Women hold up half the sky, Mao Zedong once said. Then again, he wasn’t much of a capitalist, and he neglected to mention the trouble they have breaking through the glass ceiling. Here to help: forthcoming business books by women, for women.
The Ambition Decisions
Hana Schank and Elizabeth Wallace. Viking, July
Journalists Schank and Wallace interviewed 43 of their Gen-X college classmates to see whether, as promised, they are reaping the benefits of second-wave feminism. What they found is that while their peers have more choice than their mothers did, they often question whether the life decisions they make—passing up a promotion in favor of more flex time, for instance, or timing a pregnancy in terms of a career path—are the right ones.
Everything Is Negotiable
Meg Myers Morgan. Seal, Oct.
Morgan, an assistant professor of public administration and nonprofit management at the University of Oklahoma, urges readers to forget about having it all—and tackling every problem at once—and instead address issues, be they professional or personal, as they arise.
Leapfrog
Nathalie Molina Niño and Sara Grace. TarcherPerigee, Aug.
Niño, founder and CEO of Brava Investments, says that women of color are running more companies than ever before, “but [still] not finding the venture capital they need.” She and coauthor Grace detail 50 shortcuts to success for women who lack traditional resources such as family money or powerful friends.
Like She Owns the Place
Cara Alwill Leyba. Penguin, July
Leyba self-published Girl Code, a call for women entrepreneurs to support one another, in 2015. Portfolio picked it up in 2017, and to date the book has sold 50,000 print copies per NPD BookScan. Her new book, a motivational title, aims to build women’s confidence in the workplace by encouraging them to define success on their own terms, not by others’ expectations.
Quiet Girls Can Run the World
Rebecca Holman. TarcherPerigee, Sept.
Holman, who founded the millennial-focused U.K. website the Debrief, proposes that the loudest person in the room isn’t necessarily the best fit to lead. She champions women who think before they speak and take the time to nurture others’ talents.
WorkParty
Jaclyn Johnson. Gallery, Aug.
“Yes, women like to get their nails done, but they also do their taxes and close multimillion-dollar deals,” says Johnson, whose Create & Cultivate conference and online platform for millennial businesswomen has hosted notables including Issa Rae, Gloria Steinem, and Chrissy Teigen. In her book, she charts her path to career success and collects stories from the women who founded Refinery29, Drybar, Blavity, and more.
You Are a Mogul
Tiffany Pham. Simon & Schuster, Sept.
The 31-year-old founder and CEO of Mogul—which Sheryl Sandberg called the #1 millennial platform—offers her path to success as inspiration and shares stories from other women she deems moguls, including Elle editor-in-chief Nina Garcia and original View co-host Star Jones. “I always thought, ‘Why is this word that’s so dear to me, so powerful to me, used only in speaking about men?’ ” she says of both the word mogul and the platform, which provides a networking community for women in 196 countries. “We are lifting each other up.”
You’re Not Lost
Maxie McCoy. TarcherPerigee, Aug.
McCoy, a motivational speaker, suggests that rather than focusing on big-picture, “what am I going to do with my life?” questions, millennial women should take small steps that will boost confidence and help them find direction.
