The Best of Both Worlds: How Mothers Can Find Full-Time Satisfaction in Part-Time Work

This soothing if not particularly directive guide from author and part-time consultant Brykman urges mothers to find the much-vaunted work-life balance in part-time work. Part-time employment, she says, is the “ultimate solution” for women who are looking to continue earning income and gaining fulfillment from their careers, but want to work shorter hours to spend more time with their children. According to her, employers are more accommodating of mothers’ schedules now than in the past. Part-time workers are particularly valuable because they can fill in peak hours that the full-time workforce doesn’t want to take. Through dozens of stories detailing the experiences of her interviewees, Brykman talks through the advantages (and disadvantages) of shifting from full- to part-time employment, starting a business, following a passion, networking, and working from home. While she does give some suggestions for finding success, the book is more an attempt to assuage concerns and show readers that they can have what other women have; it includes far more personal experience than data or concrete direction. While readers who are struggling with this question may find Brykman’s work helpful, there’s just not enough solid content to help a mother begin on this path. (Nov.)