Breaking Into the Boardroom

This is a reissue of a book privately published by the author as Why Jenny Can't Lead. Addressing primarily corporate male dominance and women's workplace problems, Melia, who conducts seminars on ""gender politics,'' here offers an incisive overview of life's power struggles from bear-cave to boardroom. A woman on a corporate management board becomes isolated and rendered ineffectual, she avers; yet at the same time Melia instructs women to shape up and not cry foul when treated ``unfairly'' by men. Despite noting what she considers to be inescapable biological and cultural gender differences (no woman yet ``has jumped out the window because her stocks dropped''), the author foresees a new ``powerful woman'' who will affect business, government, social and family life for the better. Some feminists will be dissatisfied, if not furious, at Melia's arguments. (January)