Every major publication from the New York Times Book Review (front page review) to Time Magazine (cover) to an interview with Nora O’Donnell on 60 Minutes to a column by Maureen Dowd (pom poms!) to significant discussion time on Meet the Press and This Week With George Stephanopoulos recommend Sheryl Sandberg’s “feminist reboot” book, Lean In. Sheryl Sandberg went to Harvard, worked for the World Bank, worked at GOOGLE, and is now second-in-command at FACEBOOK. She’s a billionaire. Sandberg’s critics (and there are plenty of them) maintain Sandberg’s advice is best aimed at similarly privileged women. Further, critics say Sandberg’s “advice” would be useless for a single-mother trying to hold down a minimum wage job. Basically, Sandberg says in Lean In that women need to be more assertive and go for more leadership positions. She thinks society in general and women in particular censor women’s ambitions. I suspect the election of a woman President might change much of that. GRADE: B+
As for that last sentence, God forbid.
Bob, I think a woman President is inevitable.
Her book (which I haven’t read and am not sure I have much interest in reading) seems to be aimed at the minuscule percentage of women with ivy-league credentials who might, just might, have the chance to become CEOs of major corporations, and yet the media is treating the book as if it has implications for the average working woman trying to raise kids and make ends meet. This book has as little value for someone like me than a book explaining how to be a Victoria’s Secret model would have–in other words, it’s utterly irrelevant to 99.9999% of women, but the media acts as if it contains a gold mine of precious information.
Deb, Sheryl Sandberg is a Super Star so the media fawns over her book and her pronouncements. Like you, I suspect Sandberg’s advice is only applicable to women at elite colleges who want to run tech companies.
You are on top of everything, George. And I hope I live to see a female President. How could she possibly do worse than most of the men have done.
It would be hard to ignore Sheryl Sandberg and LEAN IN, Patti. The book is being reviewed everywhere and Sandberg’s interviews are prominent on all the major networks. E. J. Dionne, who used to cover the Vatican, suggested (tongue in cheek) that the Cardinals should pick a nun to be Pope and run the Catholic Church with all its problems.
We saw the piece on 60 minutes. Though she says her book applies to all women, and that women need to be assertive and learn to negotiate for that raise or promotion, I don’t think most people, let alone most women, are really in a position to negotiate those things. Work towards them yes, bargain for them, no. That’s an upper level, middle management and up idea, or mostly so, especially in these times.
Exactly, Rick! LEAN IN only applies to women who are in position to bargain. Too many women are in work situations where they’re just hanging on.
A woman is fine, but not THAT woman.
THAT WOMAN is a prime candidate, Bob. We’ll also have a Latino President fairly soon, too. We already have a Latino Pope.
I don’t think that electing a woman president is important. Instead we need a president who will stand up for the people, not corporate interests. So many politicians, regardless of gender or race, are bought off in the form of campaign donations and the promise of a “revolving door” job after they leave office. I would be more than happy to see a President Elisabeth Warren, President Jill Stein, or President Cynthia McKinney; however, I would much rather see a President Dennis Kucinich or a President Bernie Sanders than a President Hillary Clinton or a President Condoleezza Rice.
Ah, Lauren, you view Life through the prism of Youth. Politics is the Art of the Possible. In order to become President of the United States, candidates need to build coalitions and raise money…tons of money! Ideology takes a back seat.
Jackie agrees with everything Deb said.