You Are a Mogul: How to Do the Impossible, Do It Yourself, and Do It Now!

Entrepreneur Pham delivers a slim, familiar guide to following one’s dreams. As a child, Pham moved from Paris to Plano, Tex., with her family; she had to learn quickly how to be adaptable. Determined to succeed, she attended Yale and Harvard Business School and went on to found Mogul, a networking site for women. Aiming her advice at young women, Pham instructs her readers not to get discouraged by layoffs or other forms of rejection, but to follow their “big dreams” while retaining their “authentic selves.” The goal she emphasizes is not acquiring wealth, but understanding and identifying a personal skillset and passion. The guide—largely following stories from Pham’s own life, such as her taking on the distribution of an indie film while still in business school—is bolstered with stories from real-life “moguls,” such as Elle magazine editor-in-chief Nina Garcia and Jen Welter, the first female NFL coach. While the advice is solid—she urges readers to choose a supportive partner and seek out mentors and role models—there’s little new, and some “essentials” are unrealistic and unhealthy, such as her insistence on sleeping only four hours a night. Though well-intentioned, this book amounts to little more than brand extension. (Sept.)