O থেকে 4632 Pashovi, Bulgaria
This book took a while to get into, because the chapters themselves are not very well organized. However, the content was worth slugging through the first couple of chapters - I was amazed at what I learned. I knew that there was a larger problem with mothers in the workforce, and that my career was not family friendly, but I did not realize how widespread the problems are. The premise is that the workplace is set up for an ideal worker who has no family commitments (or other commitments) outside of work. S/he will be available at all hours and never have to take time off beyond perhaps 2 weeks of vacation a year (if the job will actually allow you to take off the time you earn). This is not acceptable in a post-women-entering-the-workplace world. Mothers are being forced out of the workplace because there is no option to work part-time or to return to work after an extended leave of absence (because there will be a gap in your resume). She explains it all more eloquently, and offers solutions (things that are being done, and things that can be done). It was depressing and uplifting at the same time - depressing to see how many mothers have been affected by this situation, but uplifting to know that I'm not the only one who feels frustrated by it. I do have 2 criticisms - first, the organization is a bit difficult, especially at the beginning. Second, this is geared entirely towards mothers. She does mention fathers, but there is a huge presumption that her audience is female. Fair enough, I suppose, for a feminist work, but if her main contention is that there no such thing as a war between stay at home and working mothers, and that mothers should cease to see themselves in opposition, I don't see what good can come from framing this as a mothers vs. fathers situation - a stand she sometimes approaches, even as she says that this is an issue for fathers too.