Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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70 of 96 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You go girl!, February 26, 2008
The last century been "the bloodiest in human history; a tale of war, terrorism, religious extremism, abject poverty and disease." Of course this isn't all men's fault, but the world is certainly run by them. What would happen if women were in charge? That's the intriguing premise behind this book. I found it hard to put down, and the message is inspiring.
The book is divided into three sections: Why Women Don't Rule the World, Why Women Should Rule the World and How Women Can Rule the World.
Myers uncaps her pen by discussing her experience as press secretary to President Clinton. She was the first woman chosen for the job, and the president and senior staff made the job less important than it had been. Myers didn't get a raise that was owed to her; the money went to a man because "he has a family." Over and over Myers tells stories about women that have more responsibility than authority, and that are judged by appearance first and accomplishments later. Frustration spills from the pages.
Why should women rule the world? In a word, empathy. Myers points out that women have experience in having children, which is a primary way to think of someone else before yourself. This skill alone, she argues, would be invaluable in world leaders. Another skill women bring to the table is practicality. Myers received a hand towel from a friend that read: "If the three wise men had been women, they would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts, and there would be Peace on Earth."
The last part of the book discusses how women can -- perish the thought! -- actually take control. Myers argues that women can break down the barriers they have faced throughout history by helping each other out, and by teaching their children to recognize differences while embracing equalities.
As Myers makes clear, this book isn't an attack on men, or an attempt to demean or marginalize them. It's a look at how the world would be different if girls were as valued as boys.
It is a compelling read.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
rough beginning but gets better, June 8, 2008
I enjoyed this book. The beginning starts out a bit angry but she quickly moves into a compelling, interesting, and balanced book about the role of women in helping to change the world. Myers does not disparage men in this book, but rather offers a balanced look at the contributions women have made.
Myers offers a number of eye opening examples of womens positive influence in business, politics, education etc. She speaks to the importance of educating women around the globe. One paragraph reads, "When Larry Summers was chief economist at World Bank, he argued that educating girls probably produced better returns than any other investment in the developed world....If fact, when women's incomes go up, child survival rates improve by an astonishing twenty times more than if a mans income increases by a similar amount....And children's weight measures improve eightfold."
Myers addresses the role of women in the corporate arena. She writes "Women make the vast majority of consumer decisions in this country - by many accounts, more than 80 percent. But we still don't have enough influence at the top of corporations that make and sell those goods and services. True, women now fill about half of all managerial positions, but among Fortune 500 companies, women account for only 16% of corporate officers, 5% of top earners - and an anemic 2% of CEOs".
Myers uses Revlon as an example to illustrate her point. The company is known for making womens products and yet "all of the company's senior managers and all but 3 members of its board were men".
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mistitled, but Very Nice Overview, May 26, 2008
The book's title is a bit misleading--Myers is not advocating that women rule instead of men. Myers advocates that women and men should share rule of the world. Her book is half a memoir of the challenges she faced as Clinton's press secretary, and half a survey of the literature showing that we should expect women in leadership positions to have different priorities, different ways of looking at the world, and different ways of leading than men. Her voice is fresh and articulate, and I recommend this book.
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