Lean In for Graduates

June 30, 2014
Donovan does a fine job of narrating Sandberg’s manifesto for women at work, here adapted for young graduates. Her voice is enthusiastic and fast-paced, brimming with savvy encouragement. Donovan also rolls wonderfully with Sandberg’s many self-deprecating moments, which pepper the book’s expert how-to advice with approachable, and sometimes funny, examples of her shortcomings. For example, she was one of only a handful of business school graduates to receive a monetary award for excellence after her first year, but she was the only winner—and, not coincidentally, the only woman—to keep quiet about that achievement. Donovan’s audio performance suffers in the expanded material near the end of the book. She reads all of it, including six new chapters by various experts (on finding your first job, negotiating for a salary, etc.) and a dozen short personal essays by those who have “leaned in.” Given the diversity of this cast of characters—and the book’s insistence that owning one’s story is vital to the ability to lead—it’s disappointing that other actors or even the contributors themselves don’t narrate those portions. A Knopf hardcover.

May 5, 2014
Facebook COO Sandberg's newest release is a slightly revised and updated version of her 2013 title, Lean In, tailored for graduates. The text of the original book is intact, covering all the bases that became so famous in the media frenzy following the original publication: success and likeability, making your partner a real partner, the myth of doing it all, and most importantly, "the blunt truth is that men still run the world." Here, readers will also find a new introduction exhorting female grads to embrace leadership and change the world they've inherited, as well as a number of essays from successful women on subjects such as conquering fear, rising above one's circumstances, and crafting a great resume. Peppered within are bits of career advice, pithy aphorisms ("it's a jungle gym, not a ladder"), and examples from Sandberg's life. Her encouraging tone and catchy calls to action are as compelling as ever, and this new version features a section with first-job advice.

April 15, 2014
An expanded version of Facebook COO Sandberg's 2013 best-seller, this time with additional material aimed specifically at women just entering the workforce. In her first book, the author looked at why women's progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled and gave advice to women on reaching their full potentials. In what may be a harbinger of targeted Lean In books to come, Sandberg recruits a considerable number of women, and a couple of men, to add their voices to hers. Of the additional essays, the shorter pieces generally fall into the category of inspirational--e.g., a black woman describing how, through hard work, she overcame poverty, sexism and racism or an independent-minded woman telling how she dared to defy the convention in India against women driving cars and inspired others to do the same. Longer chapters provide solid, practical advice that would benefit young people of either sex, such as on finding a first job (by Mindy Levy, an executive coach) and negotiating salary (by Kim Keating, founder of a human resources consulting firm). Men contribute two pieces: a personal account revealing the contributor's initial timidity at meetings and how he learned to assume his proper, assertive role and a longer essay titled "Man Up and Lean In," which urges men to do their part in eliminating gender bias at work and gives specific ways in which they can become aware of and act to eradicate the problem. Finally, Rachel Thomas, the co-founder and president of LeanIn.Org, describes what that nonprofit organization has to offer and provides online links to its free programs. An ideal graduation gift that, although aimed at women, has plenty to offer young men as well.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.