book review // Lean In

book review // Lean In

• 4.30.2013

I love Sheryl Sandberg. I think she's brilliant and an inspiration. In fact, one time, I got the bright idea to just email her and ask for a job. It must have gone to her spam by accident. Bummer. But in all honesty, I'd love to work for her. So it's so surprise that when I heard about her new book, I immediately pre-ordered it on Amazon. 

I'm in a transitional period in my career right now. I still feel very "entry-level" and I'm not sure where I'm headed. I know what I'm passionate about and what I would want to do in a perfect world but I'm still trying to find the job that fits the bill. I've applied for a lot of different things at this point. In a way, this move is my chance to somewhat start over with my career. 

Lean In was the perfect read for this transition. Let me start off by pointing out that I was hired for my previous two jobs partly because I was a women...because that's what they were looking for. So that is both frustrating and encouraging. But anyway... 

Sheryl's book isn't too preachy and it isn't a "self-help" story. Yes, some of her stories are outrageous and will never happen to me - she was in the right place at the right time and knew the right people. But nonetheless, it's encouraging to hear someone of her stature fail, and then try again.

I enjoyed her writing style and all her personal anecdotes. She tells stories of defeat, failure, triumph and struggle. She's not super woman (though we all think she is) but I would call her lucky. 

No matter where you are in your career, this is a great read. It's not about feminism. It's not about tearing down "the man". It's not about asking for a raise or "sitting at the table". It's just a story about a woman advocating for other women in all areas of life. Read it.