Women Confidential: Midlife Women Explode the Myths of Having It All [Paperback]

Ph.D. Barbara Moses Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2006

I'm feverish with all the possibilities, says one woman of her life now. This is the time when we start to think about what kind of legacy we want to leave behind. But there is also our inner bitch that yearns to be heard, silenced for many until midlife. As a forty-eight-year-old woman said, or rather, ranted, "Is it too much to ask for it to be my time now? For my husband to think about what needs to be done without my telling him? For my son to not act like I'm a piece of crap? For my boss to recognize I'm not his personal productivity machine? For my friends to stop being so needy?" For boomer women, the second half of life presents unique challenges and opportunities. This is the time for asking, "What do I really want?" While there's no one answer for everyone, the stories and voices in It's Not Just Me will show readers how others have coped with their own twists and turns. Rueful, funny and wise, women at mid-life have learned lots of life's lessons and are more than happy to dish it all out for us.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Having it all" was the battle cry of '70s feminists euphoric at the realization they could shape their own lives. But many are now facing the second half of their lives having found that work in the "testosterone-fuelled corporate culture" isn't all it was cracked up to be. And these days work is less a choice and more a necessity. Is this what women bargained for? And if it isn't, what to do about it? In looking at these questions, Globe and Mail columnist Moses tills no new ground on the issue of women's dissatisfaction at work and balancing it with all the personal roles. Nor does she offer solutions except for such overworked directives as "know and act on what is really important to you" and "cherish and grow your friendships." What Moses (Career Intelligence) does is give voice to some of the many women she's talked to over the years in her work as a writer and career coach and who have answered her online questionnaire-women who find themselves at midlife shaking their heads, muttering, "Wait a minute, is this really what I signed up for?" This may in and of itself be useful to some readers. As women in "consciousness raising groups" in the '60s found out, there is power in identification; just be careful what you ask for.
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About the Author

Barbara Moses, PhD, is a sought-after media commentator on career management. Dr. Moses appears frequently on network and local TV and radio, and is the author of What Next?: The Complete Guide to Taking Control of Your Working Life; The Good News About Careers; and Career Intelligence. She is a columnist for the Globe and Mail and the Wall Street Journal's CareerJournal.com and is a featured expert on various websites. Dr. Moses lives in Toronto. She can be found online at www.bbmcareerdev.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1 edition (August 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569242704
• ISBN-13: 978-1569242704
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,402,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic, thoughtful discussion of midlife issues-especially work-for women, March 29, 2007

By 

Nan (Mesa, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women Confidential: Midlife Women Explode the Myths of Having It All (Paperback)

Of all the books I've read on midlife issues for women, this is the best. Barbara Moses is a career counselor and if you are dealing with midlife career issues, this book is the most helpful and realistic that you will find. If you are thinking of starting a business, you must read chapter six-Women in Motion-Midlife renewal-of this book before you get very far in your planning.

Women Confidential addresses concerns that touch all midlife women-work, legacy, motherhood, childlessness, relationships and making the most of the second half of life. I strongly recommend this book-it is an undiscovered diamond. I've read other books on this subject-some on Amazon's current best seller list-but many are about women who are celebrities and for whom money does not seem to be an issue. This book is for the rest of us.