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Showing 1-10 of 3,367 reviews(Verified Purchases). See all 4,115 reviews
on September 12, 2016
This book CHANGED MY LIFE. I had been working in the same position at the same company for the last 12 years wondering why I wasn't being promoted or approached by competitors. Along with gaining experience over the years and building my own self confidence, I needed this book to push me to take the next steps. I know this sounds silly and self absorbed, but when I was reading it, it was like Sandberg was talking directly to me. She gave me insight into some of the things that were happening around me, and some tips on what I could do to change the course of my career.

Within a week of finishing it, I stood up to a male coworker who was minimizing and deflating everything I said in a meeting in front of my manager and colleagues. Pre book I probably would have just let it go and been deferential even though I knew I was right. I didn't back down on my position, but I remained calm and logical, and was still friendly. He on the other hand became angry and raised his voice. I asked him why he was becoming so emotional about he topic, and that question disarmed him completely. He said "you're right, I'm sorry." Later he came to my office and apologized again. I know he didn't like it, and I don't think his apology was sincere, but I know I at least gleaned some respect from him and my colleagues.

I later noticed in another meeting in which a female coworker and I were presenting, several male audience members kept interrupting us despite the fact that we were supposed to be teaching them the material. I finally stepped in and said "gentlemen, thanks for your insights but we're going to hold questions and comments until the end." They shut up.

I have finally recently been selected to attend a conference across the country with a select few other employees. I attribute this selection to my newfound confidence in my abilities and contributions to the organization, and I attribute that confidence to this book!

I think every working woman should read this (especially working mothers), and possibly more importantly, every manager, male or female, should read this book.
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on January 9, 2015
There was some decent content in this book, but I think the rave reviews are a reaction to the author more than to the book itself. The book is only okay. While certainly readable, I didn't find the sense of organization that impressive, nor did I perceive a clear, specific plan of action for the reader to take away. One has to cull various ideas from throughout. That's not the end of the world, but it detracts from the reader's ability to take immediate, meaningful career action after reading.

Annoyingly, some places feel more like convenient opportunities for Sandberg to show off her close relationships with big names - more a "look how cool I am" display of unnecessary details than truly relevant information the reader can use. If I wanted to hear about Sergey Brin doing yoga in his office I'd read articles about Brin, but I frankly don't care, and I am certainly not interested in getting this kind of extraneous detail from a book about WOMEN in the workplace.

I also think Sandberg flat-out missed the mark in some places. She describes a mentor in a way that really is more accurately reflective of what a sponsor is, and appears to have had a snide reaction to a woman leaving the company after feeling she didn't have a mentor. I could almost see Sandberg rolling her eyes and looking down on this woman for her description of what she thought was missing in the support she needed. While what the woman described might not be exactly what a mentor is either, she did describe an adviser role that is just as important a support for women, particularly early in their careers. Sandberg's assessment that this woman was really looking for a therapist therefor comes across as mean-girlish and professionally immature.

In summary, it doesn't hurt to read this book if it's one of many career books you pick up, but it's not even on the list of books I recommend to mentees, peers, or friends. If you're not a big reader and are likely to get through only a small number of professional books, don't make this one of them at the expense of better ones. I highly recommend She Wins, You Win: The Most Important Strategies for Making Women More Powerful.Expect to Win: 10 Proven Strategies for Thriving in the Workplace is also good. If you're only going to read one book, you'd be far better off with either of those than with Lean In.
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on July 8, 2014
My hero is Susan B. Anthony, who tirelessly spent her life advocating for women's rights. While she saw many changes during her lifetime, she did not live to see her most cherished goal: voting rights for women. Women have had the vote for less than 100 years, and despite advances, we still are not anywhere near the equality that women like Miss Anthony, Mrs. Cady Stanton and countless others worked tirelessly for. In fact, as this book points out, the drive toward equal opportunity for women has stalled out. I think this book should be required reading for men and women as early as high school. I am encouraged by its' popularity and by the discussions it has started. Women need to be vigilant and yes, help each other. History shows that power is not given away by those who have it to others who deserve it. You have to "lean in" and take it. Thank you Sheryl Sandberg for your insights and experience. Now is the time for women to finish the work of equality of the sexes that was started in Seneca Falls, NY over 150 years ago.
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on June 22, 2014
The gap between the potential of women coming from college and the paucity of women in leadership roles is what concerns Sheryl Sandberg as well. By this point, she has spread her message of leaning in through many forums. Sandberg has a successful TED talk that has been watched almost4.5 million times; she has a national number one bestseller with the book "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead"; she has extended the franchise with a social network where women can form "Lean In Circles" where women can encourage each other; finally, she has put out a new expanded edition of her book branded for college graduates.

Lean In has a basic message for women - lean in! But what is leaning in? In broad strokes it is accepting that the structural limitations for success of women exist and empowering women who by giving them a blueprint for growth both inside and outside of the workplace. It is about setting boundaries and working towards a more equitable world.

There are twelve chapters, and they all speak an empowering truth that does not come across too much like a self-help book. In the introduction, Sandberg posits that we can have a more equal world, "one where women ran half of countries and companies and men ran half our homes" (Lean In 7). Chapter two speaks to the gap between college success and the amount of leaders in commerce and industry, which Sandberg inverts, saying that though there are the structural issues holding women back, there are in fact issues internal to women, in that there is a "Leadership Ambition Gap" (ibid 12). Though not included here in the book, this for me is well illustrated with one fact: "A recent McKinsey & Company study reported that internal research at Hewlett Packard found that women only applied to open positions if they felt they met 100 percent of the criteria, compared to only 60 percent for men." (Kenal) Men are not afraid to ask for a job even if they're not qualified because they think they can do the job or learn on the job. Women, conversely, opt out, since as Sandberg notes, "Most leadership positions are held by men, so women don't expect to achieve them and that becomes one of the reasons they don't." (22).

After Sandberg describes what she sees as the problem, she has some concrete advice that can be applied more generally. Chapter two, titled "Sit at the Table," encourages women to do just that. Generally, women might exclude themselves from conversation by sitting back even when they are invited to literally sit at the table (27). Charisma has an important role in leadership, and getting people to like you can be a difficult battle for anyone in the workplace. Chapter three focuses on the paradoxical nature of success for women. Studies have shown that successful men are often well liked. The converse is true for women. The more successful a woman is, people of both genders will like her less (40). This is, Sandberg posits, because there are so few women in powerful roles and their otherness makes them a source for scorn. She is hopeful though, for a time when more women have leaned in so that "If women held 50 of top jobs, it would not be possible to dislike that many people" (50). Chapter four emphasizes that there are many ways to the top by bringing a metaphor about a jungle gym to replace the common perception of a ladder. Chapter five focuses on mentorship, the importance of finding on the way up, and of being one once you are at the top. She notes the potential weakness of this because there are so many more men than women at the top, so mentorship as existing reinforces the old-boys network (71). Chapter six, "See and speak your truth exhorts women to not hold back in communication, but to be smart about it, so that "Communication works best when we combine appropriateness with authenticity, finding that sweet spot where opinions are not brutally honest but delicately honest" (78). So once you have joined your place at the table, you need to speak up.

Chapter seven, for me, is the heart of the book, mainly because I can relate to the situation. In "Don't Leave Before You Leave," Sandberg's message is simple - go full bore until you can no longer go. Take the opportunities that are presented to you and don't turn them away because of choices you might make in the future. Sandberg illustrates this well with a story of a women worried about work-life balance in the future with a child. The kicker being that the women was not even seeing anyone at the time (92). By disqualifying yourself because of these future decisions, you put yourself on the track to not have other opportunities in the future, ironically limiting your future options. Chapter eight focus on the home, making sure that your partner is a full participant at home. This has added benefits, as research shows that equality between partners leads to happier relationships (118). This is improving, since partnership is a micro-level issue that happens "one family at a time" and men of younger generations are more willing to be equitable partners (120). Chapter nine tries to break down the "Myth of Doing It All," where Sandberg recognizes that there are limits to how much one can do in the day when it comes to family, work, and personal time. She knows that you can't do everything and we should be able to accepts that "Done is better than perfect" (129) in terms of the accomplishing goals (a mantra I myself want to adopt). She tells a story of forgetting her son's green t-shirt on Saint Patrick's day to show that she herself can be fallible. The chapter closes with her definition of success: "Making the best choices we can...and accepting them" (139). The last two chapters are about naming the problem, starting a dialogue based on the recommendations in the book, and moving forward to creating a world where those fifty percent of companies and households are led by women in a more equal society. Importantly, Sandberg recognizes some of the limitations of leaning in, noting "I am fully aware that most women are not focused on changing social norms for the next generation but simply trying to get through each day" (169). Ultimately, the book is structured in a way that describes the problem, outlines solutions, and provides a way forward for people to make these changes. Thankfully, these are not those broad policy prescriptions that have no hope of being enacted, but instead they are actions most women can make so that they are not left behind.
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on August 29, 2013
Author of the book Lean In is Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook and a former vice president at Google. In August, 2011, she was ranked by Forbes as the fifth most powerful woman in the world. Yet, this happily married, mother of two says “I still face situations that I fear are beyond my capabilities, but I know how to take a deep breath and keep my hand up. I have learned to sit at the table.”

That’s what she advises women to do in this book which she calls a “sort of feminist manifesto.” She makes a case for leaning in, for being ambitious in any pursuit. “Don’t stand back,” she admonishes, “lean in, go for it, keep your hand up, sit at the table. Take risks, choose growth, challenge yourself, and ask for a promotion (with a smile on your face, of course). Don’t wait for power to be offered , take it!”

First and foremost, according to Sandberg, “women are hindered by the barriers that exist within themselves.” We women, she says, have been influenced by gender stereotypes, introduced in childhood and reinforced throughout our lives. Therefore, we internalize negative messages such as it’s wrong for women to be outspoken and aggressive. Being firm and strong violates unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Instead be “pretty like Mommy and smart like Daddy.”

THE MYTH OF DOING IT ALL

Sandberg knows that women can’t do it all, although she has tried. At Google, she would lock her door and use a breast pump during conference calls.
She quotes Gloria Steinem who said it best: “You can’t do it all. No one can have two full time jobs , have perfect children, cook three meals a day, and be multi-orgasmic ‘til dawn.”

CHOOSING A HUSBAND

Sandberg says that husband “Dave and I have had our share of the bumps on our path to achieving a roughly fifty-fifty split, but I do have a husband who is a real partner.” She advises that “if you want a fifty-fifty partnership, establish that pattern at the onset.” That partnership will model behavior for the next generation.

Those men do exist. My Bob (Stapleton) took personal pride in my accomplishments, encouraged me 100 percent, and sometimes put on a pot of beans when we needed something to eat. It all started after I had spent all night stuffing envelopes on a mailing for a woman candidate. Next morning, at the breakfast table, Bob said “Sweet baby, if you’re going to spend your life in other people’s campaigns, you might as well run yourself.” With his support, I did run, and won a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, where I stayed for ten years.

My Bob has been gone two years, and life is tough without him.

In conclusion, I leave you with this thought which, in my mind, summarizes the content of Sheryl Sandberg’s book: A man of quality is not threatened by a woman of equality.
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on October 12, 2016
Book was missing chapter 8, completely missing. I had to photocopy it from a friend.
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on April 26, 2017
This book starts out amazing. Telling people (not necessarily just women) how to be more visible in your career, and how to climb to the top. Somewhere around the two-thirds mark, the book gets very personal. I don't care about Sheryl Sandberg's home life, so this part of the book did very little for me. But the first part of the book is so strong, that I still rate it at 4 stars.
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on October 23, 2014
this book is easy to read and I was eager to see if I could learn something useful to apply to the generally toxic, chauvinist and dysfunctional corporate environment. She indicates a lot of truth about how women are treated or the difficulties women face in corporate America. BUT her perspective is from the point of view of a woman that had a good start, good networking, good family coaching, good family examples, etc. and the problem resided within her. She fails, in my opinion, to view the global problem for women in the working place and more importantly to offer suggestions on how to tackle these problems and career obstacles. She failed to see the problems that women secure of themselves and with strong personality face. Or the steep, difficult, full of obstacles path that women with not initial networking in place have to face. Men do to, but for women due to a male dominated working place, it is harder. Thus, in a nutshell, her recommendations apply to just a segment of the female population, which seems to be women with good start and lack real confidence.
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on September 1, 2015
I absolutely could not get through this book. If you want to fall asleep, read this one. After polling some coworkers, it was split on those who thought it was awful and those that believe it provoked thought regarding their career path.
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on June 14, 2013
I'll be honest -- I read this book thinking I would hate it. As mother of two young children, trying to finish my PhD, teaching classes, writing papers for publication, doing professional development for teachers, applying for jobs, cleaning my house, doing the laundry etc. I initially found the idea of "leaning in" offensive. I mean, I'm trying. I'm really, really trying to do good things, to lead, and to be a good parent and I didn't much relish the idea of Sandberg telling me that I needed to just "lean in" to my work, to "step up" or to "sit at the table". I had read reviews that suggested Sandberg's focus was solely on changes that women, as individuals, could make to alter their trajectories in career and at home. That, to me, also just seemed offensive. The United States is woefully behind other developed nations in recognizing the importance of paid parental leave for family health. The US provides no paid parental leave as a matter of policy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_leave I'll be frank. I think it's inhumane that government provides no paid support to parents at a time when they are especially vulnerable psychologically, emotionally and financially. I was afraid Sandberg had utterly dismissed the policy issues that have, to my mind, forced women -- even extremely ambitious and well-educated women -- to make difficult choices. To my surprise, although Sandberg spends most of the book encouraging women to be critical of the ways they've been socialized, she does make a very direct call to companies and governments to change policies in ways that would enable women to achieve true equality. When I read her stance here, I felt that I could listen to the rest. And, you know, she's done good work. I really liked this book. I think Sandberg's is an important voice for women to hear. I also really hope that Sandberg uses her social capital to advocate for much-needed policy shifts nationally so that women have the space to make real choices and don't feel forced into decisions about work and family one way or another.
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