The Power of Women: Harness Your Unique Strengths at Home, at Work, and in Your Community

by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

From the bestselling author of Women Who Think Too Much, a groundbreaking self-improvement program that empowers womenWomen are extraordinarily hard on themselves. They scrutinize their flaws, asking Am I a good lover? A good mother? Successful in my career? They get preoccupied with ways they do not measure up, twisting themselves into knots to fix problems no one else can see. The latest book from award-winning and bestselling psychologist Susan Nolen- Hoeksema shows women how to break this cycle--by discovering and utilizing their unique psychological strengths. Drawing on original research and the instructive stories of real people, Nolen-Hoeksema identifies the skill sets that women, based on their biology and social roles, bring to challenges: mental strengths, such as the instinct to manage scarce resourcesidentity strengths, which maintain strong values under pressure emotional strengths, such as anticipating the effects of decisions relational strengths, with an emphasis on win-win solutions Combined, these strengths give women a powerful ability to lead during transformational times. She then provides hands-on assessments for pinpointing strengths with the most relevance to a problem, exercises for building strengths, and inspiring examples of women's inventiveness, resilience, and sheer determination. This revolutionary book of self-improvement gives women the tools to hone their skills as entrepreneurs and managers, mothers and wives, mentors and community leaders--and as individuals pursuing their talents and dreams.

Genres: Womens, Psychology, Nonfiction

5 pages, Audio CD

First published December 30, 2009

About the author

Dr. Susan Nolen-Hoeksema was born on May 22, 1959, in Springfield, Ill., to John and Catherine Nolen. Her father ran a construction business, where her mother was the office manager; Susan was the eldest of three children.

Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, psychologist and writer, helped explain why women are twice as prone to depression as men and why such low moods can be so hard to shake. Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema, a professor at Yale University, began studying depression in the 1980s.

She entered Illinois State University before transferring to Yale. She graduated summa cum laude in 1982 with a degree in psychology. After earning a Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, she joined the faculty at Stanford. She later moved to the University of Michigan, before returning to Yale in 2004.

Along the way she published scores of studies and a popular textbook. In 2003 she became the editor of the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, an influential journal.

Her studies, first in children and later in adults, exposed one of the most deceptively upsetting of these patterns: rumination, the natural instinct to dwell on the sources of problems rather than their possible solutions. Women were more prone to ruminate than men, the studies found, and in a landmark 1987 paper she argued that this difference accounted for the two-to-one ratio of depressed women to depressed men.

She later linked rumination to a variety of mood and behavior problems, including anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse.

Dr. Nolen-Hoeksema wrote several books about her research for general readers, including “Women Who Think Too Much: How to Break Free of Overthinking and Reclaim Your Life.” These books described why rumination could be so corrosive — it is deeply distracting; it tends to highlight negative memories — and how such thoughts could be alleviated.

Reviews

[Rebekka Steg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that the themes of the book, while meant to be above women, really applies to all humans. And talking about the issues, and only applying them to women, seemed wrong somehow. The book did however had its moments, and was an easy, yet thought-provoking read.

[Betseyneely1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan demonstrates through original research and personal stories the mental strengths, identity strengths, emotional strengths and relational strengths which are transforming both the world of business and the face of feminine power. The trend in women to assume major leadership positions both in the United States and in other parts of the world are inspiring and real. This is a MUST read for understanding and cultivating ones own power.

[AllBookedUp · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I didn't think the book applied to me. After hearing further into in, the book delves deeper about the roles that I play as a mother, a student of life, and what I will become as an older woman. It's a fascinating journey. One I'm looking forward to and no longer so scared.

Next book ...

[Veronique DeGracia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally was going to give this a 3-star rating since I felt that there were a lot of generalizations being stated and praised about women that could also be true of men. It also seemed to imply that women who did not fit the generalization did not deserve to be applauded, and that there was a "right way" to be a woman. However, since there were a lot of useful psychology-based techniques discussed and since I appreciated that I had an increased appreciation for womanhood by the end of the book, I moved this up to a 4-star rating.

[OliviaHF · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little repetitive, but overall a good reminder of the strengths women bring to all aspects of life.

[Nico Harlakenden · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh.