Rating: 
Summary: I Don't Know How She Does It
Review: I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson is a fictionalized peek into the world of a archtype heroine/super-mother named Kate Reddy. Although Kate's struggles are often chaotic and tedious, behind her polished exterior is a tattered and tenacious mommy of 2 striving to achieve her profesional dreams while being catapolted into agonizingly impossible family chaos. Before setting out to read this fascinating, albeit far-fetched, novel of working motherhood, I made sure to remind myself that it's only fiction and not to be internalized as a factual manual of "how to's" for mothers of today's working world. With this in mind, I found Pearson's work enjoyable and fascinating as Kate Reddy plows through a loaded sexist work-environment, and puts up with a nanny who seems narcissitic and chappy. If you're looking for a character to relate to as a working woman and mother, you might look somewhere else. But if you're a fan of the eccentric and ready to take a ride into the world of "it could be worse," then I recommend this book. It's a delightful journey for those more grounded in mommy-hood and career than Kate Reddy.
Rating: 
Summary: Should be required reading for husbands of working mothers
Review: I LOVED this book! I didn't always love Kate, but that just made her more real. As a working mom, I could relate to many of her struggles and guilt. I am trying to go part-time to help balance my life. This is, as Kate & her friends found, very difficult for a professional to do and still be seen as a professional. I found myself reading bits of the book out loud to my husband (who is ALMOST as nice as Kate's). Working is different for men, but I don't think they realize HOW different. Reading this book might give them some perspective! I have to admit the ending was a bit disappointing to me, but overall I think this was a fantastic and very entertaining read and I have recommended it to all my working-mom friends.
Rating:
Summary: Sympathy for K8
Review: The reviews to date on this book prove that the topic of mothers working outside the home continues to be extremely controversial. That in and of itself is kind of sad. Apparently, there are some taboos that have persisted into our supposedly enlightened, liberated times -- as when K8/Kate, the heroine, gets pilloried (both in the book and by readers) for letting it slip that her husband, a nice, "kind" individual who is nonetheless content to lounge around in his bathrobe while K8 runs herself ragged, is not the primary breadwinner. K8 is criticized (and wracked with guilt) in the book both for neglecting children, husband and home, and alternately for not being committed enough to her career. I find it ironic that readers have jumped in condemning her from both sides as well. This is a work of fiction, not a manual on how to balance work and family, and readers who are looking for the latter will be disappointed. I found many things in the book that resonated with my own experience as a stressed out mother with a very challenging career. My choices are not the same as K8's, but in the year 2003, it seems that we should all have more respect for women who find different paths through the minefield of motherhood and work. I found the book both hilarious and poignant and would recommend it to friends.
Rating:
Summary: A definite read for working mom's! But not for husbands
Review: Of course "I don't know how she does it" is a bit over the top sometimes but it is not meant to be non-fiction but rather, as the author says in her aknowledgements, a compilation of stories & feelings shared with her by many working moms. There were parts I didn't personally relate to but nothwithstanding it is the best read I've had in a while. This could have been just a funny & sad story of working women if it were not for Ms. Pearson's fabulous style full of wit, not to mention imagery that was so on target I wondered if she had climbed into my head to do research for her book! For example the comparison of a working moms head to the air traffic control tower at Gatwick with ideas, to do lists and worries all circling and waiting for further landing instructions was brilliant! I found myself savoring every chapter, especially the "must remember" lists at the end of each one. My husband, however did not appreciate the bits I read to him, even though I found them hilarious, so I would not recommend this as a way to show your partner his shortcomings no matter how much he may resemble Kate Reddy's husband in the book! I will agree with the other reviewers that the ending is a bit of a let down but I still would recommend the book wholeheartedly as the rest of it is excellent. I haven't ever laughed this hard out loud when reading a book or felt soooo understood. I am giving it to all my working mother friends!
Rating:
Summary: Sympathy for K8
Review: It's not surprising that readers have such disparate opinions on this book -- it deals with a difficult topic and may be stirring up some of what we used to call the "mommy wars" --but some of the readers need to lighten up. I agree with the reviewer who urges readers to accept the book as fiction and enjoy the wonderful, dead-on wit of the book. I did not find the heroine ("K8"/Kate) silly, a bad mother/wife, a poor role model or a spoiled brat. She comes from a lower-middle class background, had an unreliable father (which explains much of her drive and her great fear of relying on anyone other than herself), and worked her way into an extremely successful career through hard work and intelligence. She loves her children passionately and that is the source of her conflict. Some of the qualities that make her a successful career woman -- drive and perfectionism -- make her and those around her a little crazy. Her husband, a very relaxed individual, exacerbates K8's compulsive tendencies with his what-me-worry attitude. That is often a conflict where opposites attract. I think most mothers, whether or not they work outside the home, find their children have to outrank husband (and friends, other family members and leisure)in demands for attention. That is on top of the work/family dilemma. These are some of the real conflicts that the book illustrates. K8's far from perfect, but I found her more believable for that reason. There is much in the book that is dead-on and hysterically funny. It is not at all anti-stay-at-home mom -- K8's friend Jill, a stay-at-home mother, is practically elevated to sainthood in the book. The author has deliberately chosen an extreme career for K8 -- with international travel,extremely demanding clients, an enduring misogynist culture and intense competition. It is in some ways a caricature of the work/family conflicts the average person faces, but that provides a lot of the humor. Of course many of us may find other ways to resolve these conflicts, and God bless us all. But let's not pillory K8 for the situation she finds herself in or way she chooses to resolve it.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't get past the first chapter for laughing
Review: As someone who knows a bit about what Kate Reddy pretends to do for a living in this book, I choked with laughter all the way through the first chapter. If only the author had done some preliminary research as to what a hedge fund manager actually does this book might have been more palatable and I might have taken it home from the bookstore. As a hedge fund manager, walking in the door at 9:05am would be something extremely unusual - equivalent to an abdication of all responsibility. In London, the markets open at 8am, and woe betide anyone who is not at their desks at 7:30 when the morning meetings at large asset managers start. Kate woke up at 6? Try 5 or 4:30. And later in the book, Kate calmly accepts a complete lack of bonus. In this industry a good 50%+ of your compensation comes at bonus time. No bonus is tantamount to an invitation to resign ASAP. I imagine that this book probably has something important to say about the difficulties of raising children and simultaneously rising to meet the challenges of an intense career. It's a pity the author decided to prove her point by choosing a sexy career for her heroine without bothering to do the research which would have backed it up. If Allison Pearson thinks Kate Reddy has it tough, she should see how the rest of us have it.
Rating:
Summary: The Ending Saves the Book!
Review: Just finished after tearing through this well-written slice of contemporary mothering. The ending is brilliant and the ONLY possible happy ending to trying to balance the impossible at the sacrifice of our children. Kate Reddy's humerous ways that she manages to shortchange her family, her clients and herself are really tragic. I was about to put down the book because I was sure that this was attempt to advocate leaving children (by choice) for some meaningless gain. Mothers - Unite! There is something in this book for each of us. For the unique perspective of what it is like to be a thrity-something mother in these post-feminist (mid-feminist?) times - enjoy this thought-provoking read!
Rating:
Summary: The Truth About Motherhood?
Review: Allison Pearson is a brave woman. She says what many mothers feel, but are afraid to say. It's hard being a working mother. It's hard being a mother, period. But can we really have it all? A high-flying career and a balanced family life? Unlike some other reviews I have read, I won't give away the ending to this book. But what I can say is that I realize what a struggle it is to be a mother. That's what this book is about. This book is about real life, like it or not. Of course, this book's ending may raise a few eyebrows, but that's what I liked about it. I loved the ending, I may not have made the same decision as Kate Reddy if I were her, but I respect her for it. If you are a mother, plan on being one, have a mother, know a mother, or are just plain curious about motherhood, read this book. I commend Allison Pearson for writing about reality, not some storybook romance where everything is "happily ever after".
Rating: 
Summary: Great topic / well written / a few problems w/content
Review: Great inside scoop on the life of a high powered working mom. Liked it so much, couldn't take the paltry ending. A couple of other problems:
1) If Kate is so conflicted about having it all, why didn't she figure it out after the first kid, and go on to have a second.
1a) Its a shame Kate gave up when she did, because in a year or two things would have gotten easier with the children. At least the vomiting would decrease.
2) Kate obviously shouldn't have married that architect. He doesn't support her expensive lifestyle. Even so, she's so much better off than her sister. Kate is a spoiled brat.
3) Why can't Kate think of any other reasons to not stay at home other than "would go mad". Kate secretly wants to stay at home, I guess. Otherwise she would be articulating the debate in her own mind a more equitably.
4) Kate doesn't know the real secret to having it all: gypping everybody a bit including the office.
5) An international travel job doesn't even work for a father.
6) If she's so high powered why is the nanny running all over her? Even if nannies are so scarce, with all the money she supposedly has, she could pay one well enough to lick her toes. More money to the nanny, less money on the shoes.
7) I suspect that the feelings come from the author who should have examined her own feelings a little more closely, and figured that she would be insulting the very women who are her target audience.
8) I have a pretty good job, one child, a nanny, time for sports (a couple hours a week). My family eats out of boxes, & has homecooked meals made by both parents sometimes. Both parents do laundry. I worked my way through college, while other kids had more fun time. I worked my way through graduate school. I am working my way through motherhood. In the ideal world I would live at the beach with my family and none of us would work. We'd windsurf all day. But in the real world, I have to work. And, I am fortunate to like my job, and I am fortunate to have a beautiful baby girl who is on my lap right now and has fallen asleep on my desk as I write this review. I, unlike Kate Reddy, know how very blessed I am.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read, But . . .
Review: As a working mom, I found myself intermittently laughing, cringing, weeping, and cheering throughout this novel. In many ways, I was able to identify with Kate. However, I, too, was disappointed with the ending (but will not give it away). Nonworking moms might enjoy it, but the book probably would not have the same impact for them. I WOULD NOT reccomend it to a new/expectant mom who has not yet decided what to do about her career.
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