Women Still at Work

Starred review from July 1, 2012
This is a compassionate yet realistic portrayal of women professionals of a certain age. More than typical research studies of such organizations as AARP, MetLife, and Pew, this investigation is truly distinctive by providing all readers at least one role model with whom to relate. The book's quality rests on, one, the credentials of author Fideler, a well-experienced professional who recently started as a research fellow for Boston College's Sloan Center on Aging and Work. And, two, the range of survey participants. Chapters are segmented into sociological and demographic components: where they work, why they work, personal challenges and concerns, and volunteerism. The results manage to spill out of the rigid confines of facts and figures, and numbers and trends, to capture the reader's attention and empathy. Meet Amy Kaiser, the director of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, who's been at her job for more than a decade; or Dollye M. E. Robinson, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Jackson (MS) State University, who, although refusing to state her age, is as vibrant as much younger contemporaries. Inspiration is best summarized by interviewee Susan Damour, who says, If you are passionate about something, go make it happen. Meet a need. Ability is ageless. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)