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books for the kids...
go» Our Bookshelf:
our reading selections for your me time
Sure, we know you have no time to actually read... and that stack of hard covers with their spines
perfectly uncracked is already beckoning to you from your bedside. However, reminding ourselves that
reading is FUNdamental, here are some of our RECOMMENDATIONS for every Executive Mom:
This Day: Diaries from American Women
edited by Joni Cole, Rebecca Joffrey and B.K. Rakhra
"Part itinerary, part journal," this anthology of diaries all written on the same day by
a cross-section of American women reveal not only how these women spent their time, but what
was in their heads and hearts as they went through those twenty-four hours. Those women
include WNBA forward Rebecca Lobo; National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy,
Therese Ojibway, a program coordinator for autistic children; and "executive mom" Marisa
Thalberg. Individually and collectively, these diaries reveal what women love – and don't
love! – about their families, jobs, and lives. |
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The Working Gal's Guide to Babyhood
by Paige Hobey
Among the wealth of new mother books, few have addressed it from the perspective of being
a mother who is maintaining a career. As such, this jaunty new entry from a Parenting
magazine writer fills an important niche. Experienced parents may feel a little beyond the
how-to-take-care-of-baby advice the book offers, but the sections that speak to work and
networking are excellent (particularly those great quotes from Executive Moms!... If not for
you, consider it a meaningful gift for any new working mom on your Mother's Day list. |
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The Good Enough Mother
by Rene Syler
A featured speaker at the Executive Moms Spring 2007 Luncheon, we love Rene's philosophy
that the best mothers are really perfectly imperfect; honest enough to admit to their
limitations, but always trying their best. In this funny, honest and reassuring account, the
former anchor of CBS' The Early Show pulls back the curtain to reveal the truth about modern
mothering. Her personal stories are highly relatable, particularly to executive moms.
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The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up Too Much?
by Leslie Bennetts
This "mistake" to which the title refers is that, for those women who choose to abdicate
work, the ensuing financial dependency creates a huge vulnerability (in the likelihood of
some life hardship—divorce, illness, a spouse’s unemployment) which every woman should
understand and consider. Though her intention to arm women with important information is
honorable, many have been quick to respond defensively to a noyion that feels like
criticism. We prefer to focus on the good news part of the book: that working women tend to
be happier, healthier, empowered... and their kids come out just fine. |
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And Nanny Makes Three: Mothers and Nannies Tell the Truth About Work, Love, Money... and
Each Other
by Jessika Auerbach
This book probes the intense, complex relationship that arises between mothers and the
women who we hire to care for our children in our absence. Chapters on love, need, money,
values, power and other daily realities provide plenty of anecdotes from BOTH perspectives,
some of which will give you pangs, and others will reaffirm how great this relationship can
be when the chemistry and respect are mutual.
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On Becoming Fearless
by Arianna Huffington
Well-known political pundit Arianna Huffington penned this book for her teenage daughter,
on the basis of her belief that, in spite of women's progress, there remains for us a
premium on being accomodating that helps explain why, for many of us, fear often races
through our veins. One of her best reminders: as fear is a primal reaction, the ability to
choose to move forward in the face of fear is actually one of the most evolved decisions we
can make.
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The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined Women
by Susan Douglas and Meredith W. Michaels
Written by two noted professors who also label themselves "mothers with an attitude
problem," its central thesis is that the trend of "the new momism" has foisted upon us a
media-fueled ideal of motherhood that is as romanticized as it is unattainable, setting us
up to feel forever inadequate, no matter how hard we try to do it all and have it all.
Strike a chord? |
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How She Really Does It
by Wendy Sachs
Just as Executive Moms was launching our event and ongoing feature "I KNOW How She Does
It," we were pleased to welcome and (be interviewed for) this book, by former TV producer
Wendy Sachs. A worthy rebuttal to the many myths and offerings that make being a working
mother seem like an oxymoron, Sachs leveraged her journalism skills to glean from a range of
women how they have made their lives as working mothers work well.
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When Mothers Work
by Joan K. Peters
Another entry in the literary annals about parenting that deserves the label
"controversial," but the theories in this book are such an antidote to much of the
prevailing American notions about motherhood that we've taken a lot of heart in it. Peters
argues that "sacrificial motherhood" isn't good for children, much less for marriages or for
mothers. Instead she makes the case that, given sensible working conditions, a mother's
employment means a richer parenting experience, stronger marriages, and more balanced
children. |
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I Don't Know How She Does It
by Allison Pearson
Hailed as the Bridget Jones for working mothers, debut novelist Allison Pearson draws a
heroine in Kate Reddy who most of us would not hold up as our poster child. Nonetheless,
with poignance, wit and several truly relatable moments, beginning with Kate, weary from
returning from a transatlantic business trip. pounding imperfections into a store-bought pie
to make it look homemade for her kids to bring to the school bake sale. |
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Catfight
by Leora Tanenbaum
Have you ever considered the paradox that "competition" presents to women? We get the
message that it's good and necessary to compete. And we also get the message that for women,
it's rather unseemly. This book takes a refreshingly honest and insightful look at this
paradox, cutting to the heart of the aspect of competition that has the biggest impact on
women: competition between women. Among the book's interesting observations: Tanenbaum finds
that the more complicated a woman's life becomes, the more likely she is to compare her life
with the lives of other women. (hmm). |
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The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood,
and Marriage
by Cathi Hanauer
When we featured this book as the subject of one of our events, the book's editor, Cathi
Hanauer, noted that "the book was born out of anger." However the real question it seeks to
explore is, with all the "choices" women have today, why are many smart, ambitious,
contemporary women finding themselves angry, dissatisfied, stressed out? And what do they
really want? Twenty-six women writers offer passionate, provocative, funny, searingly honest
essays that invite readers into their lives, minds, and bedrooms to talk about the choices
they’ve made, what’s working, and what’s not. |
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Perfect Madness
by Judith Warner
You may not agree with all of Warner's assertions in this book (we didn't); but her
writing is undeniably thought-provoking. Warner's main thesis? "Women today mother in the
excessive, control-freakish way that they do in part because they are psychologically
conditioned to do so. But they also do it because, to a large extent, they have to...
Because there is right now no widespread feeling of social responsibility-- for children,
for families, for anyone, really-- and so they must take everything onto themselves." Of
course, her driving goal is to remind us to bring back some sanity to the act of parenting,
and that's something most of us can get behind, no matter what. |
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Networking Magic
by Rick Frishman and Jill Lublin
Even for those savvy enough to seek out organizations like Executive Moms (an
organization which this books sagely cites) may still feel like "networking" has taken on an
onerous connotation. The authors of this book
emphasize that networking isn't just getting—it's giving, a process of building and maintaining relationships. The
best networkers, they say, do it "because they love helping people and playing matchmaker."
The book has many fresh thoughts on how to be savvy and comfortable in using modern
networking as a continuous process that can help you in every aspect of your life. |
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The Employee Rights Handbook: The Essential Guide for People on the Job
by Steven Mitchell Sack
A must-have for every employee, noted employment attorney Steven Sack gives you all the
information you need to thrive in your job but also protect yourself and fight back if and
when needed. From how can you best negotiate a new job to what can you do if you are
illegally fired, Sack answers many of the sticky questions that employers would rather you
never ask. |
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