Saturday, April 22, 2017

Double Bind: Women on Ambition

Double Bind: Women on Ambition by Robin Romm  320 pages

"...the word "ambition," for many, remains loaded with ambivalence. Women who are naturally driven and goal-oriented shy away from it. They’re loath to see themselves—or be seen by others—as aggressive or, worst of all, as a bitch."    This book of essays explores the concept of female ambition from many angles and is written by a diverse group of women.

This title caught my eye as a new book, and I picked it up because I was curious.  I did find some of the essays more interesting than others, and some definitely easier to relate to than others. I agree with the point that there are words used to define women (especially in the workplace) that are negative when applied to women, but which have a positive connotation when applied to men. The word "ambitious," is one of those words and something that definitely be perceived differently both by men and women, and when applied to the behavior of a man or a woman. While I don't feel that my own opinions about the word "ambition" are changed by this book, it made for some thought-provoking reading.

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