GROW YOUR VALUE

Constructive advice for women on the work-life balance.

In her latest book, Morning Joe co-host Brzezinski (Obsessed: America’s Food Addiction—And My Own, 2013, etc.) continues with the theme she started in Knowing Your Value (2011). Using interviews from such successful women as PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, Latina movement leader Nely Galán, and Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive, among many others, Brzezinski examines how women have really begun to find their balance and demonstrate their value in the workplace but continue to struggle to find that same kind of equilibrium at home. “According to a 2013 Pew study,” writes the author, “only 16 percent of those Americans polled thought a home with the mother working full time was the best environment in which to raise a child….The whole proposition of being a breadwinning or career-driven mother is murky, sticky, and messy.” Brzezinski recounts the time she moderated a panel for the White House Summit on Working Families and received absolute silence when she asked the group of distinguished and highly accomplished women how they juggled the work-life balance. From this launching point, she delves into the conflicting emotions that women experience as they try to advance their careers and still maintain rewarding home lives. Throughout, Brzezinski’s prose is upbeat and encouraging, and she fills the narrative with personal stories of her own successes and mishaps, as well as those of her interview subjects. These provide a guide for women who have been struggling to equalize their lives, are just beginning to enter the workforce, and/or are ready to start a long-term relationship with or without children. As the author knows, anyone has the power to make wise decisions regarding his or her work and home lives, and this book will encourage plenty of readers to find that power and use it.

An inspiring evaluation of the potential women have to create fully productive lives at home and at work.