The founder of Girls Who Code and author of "Brave, Not Perfect" confronts the 'big lie' of corporate feminism and presents a plan to address the burnout and inequity harming America's working women today.
Saujani cleanly clears up any of the rubbish left laying around regarding the lack of social supports for families in this country. With a rapier she slices through the layers of misconceptions about the true burdens of raising families for women ... maybe if we take even some of these steps America will make mothering more popular and the nation can prevent the cratering of its population replacement rate.
... [an] impassioned if familiar manifesto ... her claims about 'women and work' narrow to focus on heterosexual mothers in traditional homes and jobs, the section that asks 'How Did We Get Here?' is a Wikipedia-shallow dive into the history of women in the American workplace, and her 'radical reinvention of the workplace' involves pretty standard policy updates regarding time-off boundaries and national paid leave. Even if the manifesto is not as revolutionary as it’s purported to be, progressive readers will nevertheless find it worthwhile as a forceful, focused, and cogent articulation of these goals. It’s a fine lay of the land, but there’s not quite enough to set this one apart.
... the author proposes a sweeping array of solutions in an uninspired book comprised of part rant, part self-help, and part “call to action” rooted in three 'critical public policies' ... while some are worthy, too many are overfamiliar, underdeveloped, or unimaginative ... The writing is merely serviceable, and many of Saujani’s ideas are surprisingly conservative or tame ... Worse, while Saujani pays lip service to second-wave feminists’ efforts, she slights them in subtle and seemingly ill-informed ways ... Saujani mentions her important work with Girls Who Code only briefly; a more enlightening book would have more deeply explored what that experience taught her ... A disappointing take on what America’s working women need.
