I am reviewing books through the Blogging for Books program in an effort to support my community’s Little Free Library, thus the addition of book reviews outside of the usual sexual health topics to Your Sexy Librarian postings. After being reviewed, the book gets stamped “Always a Gift, Never for Sale” and placed into a Little Free Library for others to enjoy.
My latest book selection is Own It by Sallie Krawcheck, which was released on January 17. Krawcheck is the CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, a digital financial advisor for women that launched in May 2016, chair of Ellevate Network, a global professional women’s networking group founded in 1997, and chair Of Pax Ellevate Management, which launched the Pax Ellevate Global Women’s Index Fund in 2014.
Krawcheck has worked for big Wall Street companies, sometimes being the only female in the room, in the past and has used her experiences as the basis for Own It. She truly does want to change the way women are viewed in the corporate business model of today and to change how women see themselves as compared to men. Krawcheck states in Own It that her approach is different because she wants women to stop trying to be like men and to just be women.
Krawcheck’s writing style is upbeat and at times humorous. Her honesty about how she was treated at those big Wall Street firms shines through in her writing. I appreciated her candor. There were many times in the book though where I felt Krawcheck’s audience are women like her, those who are attempting to climb the corporate success ladder and women in the “40 Under 40” lists and not everyday women working low wage jobs. I was disappointed by this as I had had high hopes Own It would be geared towards the success of every woman, no matter her career.
Own It is divided into five sections: the introduction, in which we get to know Krawcheck on a personal level; Part I in which Krawcheck discusses qualities women bring to business environments and how those qualities position women for success in business and in leadership; Part II, which focuses on concrete actions women can take to further their careers, how to network and mentor and how to ask for a raise; Part III, which is a broader conversation on how women can bring about changes in the workplace; and Part IV, which discusses paying it forward in order to invest in the future of today’s daughters and granddaughters.
Krawcheck mentions her current career positions frequently. She drops names just as frequently; some of the organizations she mentions, such as Hired.com, are only regionally available in the United States. Being a women in the Midwest, I found offering suggestions that are available to select geographical groups to be polarizing and not in sync with the mission statement of Own It.
I felt the front cover of Own It is too staged to bring about any genuine meaning. The back cover is praise from one celebrity, one professor and three others just like Krawcheck at the top of the corporate ladder. The serif font used in Own It is pleasing on the eyes. The hardcover retails for $27.
Own It contains some solid advice and honest feedback about being a woman working in the business world that I found helpful. With mixed feelings about Krawcheck’s advice not being practically applied by the average, non-corporate ladder climbing woman, I can neither recommend nor not recommend Own It as a must read.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
XOXO,
