the introduction, "although gender differences are often not as obvious in the workplace, they are there and are often misunderstood."
Gray proceeds to cover a variety of situations typical on the job, from solving revenue problems to negotiating a raise. With his important points printed in bold type, and plenty of prioritizing lists and straightforward examples, this is an easy read that allows you to focus on finding the solutions you seek, rather than wading through research terminology.
If you are new to Gray's work, the continual gender-based assumptions may feel outdated, but know the author understands that no one is all male or all female and that we all have areas of sensitivity. The recurring gender pronouns are a simple way of teaching us what years of private practice have shown him: humans of both gender can benefit greatly by listening effectively, being verbally straightforward, and analyzing the reactions of others. --Jill Lightner
From Publishers Weekly
Gray made a splash with his bestselling Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, attributing stereotypical traits to each gender and advising the other how best to respond to or work around these characteristics. Building on that theory, Gray claims that "men and women think, feel, and communicate differently in the workplace," and applies his hypothesis to the business environment. As in his previous books, Gray's writing style is repetitive, bolstering a few simple ideas with plenty of generalizing and gender cliches. While alleging that the traits he assigns to men and women are innate rather than learned or cultural describing them as driven by "instinct," "basic nature" and "a function of one's level of testosterone" he offers no proof of this theory, simply assuming that his audience trusts his presumptions. Many of Gray's sweeping statements don't ring true, e.g., his assertions that men don't mind being interrupted while women do, or that women care about relationships, not competence, where they work. Gray does offer some generic, useful advice, such as keeping personal emotions out of the workplace while making sure that one's personal life provides stress relief and opportunities for self-expression. In identifying common personality types and traits, though, Gray might have simply said that some people are Venusians while others are Martians, instead of using tiresome gender stereotypes. While he's unlikely to win new converts with this rehash of his now familiar material, Gray's faithful fans will not be disappointed. Agent, Linda Michaels.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
