Work of Her Own C

Unlike the usual guide to corporate success, this engrossing, probing study by Albert, a former English professor and now a writer of children's books, recounts how she and 80 other women holding top positions experienced a career crisis, lost their jobs or quit on their own and became disillusioned with the success they achieved. The author contends that for women the cost of careerism often includes workaholism and a repudiation of feminine values in favor of male, corporate ideals. She also describes the often psychologically traumatic stages of career-flight--such as weighing work options and living adjustments. Albert notes, however, that in this survey almost all the women experienced an energizing sense of self-liberation despite loss of pay and prestige in often home-based enterprises ranging from freelance writing to goat-breeding, which afforded time for ``the art of composing life.'' Final chapters offer advice, including visualizing techniques, for those who wish to undertake career changes. (Sept.)