How to Succeed in Business without a Penis: Secrets and Strategies for the Working Woman (Paperback)

by Karen Salmansohn (Author) "Recently my buddy David got mugged at a bank machine by a beautiful, leggy woman..." (more)
Key Phrases: word penis, improved clarity, good packaging, Sun Tzu, Career Waldo, Andy Garcia (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The provocative title is just the beginning. Wait till you see what's inside... Written by former advertising executive and self-confessed workaholic Karen Salmansohn, this is not your mother's advice book. Nope, no warm and maternal platitudes here. Salmansohn has written a devilishly funny and utterly bawdy book that also happens to be intelligent and insightful. Salmansohn takes gender roles, chews them up, spits them out and tells working women how to get out there in the world and get what they deserve. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Salmansohn (How to Make Your Man Behave in 21 Days or Less, Using the Secrets of Professional Dog Trainers) aims to blend the "informational" aspect of men's business books with the "affirmational" component of those oriented to women. A former advertising exec, Salmansohn knows that packaging can always spiff up a product; even if she can't divine new paradigms, she can use creative typography, clever (and sometimes cloying) phrasing and lists, lists, lists, like any good woman's mag. If you can get past her name for an exercise break ("The Staremaster"), you'll find her advice is pretty sound. She recognizes that supposed male advantages like single-mindedness can also boomerang into oversuspiciousness, thus allowing women to succeed in the long run. And she acknowledges that alleged female advantages like sensitivity have their down sides. Salmansohn skates on some thin ice when she discusses workplace sexuality; she encourages readers to get in touch with their sexuality and recommends flirting as a path to success?though she does give advice on defusing sexual harassment.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (September 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609801414
• ISBN-13: 978-0609801413
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,149,397 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny!, July 6, 2000

By A Customer

Funny and the merit of truth. Great book for women looking for confidence in business endeavors.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Great advice".....says a guy, September 8, 2000

By	"dating911_dating_diva" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Succeed in Business Without A Penis (Hardcover)

While I have little experience in the realm of women's
career/self-help/humor, I thought this book was fantastic. It's seems
to cover in a comprehensive fashion every women-in-the-workplace
dilemma I have ever heard about. In a strange way, it starts with the
most existential question first: "What do I really really want in a
career." It then works back from there to the gimmes like "is it
OK for me to flirt in the workplace?" (unequivocally yes, if only
to even things out a little bit). The book is brutally honest about
practical tactics for dealing with office issues.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humor and Help, January 21, 2003

By A Customer

Interesting book -- contains both humor and help. What convinced me to buy and read it ? Why, the negative comments from Patriarchs !! Sexism is alive (sometimes seems to thrive) in the USA today. If some men are threatened by this book, maybe that it is a good sign. Salmansohn is a fun and interesting author, as seen again and again in her books. I also like her newest, 'How To Change Your Entire Life By Doing Absolutely Nothing' -- which is another good blend of humor and help.