Games Mother Never Taught You

Rating:
Summary: Tells you the rules of business very clearly...
Review: ... and if you weren't either a football player in high school or in the military you don't know them.

It's written for women, but any men that weren't jocks or military need to read this too.

I used to wonder why I got in trouble at work -- now I know and don't do it anymore. I'm getting well paid for my work, get along with my co-workers and management, and my career is on track.

I recommend this book to everyone I know, the few who actually read it get the same results I got.

It's a little dated, but don't let that stop you. The corporate culture (at least in the United States) hasn't changed much this century and it's not likely to change anytime soon. Some of the details she presents may be different, the general principles are still completely current.

Also, she's a fun writer and it's a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Every woman should read this book....
Review: Do you want to be taken seriously? Do you want to understand at least some of what's happening in the halls and offices of your company? Do you want to accomplish the upwardly mobile career goals you've set for yourself? Do you want a "guidebook" through the land of corporate America? Written especially for you, a woman? Read this book.

Like several of the other reviewers, I read this book when entering the workforce several years ago. Another woman, a fabulous mentor to me, recommended it. Every page resonated with me and changed the approach I took in my career immeasurably. I'm certain that the lessons I learned from this book are an integral part of my professional success.

Yes, the material is somewhat dated now, but unfortunately, not THAT much has changed. Understanding that today's young women have been raised to participate in sports activities as much as young men and the military comparisons are not quite as applicable as they used to be, these formats and vernaculars still form the basis for many, many of today's corporate environments.

Every young woman should have this information, if only, but not limited, to understand what other women have dealt with to pave the way for today's career women. A great deal of progress has been made but the fat lady hasn't sung yet.

Rating:
Summary: woefully inaccurate
Review: My wife took a look at this while working in the corporate sector, before she enlisted in the military. I took a glance through it, and that was enough.

I'm sorry, but it doesn't grasp the male viewpoint. Harragan's take on men is naive and stereotypical enough to cause chuckles. As to her notion that the corporate sector is based on military organization...well, Romanian and English are both based on the Latin alphabet, but they aren't even close linguistically. The whole chapter about this assumes that of course no woman has EVER been in the military, and of course all male executives were, and of course young men who've avoided the draft or service (This was written in 1977) are in the same boat as women in that regard. I'm also a veteran and have worked in the private sector.

I'm sorry, but no. There is an inequality against women in the corporate world, and I don't know what the fix is, but it's not in here.

Highly misleading, badly dated and not recommended.

Rating:
Summary: woefully inaccurate
Review: My wife took a look at this while working in the corporate sector, before she enlisted in the military. I took a glance through it, and that was enough.

I'm sorry, but it doesn't grasp the male viewpoint. Harragan's take on men is naive and stereotypical enough to cause chuckles. As to her notion that the corporate sector is based on military organization...well, Romanian and English are both based on the Latin alphabet, but they aren't even close linguistically. The whole chapter about this assumes that of course no woman has EVER been in the military, and of course all male executives were, and of course young men who've avoided the draft or service (This was written in 1977) are in the same boat as women in that regard. I'm also a veteran and have worked in the private sector.

I'm sorry, but no. There is an inequality against women in the corporate world, and I don't know what the fix is, but it's not in here.

Highly misleading, badly dated and not recommended.

Rating:
Summary: I'm passing this on to my women friends
Review: Someone gave me this when I was just starting out in my career, years ago. I donated this copy to the Women's collection in my employer's library, and reread my old, dog-eared copy. The advice and insights are just as fresh and relevant as they were years ago. This should be given to every young woman just entering corporate America - it would be good to add to ethics studies in both business and science (my field). I still make use of the advice and strategies.It would be nice to see an new edition come out ...

Rating:
Summary: Excellent - Must Reading - Needs to be Updated
Review: This book was a godsend for me back in the 1970s. It put me on an even playing field with many men in the corporate field, especially in the older industries that have been minimally impacted by women in the workforce and tend to be Old School/Good Ol' Boys clubs. (Yes, they're still very much out there.)

Would highly recommend to young women who are too young to remember what life was like before women changed the work force to the better. There is still a long way to go in some areas, although the "newer industries," like IT, which grew with the women's movement, tends to be less sexist and male (military/sports) dominated.

Would love to see this book updated. I'm sure it's very dated, but for a historical perspective (and to deal with the die hard good ol' boys,) definitely give this book a thorough read.

Rating:
Summary: I'm passing this on to my women friends
Review: This book was assigned reading in college back in the 70's. Lots of women's lib perspective in it. Over the years, it's been a great reference book to understand just what is going on in business, and why some things are so important to men, and why it's important for women to understand and acknowledge it. For women who do or do not want to be involved in the politics in the workplace, the material is relevant and helpful. Knowing what is going on around you and why has an effect on what happens to you. This book is also a great resource for men entering the workforce.

Recommend that it be used as a resource and not a one-time read, since much of the information in it becomes increasingly applicable as people progress in their careers.