How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings

 How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings by Sarah Cooper  209 pages

"Ambitious women are so scary. In this fast-paced business world, female leaders need to make sure they’re not perceived as pushy, aggressive, or competent. In How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings, Sarah Cooper, author of the bestselling 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings, illustrates how women can achieve their dreams, succeed in their careers, and become leaders, without harming the fragile male ego.

Chapters include, among others, “9 Non-threatening Leadership Strategies for Women,” "How to Ace Your Job Interview Without Over-acing It," and “Choose Your Own Adventure: Do You Want to Be Likable or Successful?” It even includes several pages to doodle on while men finish what they're saying. Each chapter also features an exercise with a set of "inaction items" designed to challenge women to be less challenging."

Obviously, this is a humor book -- this isn't real advice. Or is it? The not-quite-funny thing is that there are things in this book that I think a lot of women identify with. Like suggesting something in a meeting which gets ignored . . . until the guy next to you suggests the same thing and gets all the credit. Or being called "emotional," and a number of other adjectives that are positive until they're applied to describe a woman in the working environment.  I admit I snickered at several of the chapters and appreciated Cooper's snarky take on women and work.