Warrior Lessons: An Asian American Woman's Journey Into Power [Hardcover]

Phoebe Eng (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

Interweaving narrative, interview, analysis, and confession into a seamless whole, "Warrior Lessons" becomes both guide and mentor, addressing the range of issues Asian American women face in the world of work and in their personal lives: dealing with family expectations: how to find power; what it means to be seductive in the face of the "geisha girl" stereotype; and more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this unique Asian-American women's guide to gaining self-knowledge and power, Eng probes issues ranging from negative and positive stereotypes to assimilation and rebellion, invisibility and cultural confusion, interracial relationships, family expectations and rage. Drawing on the experiences of other Asian-American women as well as on stories of her Cantonese and Taiwanese parents, life as a "Model Minority Girl," young "chuppie" (Chinese-American yuppie) lawyer and then publisher of A. Magazine for Asian-Americans, Eng traces her inner growth and developing identity in 12 "lessons." Tales of being mistaken for a prostitute in Bangkok, standing up to a boss's aggressive temper and displeasing her family with her career and personal choices demonstrate aspects of the "constructive conflict" Eng found necessary in the process of assuming her personal, professional and political power. She values her hard-won ability to communicate effectively in various worlds (business, academic, cultural) without losing her sense of self, and she encourages heeding the hero's "call to adventure" through risk taking, connecting and mentoring. In a natural, intelligent voice, Eng provides excellent advice while serving as a superb role model for younger Asian-American women striving to come into their own. Author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

In this hybrid of inspirational creed, personal memoir, anecdotal reportage, and political pamphlet, Eng exhorts Asian-American women to face their issuesand conquer them. The author, one of the founders of A. Magazine, published for and about Asian-Americans, draws part of her inspiration here from Maxine Hong Kingstons modern classic, The Woman Warrior. While Kingston serves as the starting point for Eng in her exploration of what it means to be an Asian-American woman, she also acknowledges the influence of other prominent feminist thinkers of the late 20th century and sprinkles her book liberally with remarks from those women, as well as with others from a disparate band of philosophers, psychologists, and self-help gurus. Early on, Eng quotes from Gloria Steinem's Revolution From Within: ``Most writers write to say something about other people and it never lasts. Good writers write to find out about themselvesand it lasts forever.'' Eng interprets this statement as a license to bring her own experiences into a book that is essentially about other people. But regardless, Steinem's quote seems a grievous one to guide any writer. Eng, while divulging the details of her personal life, is very fond of reminding us that she threw off the shackles of corporate lawyerdom to become a publisher of an idealistic magazine. Yet, when stripped of its pretensions, hers is essentially a self-help titleher reportage is unsystematic, her evidence sketchy, as she advises Asian women on how to deal with issues such as physical self-image (she notes a growing trend toward plastic surgery among Asian women) to her debunking of what she calls power myths, such as the belief that power can come from pretending to be like everyone else. Asian women who want to understand themselves in relation to language, history, and the rest of humanity would do better to reread The Woman Warrior. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Atria; First Printing edition (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671009575
• ISBN-13: 978-0671009571
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,304,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for all, Asian and non--Asian, June 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Warrior Lessons: An Asian American Woman's Journey into Power (Paperback)

I am a second-generation Chinese American female and this book spoke to both my heart and spirit; it's absolutely wonderful and I highly reccomend it to Asians and non-Asians. For Asians, it validates the myriad of feelings and mixed emotions we have had but had not given voice to publicly. For non-Asians, it can foster a greater understanding of an ethnic group other than their own. In response to the review by Susan Akins: Firstly, she IS NOT Asian and has never truly experienced what we have in a western society. So for her to say that this book would be insulting to Asian-American Women is unfounded- how can she speak for me when she hasn't walked a mile in my shoes? Secondly, she criticized Ms. Eng for speaking about her "victimization" and accuses her of not working as hard as the other Asians she knows. I have always disliked it when people would blame their "misfortune" on the unfair treatment they received because of their ethnicity - you don't make excuses; you do, however "make your own luck". Victims do not stand up for themselves and do not continue to be used and abused; victims do not strive to glean life lessons from their experiences to grow spiritually and emotionally. Ms Eng did both and found the inner strength AND her voice to overcome that experience and then shared that experience with other women, Asian or not, so that we are encouraged to find our own voices and to not accept poor treatment. The fact that many Asians have not spoken of this kind of treatment does not mean that it hasn't and doesn't still occur. Much of this probably has to do with our family upbringing-of being uncomplaining, not creating waves and being stoic.PLEASE DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK- it is uplifting, thought-provoking, healing and can ultimately be life-changing.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was so amazing, I read the book twice!, May 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Warrior Lessons: An Asian American Woman's Journey Into Power (Hardcover)

I had to pace myself while reading this book, because I didn't want it to end. This book was like my own private work-out session that helped me see my life choices in a whole new way. I'm a Filipino American woman, raised in a very Catholic family, and faced with a lot of the same dilemmas that Eng faced - how to follow my own path while still trying to be the daughter my family expects me to be. I loved what she wrote about how to view interracial relationships, too. Eng was really brave to tell her stories, and for that I really admire her. She shows us that as Asian American women we have to keep each other strong, not to cut each other down at every chance we get. I'm glad she said this, because I've seen a lot of criticism and negativity happen between Asian women, and I'm glad Eng calls it for what it is.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It helped me tremendously with workplace & family, May 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Warrior Lessons: An Asian American Woman's Journey Into Power (Hardcover)

I loved the part where Eng tells a story about life in the law firm - it was so well told that I knew exactly what she was feeling since I've been there too. She also described what goes on in Asian families with incredible honesty. She wrote things down that I could never admit to myself but always felt. The more I read the book, the more I understood that this isn't only for Asian women. It's for everyone.