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Not Just Lucky
Media star Jamila Rizvi’s exploration of the confidence deficit holding women back, the barriers to career success this can create, and how they might be overcome. Accessible and timely, this is essential reading for millennial women.
Australian women are suffering from a crisis of confidence about work, captives to a voice inside their heads that says they’re not good enough. Accustomed to being overlooked and undervalued, even when women do get to the top, they explain their success away as ‘luck’. But it’s not.
Not Just Lucky exposes the structural and cultural disadvantages that rob women of their confidence – often without them even realising it. It’s a practical toolkit that will help you negotiate a raise, deal with difficult bosses, overcome imposter syndrome, communicate more clearly, cope with failure, avoid burnout, call out sexism and finally put your hand up for that big promotion.
Drawing on case studies, detailed research and her own experience in politics and media, Jamila Rizvi is the warm, witty and wise girlfriend you’ve been waiting for. She’ll give you everything you need to start fighting for your own success and for a more inclusive, equal workplace for all. (She’ll also bring the red wine.)
This unashamedly feminist career manifesto is for women who worry they’ll look greedy if they ask for more money. It’s for women who feel small and scared. It’s for women who dream big but dread the tough conversations. It’s for women who get nervous, stressed and worried, and seem to overthink just about everything.
It will help you realise that you’re not just lucky. You’re brilliant.
Australian women are suffering from a crisis of confidence about work, captives to a voice inside their heads that says they’re not good enough. Accustomed to being overlooked and undervalued, even when women do get to the top, they explain their success away as ‘luck’. But it’s not.
Not Just Lucky exposes the structural and cultural disadvantages that rob women of their confidence – often without them even realising it. It’s a practical toolkit that will help you negotiate a raise, deal with difficult bosses, overcome imposter syndrome, communicate more clearly, cope with failure, avoid burnout, call out sexism and finally put your hand up for that big promotion.
Drawing on case studies, detailed research and her own experience in politics and media, Jamila Rizvi is the warm, witty and wise girlfriend you’ve been waiting for. She’ll give you everything you need to start fighting for your own success and for a more inclusive, equal workplace for all. (She’ll also bring the red wine.)
This unashamedly feminist career manifesto is for women who worry they’ll look greedy if they ask for more money. It’s for women who feel small and scared. It’s for women who dream big but dread the tough conversations. It’s for women who get nervous, stressed and worried, and seem to overthink just about everything.
It will help you realise that you’re not just lucky. You’re brilliant.
303 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2017
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1218 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
December 8, 2017
‘Have you ever noticed that really successful women are always lucky?’
When I first joined the paid workforce back in 1974, as a shop assistant in a women’s shoe store, my (male) boss was still complaining that equal pay (granted to women in 1969) forced him to pay women more, even though males were physically stronger. This physical strength, he told me, would have enabled a male to carry more boxes of shoes up from the basement store room. When I left the shoe store a few months later to start training as an enrolled nurse, I got to use a lot of physical strength. Back in those days, there were few males in nursing and very few of the ancillary staff (or equipment) now available to help with the heavy lifting. By the time I left the paid workforce, in 2009, there were a lot more women in the workforce. But many of those women were in lower-paid work, were casual or temporary employees and were more likely to have accumulated less superannuation for their eventual retirement.
What has changed in the past 43 years? Are women better off? If they are not, what are the barriers to their success? Have those barriers changed over the last four decades? I picked up Ms Rizvi’s book to get a perspective on some of these issues questions from a young, articulate woman.
On Page 15, Ms Rizvi writes:
‘What this book is, is a career book that is unashamedly feminist. One that will help you to help yourself, but also prepare you to help the woman sitting beside you and the woman who dreams of sitting beside you but thinks she never will. It’s a book that will help you to feel more confident about work without blaming you for being less that confident to begin with. It’s a book that will help you become brave enough to truly enjoy the success of others and to claim credit for your own. It’s a book about being more than just lucky. It’s a book about being brilliant .’
Ms Rizvi acknowledges the benefits bestowed upon her by a comfortable middle-class upbringing, but much of what she has to say is also relevant to women who’ve not enjoyed these benefits. Women can lack confidence (in themselves, in their abilities, in each other) for many reasons. And if you don’t believe that you are good enough, then it is difficult to present as if you are. How do we, as individuals, work through some of the cultural and structural barriers to success? And, importantly, how do we do this without sacrificing what is important to each of us as individuals?
This book is less about answers than it is about raising awareness about some of the issues. Ms Rizvi does this by drawing on case studies and on her own experience. It’s not about changing the system (that might be nice, but it isn’t likely to happen anytime soon). it’s about working within the system, about being aware of ways in which your own behaviour may serve to undermine what you are trying to achieve. It’s about surviving and (hopefully) thriving. It’s also about recognising that women do not always act in the best interests of other women.
While I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in contributing to more effective equality in the workplace, I think it is of most interest to young women who are about to embark (or who have just embarked) on a professional career. It’s important to recognise that there is usually a gap between what workplaces should be like, and how they often actually function. I think there needs to be more conversation about this gap and its causes. While effective change needs to involve both men and women, awareness at an individual level is a good starting point.
I found this book easy to read, a good blend of personal experience, practical suggestion and research-based information. And, on a purely personal level, I enjoyed the anecdote Ms Rizvi related about clothes. She writes, drawing on her father’s experience in the public service, clothes may not give you power, but they do give you confidence. I remember the tie to which she refers.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
When I first joined the paid workforce back in 1974, as a shop assistant in a women’s shoe store, my (male) boss was still complaining that equal pay (granted to women in 1969) forced him to pay women more, even though males were physically stronger. This physical strength, he told me, would have enabled a male to carry more boxes of shoes up from the basement store room. When I left the shoe store a few months later to start training as an enrolled nurse, I got to use a lot of physical strength. Back in those days, there were few males in nursing and very few of the ancillary staff (or equipment) now available to help with the heavy lifting. By the time I left the paid workforce, in 2009, there were a lot more women in the workforce. But many of those women were in lower-paid work, were casual or temporary employees and were more likely to have accumulated less superannuation for their eventual retirement.
What has changed in the past 43 years? Are women better off? If they are not, what are the barriers to their success? Have those barriers changed over the last four decades? I picked up Ms Rizvi’s book to get a perspective on some of these issues questions from a young, articulate woman.
On Page 15, Ms Rizvi writes:
‘What this book is, is a career book that is unashamedly feminist. One that will help you to help yourself, but also prepare you to help the woman sitting beside you and the woman who dreams of sitting beside you but thinks she never will. It’s a book that will help you to feel more confident about work without blaming you for being less that confident to begin with. It’s a book that will help you become brave enough to truly enjoy the success of others and to claim credit for your own. It’s a book about being more than just lucky. It’s a book about being brilliant .’
Ms Rizvi acknowledges the benefits bestowed upon her by a comfortable middle-class upbringing, but much of what she has to say is also relevant to women who’ve not enjoyed these benefits. Women can lack confidence (in themselves, in their abilities, in each other) for many reasons. And if you don’t believe that you are good enough, then it is difficult to present as if you are. How do we, as individuals, work through some of the cultural and structural barriers to success? And, importantly, how do we do this without sacrificing what is important to each of us as individuals?
This book is less about answers than it is about raising awareness about some of the issues. Ms Rizvi does this by drawing on case studies and on her own experience. It’s not about changing the system (that might be nice, but it isn’t likely to happen anytime soon). it’s about working within the system, about being aware of ways in which your own behaviour may serve to undermine what you are trying to achieve. It’s about surviving and (hopefully) thriving. It’s also about recognising that women do not always act in the best interests of other women.
While I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in contributing to more effective equality in the workplace, I think it is of most interest to young women who are about to embark (or who have just embarked) on a professional career. It’s important to recognise that there is usually a gap between what workplaces should be like, and how they often actually function. I think there needs to be more conversation about this gap and its causes. While effective change needs to involve both men and women, awareness at an individual level is a good starting point.
I found this book easy to read, a good blend of personal experience, practical suggestion and research-based information. And, on a purely personal level, I enjoyed the anecdote Ms Rizvi related about clothes. She writes, drawing on her father’s experience in the public service, clothes may not give you power, but they do give you confidence. I remember the tie to which she refers.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 25, 2017
I think the audience that would get the most from Not Just Lucky would probably be young women just entering the workforce. While the information and message is valuable and important, overall there's not any new ideas being presented within this book. I did find some chapters, such as Coping With Setbacks and How To Ask For More, had some affirming insight and practical approaches that would be genuinely useful, and I responded more to the sections of the book that had less mummy-blogger-style humour injected after every seemingly bleak statistic.
Overwhelmingly, the book focuses on how women can modify their behaviour to adapt to existing, largely sexist work environments, and at a stretch how they can effect small changes within them. The other perspective to this problem is of course how men need to adjust, adapt and change their own behaviour and biases to further equality within the workplace - that Rivzi almost completely declined to engage with this is a massive oversight.
I have an issue with the fact that books about women's issues are only addressed to women, when they are everyone's problem. My feminism tells me we need to do more than simply stop using the word "just" in emails and building rapport with our women colleagues to truly overhaul and deconstruct the systemic disadvantage women experience in their workplaces. Getting men on board is a part of this.
Not Just Lucky is an extremely accessible book, which contributes to a broader conversation we all need to be having. It's definitely only entry-level though.
Overwhelmingly, the book focuses on how women can modify their behaviour to adapt to existing, largely sexist work environments, and at a stretch how they can effect small changes within them. The other perspective to this problem is of course how men need to adjust, adapt and change their own behaviour and biases to further equality within the workplace - that Rivzi almost completely declined to engage with this is a massive oversight.
I have an issue with the fact that books about women's issues are only addressed to women, when they are everyone's problem. My feminism tells me we need to do more than simply stop using the word "just" in emails and building rapport with our women colleagues to truly overhaul and deconstruct the systemic disadvantage women experience in their workplaces. Getting men on board is a part of this.
Not Just Lucky is an extremely accessible book, which contributes to a broader conversation we all need to be having. It's definitely only entry-level though.
January 14, 2018
I wish this book had been around at the start of my career, when I was young and reasonably confident, and around five years ago, when my career felt like it was going to hell in a handbasket. But now I've read it I'm going to take advantage of its messages. While the author explains at the beginning that the whole book might not apply to every reader, in my case all but one chapter was highly relevant to my personal experiences in the workplace. I was surprised to know how common my secret lack of confidence is, and conversely that has given me the confidence to try to address it.
I found the writing style to be conversational and easy to read, and was pleased to see the detailed referencing at the end of the book. The anecdotes from the author's career are very effective. They provide real-world examples of the themes of the book without implying that the author's experiences are universal.
One small gripe was the surprising number of typos or proofreading errors, which I found quite distracting. I hope these will be resolved in future editions.
I certainly recommend this book. I think most women (and many men) would find something relatable in it.
I found the writing style to be conversational and easy to read, and was pleased to see the detailed referencing at the end of the book. The anecdotes from the author's career are very effective. They provide real-world examples of the themes of the book without implying that the author's experiences are universal.
One small gripe was the surprising number of typos or proofreading errors, which I found quite distracting. I hope these will be resolved in future editions.
I certainly recommend this book. I think most women (and many men) would find something relatable in it.
September 25, 2018
I have to admit to struggling with this at first, I wasn’t really in the career headspace (and I had a weird thing against Rizvi because of Mamamia - that sisterhood chapter probably written for me). But I put it aside for a month and suddenly I am thinking about work again and it was very easy to get back into it.
There’s a lot of great insight here but what was really valuable was the practical advice and useful career tips (often a rarity in these types of books), particularly in the chapters on Managing Up, Managing People and Exhaustion and Burnout. And the bit about LinkedIn was so funny I almost spat my tea across the room.
There’s a lot of great insight here but what was really valuable was the practical advice and useful career tips (often a rarity in these types of books), particularly in the chapters on Managing Up, Managing People and Exhaustion and Burnout. And the bit about LinkedIn was so funny I almost spat my tea across the room.
January 17, 2021
3.5 stars
Armed with some pretty dismal statistics and personal advice derived from the author's own very successful career, Not Just Lucky carries an empowering message for young women in the beginnings of their careers. Some parts of the book contain practical advice on how women can adapt to a male dominated and sexist work culture, but overall there are no revelations to be found here. Much of the advice is mostly applicable to both men and women which is fantastic as gender issues should apply to all rather than just targeted at young women entering the workforce. Ultimately, this is a valuable read though has potential to be even more impactful if targeted toward a wider audience.
Armed with some pretty dismal statistics and personal advice derived from the author's own very successful career, Not Just Lucky carries an empowering message for young women in the beginnings of their careers. Some parts of the book contain practical advice on how women can adapt to a male dominated and sexist work culture, but overall there are no revelations to be found here. Much of the advice is mostly applicable to both men and women which is fantastic as gender issues should apply to all rather than just targeted at young women entering the workforce. Ultimately, this is a valuable read though has potential to be even more impactful if targeted toward a wider audience.
September 2, 2018
3.5 stars. Rizvi offers some great insights into women in the workplace, how success and hard work are what women mean when they say they got lucky, and how we can avoid pitfalls set in our way.
July 25, 2017
This book is like the cross-generational Lean In. Where I found myself tuning out a bit while reading Sheryl Sandberg's manifesto (simply because it seemed like it was a book for women who were in a very different stage of their career to me), Jamila Rizvi's book felt relevant, regardless of where you are on the career ladder. As someone who is just starting out, I found it as useful as someone who perhaps has a few more years on their career plate.
Also the number of times I found myself nodding along in agreement to whatever Jamila had written was a little embarrassing. It was like a was one of those bobblehead toys.
Also the number of times I found myself nodding along in agreement to whatever Jamila had written was a little embarrassing. It was like a was one of those bobblehead toys.
Read
January 25, 20193.5/5 I actually didn’t know this book was what it was (how did I miss the memo?!) when I bought it- I thought it was a memoir. Anyway- it’s really good, but I have read lots of it before so I found myself skipping sections. So far as I can tell, that’s not the fault of the book (though I guess I did change the rating because of it, but the rating has to be my thoughts on it)- part of it is (I think) that I read it too late so lots of the ideas may have been a bit newer when it first came out. As a female boss in a male dominated field, I have just already read A LOT about careers and women.
March 26, 2018
3.5 stars. I thought it would be much less when I first started, it seemed so similar to Annabel Crabb’s Wife Drought except so much more ranty. But as I went on, the book contained more useful advice, even if it was contained in too many ‘X-step approaches’. I am at a weird place in my career so whilst this book didn’t really cover anything I haven’t heard before, it was a good reminder at a good time.
December 11, 2017
This book is the correct way to write about women in workplace. Too many other books get involved in man hating and man blaming which is not the meaning of equality and feminism. Please read this book!
December 20, 2017
I loved this book! Jamila was able to articulate the many challenges women face in the workplace and in navigating relationships to support women in the workforce. I found myself feeling really empowered by the real way in which she has written about both her and other women’s experiences. Recommended reading for all.
July 15, 2023
The intro of this book made it sound promising. But I made it 100 pages in before I simply could not finish. I found myself on each page taking issue with it. Here are a few of my notes:
- while it’s true “bossy” does seem to be a gendered word; Rizvi seems to think being called bossy is a precursor for being a good leader. Bossy is not synonymous with leadership.
- Rizvi seems to think men have no self doubt. Men too suffer from such things as impostor syndrome. It’s reductive in 2023 to try and boost feminism by making arguments that reduce men to basically being all good or all bad. They’re not that simple.
- in the 100 pages I read, not once did Rizvi make a point or argument that I have not already heard 1000 times. Nor did she ever ofter solutions, suggestions, or any form of hope. The whole book read like a rant without any helpful, inspiring, or even insightful information.
- At one point, Rizvi acknowledges she judges teenagers who she thought were being shallow but are in fact talking about politics. She admits her mistake, but then in the very next sentence says along the lines that “Teenagers don’t usually spend their free time talking about this stuff”.
Some don’t, but many do. It sounds like she hasn’t really learnt her lesson at all…
- Rizvi refers to Cuddy’s “Power Pose” research which has since been debunked. It was here I decided this book relies on old and biased research which misinforms the reader.
If you would like a well balanced and original feminist book, I’d recommend Crabb’s “Wife Draught”. Although that book too is now old, it is better written with better arguments and better research. It also doesn’t have the same painful attempt to be funny on every second page.
- while it’s true “bossy” does seem to be a gendered word; Rizvi seems to think being called bossy is a precursor for being a good leader. Bossy is not synonymous with leadership.
- Rizvi seems to think men have no self doubt. Men too suffer from such things as impostor syndrome. It’s reductive in 2023 to try and boost feminism by making arguments that reduce men to basically being all good or all bad. They’re not that simple.
- in the 100 pages I read, not once did Rizvi make a point or argument that I have not already heard 1000 times. Nor did she ever ofter solutions, suggestions, or any form of hope. The whole book read like a rant without any helpful, inspiring, or even insightful information.
- At one point, Rizvi acknowledges she judges teenagers who she thought were being shallow but are in fact talking about politics. She admits her mistake, but then in the very next sentence says along the lines that “Teenagers don’t usually spend their free time talking about this stuff”.
Some don’t, but many do. It sounds like she hasn’t really learnt her lesson at all…
- Rizvi refers to Cuddy’s “Power Pose” research which has since been debunked. It was here I decided this book relies on old and biased research which misinforms the reader.
If you would like a well balanced and original feminist book, I’d recommend Crabb’s “Wife Draught”. Although that book too is now old, it is better written with better arguments and better research. It also doesn’t have the same painful attempt to be funny on every second page.
October 2, 2017
This book is a must read for all women but especially those at the start of their careers. Reading it is like you are sitting down with an old friend and chatting about everything and anything to do with being a female in the workforce. Jamila is bloody amazing and this is a powerful reminder that you aren't just lucky!
June 8, 2020
This is the career book every young woman needs to read, especially for those early in their career.
Jamila Rizvi’s book is more than just another book discussing the sexist nature of the workforce. Of course, she examines the current research about how gender operates in the workplace (think of an abridged version of Crabb’s The Wife Drought with a more Mamamia tempo), but then provides really practical strategies for navigating this space as an ambitious woman. At times, she falls into the listicle form of Mamamia articles, but I felt it worked in this context: it makes the insurmountable seem achievable.
I loved how practical the book was. From analyses of body language and voice, phrases to avoid in writing emails, and advice for negotiating difficult conversations, this book does more than present the disheartening statistics I’ve read in many books about women and career.
Some critics of this book have suggested that Rizvi’s places too much of the burden on women to modify small behaviours to work within the current system, when instead effort should be put into dismantling the patriarchal structures underpinning the sexist workforce. While I absolutely agree that behaviour modification is not enough to change the balance of power in a patriarchal context, I found Rizvi’s simple and personable advice helpful on an individual level as I seek to take responsibility for how my choices influence my career trajectory too. Rizvi never claims that these behaviour modifications, such as dropping up-speak, will upset the patriarchy; rather, Rizvi seeks to foster women’s confidence, which she demonstrates to have significance in the workplace.
While this book doesn’t really address the added complications of navigating the compounding intersections of race, sexuality, disability and socio-economic status, Rizvi is wise to acknowledge that for some women, gender is not the only aspect of identity that complicates the experience of the workforce.
Rizvi’s advice is smattered with personal anecdotes and humour. This is a great book for the woman who has not read a career book before. It is accessible and interesting and conversational. It is heartening to hear the all-too-familiar experiences of Rizvi and her friends and know that many women have struggled with the career/motherhood juggle. The audiobook is a good choice, as it is narrated by Rizvi herself.
Above all, Not Just Lucky is a reminder for women to be comfortable with taking up space, going for promotions, and celebrating their accomplishments. And for the sake of all women, we must stop underselling all our hard work and brilliant ideas as mere luck.
Jamila Rizvi’s book is more than just another book discussing the sexist nature of the workforce. Of course, she examines the current research about how gender operates in the workplace (think of an abridged version of Crabb’s The Wife Drought with a more Mamamia tempo), but then provides really practical strategies for navigating this space as an ambitious woman. At times, she falls into the listicle form of Mamamia articles, but I felt it worked in this context: it makes the insurmountable seem achievable.
I loved how practical the book was. From analyses of body language and voice, phrases to avoid in writing emails, and advice for negotiating difficult conversations, this book does more than present the disheartening statistics I’ve read in many books about women and career.
Some critics of this book have suggested that Rizvi’s places too much of the burden on women to modify small behaviours to work within the current system, when instead effort should be put into dismantling the patriarchal structures underpinning the sexist workforce. While I absolutely agree that behaviour modification is not enough to change the balance of power in a patriarchal context, I found Rizvi’s simple and personable advice helpful on an individual level as I seek to take responsibility for how my choices influence my career trajectory too. Rizvi never claims that these behaviour modifications, such as dropping up-speak, will upset the patriarchy; rather, Rizvi seeks to foster women’s confidence, which she demonstrates to have significance in the workplace.
While this book doesn’t really address the added complications of navigating the compounding intersections of race, sexuality, disability and socio-economic status, Rizvi is wise to acknowledge that for some women, gender is not the only aspect of identity that complicates the experience of the workforce.
Rizvi’s advice is smattered with personal anecdotes and humour. This is a great book for the woman who has not read a career book before. It is accessible and interesting and conversational. It is heartening to hear the all-too-familiar experiences of Rizvi and her friends and know that many women have struggled with the career/motherhood juggle. The audiobook is a good choice, as it is narrated by Rizvi herself.
Above all, Not Just Lucky is a reminder for women to be comfortable with taking up space, going for promotions, and celebrating their accomplishments. And for the sake of all women, we must stop underselling all our hard work and brilliant ideas as mere luck.
November 19, 2017
I saw Jamila in action at a recent conference and she was brilliant. Amongst the women, and men, who are speaking up on gender diversity Jamila is one of the brightest, smartest of them all. Despite this I hesitated to read this book at first. There are only so many diversity books one can read in a year without becoming totally despondent. BUT, do it. Read this one. I have a teenage daughter and this is the one I will recommend she reads first. Jamila's 'voice' is devoid of patronising tone. She doesn't pretend to have all the answers but she has hit the nail on the head more times than most. In a field of many who are often hashing out the same old, same old, Jamila managed to take a fresh take on the critical gender issues of our time. Highly recommended.
January 1, 2018
This was such a good read.
Full of great explanations as to why we behave the way we do. While some maybe obvious after Jamila points them out, they do explain a great deal about the way we are programmed to think and behave, as women.
We are a product of experiences as we go through life, but this book does more than highlight that. This book shows that we are not exceptions to these feelings but we are in great company of others who have faced similar challenges and how they overcame them.
As someone who works with women in business, if I could gift this to every client, I would. It would be a great starting point to fix their mindset about their own abilities and achievements.
Full of great explanations as to why we behave the way we do. While some maybe obvious after Jamila points them out, they do explain a great deal about the way we are programmed to think and behave, as women.
We are a product of experiences as we go through life, but this book does more than highlight that. This book shows that we are not exceptions to these feelings but we are in great company of others who have faced similar challenges and how they overcame them.
As someone who works with women in business, if I could gift this to every client, I would. It would be a great starting point to fix their mindset about their own abilities and achievements.
January 4, 2018
Something I have always admired about Jamila Rizvi's writing is how clear and accessible it is – she never gets bogged down with academic obfuscation (I say, obfuscating) when discussing complex social issues. And that's important in a book that you should buy for every woman you know in the workforce, especially if they're 14 and have landed their first job at Hoyts. Not Just Lucky has all the facts and footnotes (there are 26 pages of endnotes) a gal determined to debate that rude bro in the bar could possibly ask for – as well as genuinely good advice. Now, to stop using "just" in my emails.
August 27, 2017
I'd read Jamila's shopping list, listen to her interview a snail and watch her mow her lawn. I think she is utterly rad and this book is an absolute testimony to that. It's a great book, well written, funny, throughout provoking and filled with astounding facts and depressing anecdotes BUT it wasn't depressing, boring or soul shattering. Instead it is a positive, light filled novel for the modern day feminist. Let's not be angry, but let's get even with the males in society- purely through shattering those glass ceilings and taking the seats in the boardroom.
March 17, 2018
Rizvi writes about her experiences Down Under but she could be writing about a lot of other places too. It's a frank and engaging accounting of Rizvi's wins, losses and mis-steps and she admonishes us to examine how much we underplay what it actually takes i.e. what we've done, to make it, win, succeed. Someone once said to me the harder you work the luckier you get - Rizvi's book encourages us to think about how we communicate our successes not just to each other but also to the next generation of women AND men.
August 8, 2017
Not Just Lucky is better than, and a more modern version of, Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office, with a lot more discussion, and a lot less "telling". I would recommend reading this book with a positive mindset. Every time the storyline heads down what could be a depressive path, it flips into positive action. I loved how it didn't leave you in the gloomy depths of how unfair life can be, but inspires positive action in making the working world a better place for everyone.
September 18, 2017
Should be a much quicker read than I took - but lots of interruptions in life for the reading of this particular book.
I attended the book launch where Jamila spoke passionately about women today and the structures of life and work that get in the way - as well as the pretty thorough internal voices that many women possess - and impact their attempts let alone their successes.
I enjoyed it. More like 3.5*s than 3.
Plenty of plain speaking examples, and citations of data quoted.
I attended the book launch where Jamila spoke passionately about women today and the structures of life and work that get in the way - as well as the pretty thorough internal voices that many women possess - and impact their attempts let alone their successes.
I enjoyed it. More like 3.5*s than 3.
Plenty of plain speaking examples, and citations of data quoted.
January 25, 2018
3 1/2 stars from a reader whose perspective is that of somebody who has been around half a century and who has lived a lot of what Jamila writes about in her book. It is an easy read but as another reviewer commented it is a book for a younger generation. For young women about to embark on a career there is a lot of good advice - hence my 5 stars. I will encourage my teenage daughters to read this.
February 2, 2019
Maybe it's just because I'm struggling with my workplace right now, but this book was phenomenal.
Read it for the clear explanations of the societal forces which shape our attitudes at work. Read it for the lightbulb realisations that other women are struggling with the same issues you're crippled by. Read it for Rizvi's conversational tone and funny anecdotes.
Honestly, this is like a very long chat with a wise sister or cool older cousin. I wish I'd read it a year ago.
Read it for the clear explanations of the societal forces which shape our attitudes at work. Read it for the lightbulb realisations that other women are struggling with the same issues you're crippled by. Read it for Rizvi's conversational tone and funny anecdotes.
Honestly, this is like a very long chat with a wise sister or cool older cousin. I wish I'd read it a year ago.
September 25, 2021
The first part of this book was all too familiar; depressingly familiar. I found myself thinking "yep...yep...know that....yep...." So I found myself scanning. Until page 165, when I came across what could be the best career advice I've ever read. About reframing your relationship with your boss. I won't tell you what was there, that would spoil the fun for you. But it's worth locating a copy of this book just for this section.
July 14, 2017
This book has changed my world. A must read for women at all stages of their careers which provides insightful guidance and advice. It's written in a conversational, friendly style that never feels lecturing or preachy, all props go to Jamila Rizvi for this. I feel like this book will become my bible of sorts throughout career and personal challenges, love it!
October 8, 2017
Great tips, especially for those in early career. It explains those phenomenons at work that can be really confusing and confronting. If you can't quite figure out why your best isn't getting you recognised, this offers practical tips and good reminders for those of us well on in our careers as well.
August 7, 2018
A clear appraisal of the challenges women face in the workforce, looking at both the large-scale legislative and societal changes needed and how we as individuals can navigate the system and improve the situation for ourselves and others. Reads like a conversation with a warm, wise and witty friend who isn't afraid to share her own mistakes. Will be highly recommending to my female friends.
November 6, 2020
Fantastic! I'm a bit of a latecomer to this book, but I've recently become more familiar with Rizvi's work as a commentator and was pleasantly surprised by this book. A concise, thorough analysis of the confidence deficit that many women experience. Plenty of gems that most could takeaway from its reading.
March 4, 2021
This was an empowering read for someone who has recently entered the workforce as a young professional! Maybe a tad too aggressively feminist in some parts, but some of the later chapters about getting ahead and feeling confident and worthy in the workplace are definitely a worthwhile read. Have already recommended to some girlfriends :)
July 8, 2017
It is the sort of book that resonates with a range of different people for a range of different reasons.
I found the use of research, facts and history extremely insightful and affirming.
It is engaging, witty and something I highly recommend.
I found the use of research, facts and history extremely insightful and affirming.
It is engaging, witty and something I highly recommend.
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