Cyndi Maxey

Honestly, I really didn't like this book. It's extremely sexist for one: you should make sports references in your talks (because all guys like sports obviously), and "as a woman" you're obviously more emotional, more empathic, more *insert stereotypically feminine trait here*. Rather patronizing, really. They mention in the foreword that they deliberately tried to make it good for females by debating over chapters, and it was written by a man-woman team, but that didn't keep it from stereotyping everything in sight. Women are also never supposed to talk about their children/family, unless, of course, it's a sporting event. (In which case you can use two sentences). Made me mad quite a bit reading it.

I read this because it was recommended as a good public speaking book for my childbirth education class. It's one of the options for that topic for training. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody, unless they're really, really into business and executive-world. It's extremely full of business jargon, and reads like a self-help book that's way too into itself. "Value" and "attitude" and "networking" abound.

Honestly, I think part of the reason the book is so sexist is because it is designed for women who are trying to move their way up the corporate ladder. It's just very designed for them. For them, I can see the suggestions being of great value in a very misogynistic world (excluding the comments about how empathic and caring every single woman is, but for the rest of society, I wouldn't really recommend it.… (mer)