Review: Books by Women Leaders
Photo by Lindsey LaMont on Unsplash
As a child, I was often called “hard-headed” because I spoke up and expressed my thoughts. As a woman in business, there were many times where I felt challenged in the workplace from trying to blend in with a room full of men, colleagues not taking me seriously, or dealing with stereotypical environments. More often than not, I’d be the only girl sitting in a meeting and asked to take notes. Cue eye roll (ladies, I know you can relate!)
The books I’ve listed below are by or about women who lead the charge in empowerment and equal rights. They are relatable in every way possible by giving eye-opening accounts into their lives, unveiling their deepest thoughts and experiences. They inspire me everyday and help me realize I am not alone in my journey. Read on for my book recommendations from these incredible women leaders.
Obama chronicles her journey of a youngster, her accomplishments in school, her “swerve” from her well-paying lawyer job to follow her passion to work with underserved communities and nonprofit organizations, meeting Barack Obama, and as we know, her becoming the First Lady of the United States of America.
She takes you along the journey of her life, and who she is--not just the First Lady, a celebrity-status public figure, or someone who’s casually friends with Oprah, but the Michelle who grew up from humble beginnings from the South Side of Chicago. One of the most profound parts of the book for me was when her father passed away. Every word she laid out on those pages described the same exact way I felt ever since my father passed away several years ago, except I never knew how to express it. I kid you not, I was bawling on the train ride home from work after reading that section. She draws you into every feeling, thought, and experience of her life. That is the power of Becoming.
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
Hands down, this book got me so woke. As a woman, I thought I knew everything about women’s rights. But reading Gates’ book made me realize that I had so much to learn. The Moment of Lift covers the global economic, cultural, political and societal issues that impact women’s inequality and how we can overcome it. This includes child marriage, gender inequality in the workplace and at home, poverty, limited access to contraceptives, lack of sex education and education on family planning. Combined with stories of hope, survival and challenges from women around the world, Gates backs it with extensive data and research. And as if she couldn’t even be more amazing: if you buy this book, all of the proceeds go towards the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dissenter on the Bench: Ruth Bader’s Ginsburg Life and Work by Victoria Ortiz
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the woman who paved the way. I knew this, but only knew of her through bits and pieces from of pop culture references. I picked it up because I wanted to learn more about the life she led and the lives she changed. For someone like me where heavy text about politics and law make my eyes glaze over, Ortiz effortlessly breaks down hard-to-understand concepts into digestible pieces of content. This book is meant for young adults, but I highly recommend anyone of all ages to read this book to gain a deeper understanding of the impact Ginsburg had in the fight for equal rights for both men and women. She is #NotoriousRGB.
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Tara Westover overcame what seemed the impossible. She grew up in a Mormon Survivalist community in the Idaho mountains (i.e. her family canned hundreds of peaches to prepare for the end of the world ) and survived an abusive older brother. She was self-taught reading out of old textbooks at home, and never attended a formal lecture, took a test, or wrote an essay until she stepped into a classroom at Brigham Young University at the age of 16. Eventually, she earned her Masters and Doctorate at Cambridge, and attended Harvard as a visiting fellow. Throughout her memoir, we follow Westover grow as her lines blur between what she thought was real and what isn’t, and the choices she has to make. Educated is a powerful, coming-of-age memoir and a definite must read.