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Summary: "Profiles in Courage for women"
Review: The book portrays remarkable women in a very real and intimate way. The wisdom shared by these women is invaluable and the conversation format made it tangible to readers of all ages.I feel the reader from Chicago who didn't like The Counselors didn't get the point of the book. The point is that the author asked the women interviewed what they wanted to tell others and put it in a book. It's not supposed to be new information and it's not supposed to be delivered with a critical eye.
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Summary: Why not women???
Review: The Counselors is a first-hand account of women gaining influence and power in this country, making history, and making the world a better place for all of us. It shows us that when we allow the full participation of women, everyone gains. And it raises questions as to why women were not permitted or were not welcome to the corridors of power and influence before, now that we have proven that we can make a contribution and the world will not end. Look at Karen Hughes and Condaleeza Rice in this Administration to see the contributions women are making in leadership that they were not making 10-15 years ago. It's a time of great flux in this country, as we now not only assimilate as a melting pot in our citizenry, but begin to assimilate in our leadership. I learned a lot from this book.
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Summary: I laughed, I cried, I was inspired.
Review: The Counselors is truly a book to educate and inspire. As a woman who came after the Women's Liberation Movement, I have a tendency to forget about the struggles that the women before me endured. The Counselors brought the struggles of 18 amazing women into sharp relief. It was a revelation to discover that Lynn Hecht Schafran concealed her pregnancy for nine months, took a two-week vacation, and came back to work, suddenly a parent, since employees at her business were not allowed to be pregnant. Can you believe that? I couldn't. The Counselors is inspirational and a great motivator. My favorite part of the book is the first-person anecdotes that author Elizabeth Vrato includes to begin each woman's story. Her personal stories are easy to relate to and demonstrate her increasing awareness of the struggles that women have endured and continue to experience in the working world. Ultimately, The Counselors is about triumphing over obstacles; there are myriad bits of advice sprinkled throughout. For someone who has lacked strong female role models, I feel so fortunate to be able to hear these women talk about family, career, the glass ceiling, important legislation for the rights of women, and the importance of strong bonds amongst women. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for some inspiration or history on the women's movement. I feel so grateful to these women and author Elizabeth Vrato for sharing their stories with the world.
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Summary: Mentoring is the Point
Review: The last reviewer missed the point. The author's book is not about politics or women's issues. It is a book about mentoring. The reader is supposed to imagine what would happen if you were having a cup of coffee with each of these women to ask them how each "made it." The book provides great access to these women and will be helpful to young women starting out, especially lawyers.
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Summary: A "Think and Grow Rich" for our time??
Review: There's an old classic how-to book, "Think and Grow Rich," in which the author (a man) interviews a number of the leading industrialists of the day (all men), including Andrew Carnegie, for their advice in succeeding in business and growing rich. How fitting in this world where women have started to play a role as leading citizens to gather their advice on how to get to where they are. It's an old recipe, but it works.
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Summary: Mentoring for the masses
Review: This book does a great job at what it sets out to do. Its purpose is presented in its introduction: (1) to talk with a group of women who it may be difficult to gain access to for a conversation, and to ask them what they would like to say to others about their journeys during the social transformation in America over the last 30-40 years and (2)to get those stories out there to more people than those women could ever meet with during the course of their busy days changing the world. That's it. It's not meant to criticize them one little bit. It doesn't. And it's not meant to be new and definitive in the fields of politics and women's issues. It's not. Having said that, many people will learn a lot, because not that many people are really experts in the fields of politics and women's studies. And readers will take away practical advice they can apply in their own lives, passed along from those who have traveled the path before them--the way you get from having conversations with mentors. Some of the women have "name recognition," some don't. But they all have a warmth and a willingness to share that can help those who think they could benefit from conversations with wiser elders or with role models. The Counselors doesn't fit the mold of a lot of other books, and it's a book we've been needing. It fills a niche, providing inspiration from numerous voices of women (including women of color), which is different from our tradition of seeing men in positions of power and responsibility and hearing only (or primarily) the voices of men to inspire us. But women have been inspired by the voices of men, and now men can be inspired by the voices of women. The Counselors broadens American folklore--
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Summary: I can't believe how much I learned
Review: This book is a combination of current affairs, history and "How to Succeed in Business"-- and entertaining and inspiring. It's rare to find all that in one book, and even rarer to see it from the female perspective! This is a book to enjoy and to share with friends and co-workers
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Summary: I thought it was a "chick book," I was wrong--
Review: This book is filled with the thoughts and advice of absolutely brilliant women, so anyone who appreciates what intelligent people have to say would enjoy it. After reading this book, I feel like I got to know these high profile women a bit--more than I would from the news clips on tv or in newspapers, where much of their work has been covered. I was familiar with much of the history presented in a skeletal way, but to have that history filled out with stories and insights "filled in the lines" with color and texture and brought me up to the current day, looking at women in power in a more supportive way. Some of these women went through a great deal of adversity and triumphed. This was good stuff.
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Summary: We all need mentors and role models
Review: This book takes a good look at work relationships and what's required to get along in the workworld today (both professionally and personally). I saw myself in a lot of the stories, and many of the anecdotes and advice are things I'll be able to use. Because of the inclusive and casual writing style, I came away feeling like I had had a conversation or two with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Janet Reno, etc! (If I ever met them, I might act a little too familiar, feeling I met them already now)
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Summary: Inspiring, entertaining, and important
Review: This is a well-written and important work. One must consider how far women have come in a very short time, and how much further there is to go. The author uses a uniquely causual approach to speak to these women who are rarely shown in this light. It makes for a refreshing and worthwhile experience. Kudos to Ms. Vrato.
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