Rating: 
Summary: Rx - Reread 4 Times Annually
Review: An affirming little tome, Rubin continues to bolster those of us who just want to do good business - and are surprised when our best intentions don't speak for themselves. With wit, character studies and a bit of mystery, she continues in this writ to draw our best selves out of us - the ones that want to win at the boys' game but have a little girl's sense of play about the rules.I find myself bringing this book out when I have been broadsided and need to regain my bearings in this mannish world of business-as-baseball ethics and practices. And I bring it out to add to the underlines already there, because with each re-read there are more messages, more thought-provoking phrases and more challenges to the greater good that I have missed in readings past. It's a mysterious book; don't think you'll get all the illustrations and diatribes with the first read. But know that it was written just for you, wherever you find yourself having to 'best' instead of 'win' for the sake of good business.
Rating:
Summary: Rx - Reread 4 Times Annually
Review: An affirming little tome, Rubin continues to bolster those of us who just want to do good business - and are surprised when our best intentions don't speak for themselves. With wit, character studies and a bit of mystery, she continues in this writ to draw our best selves out of us - the ones that want to win at the boys' game but have a little girl's sense of play about the rules. I find myself bringing this book out when I have been broadsided and need to regain my bearings in this mannish world of business-as-baseball ethics and practices. And I bring it out to add to the underlines already there, because with each re-read there are more messages, more thought-provoking phrases and more challenges to the greater good that I have missed in readings past. It's a mysterious book; don't think you'll get all the illustrations and diatribes with the first read. But know that it was written just for you, wherever you find yourself having to 'best' instead of 'win' for the sake of good business.
Rating: 
Summary: how to focus your energy to succes
Review: An eye-opener for those who don't feel good about standard strategies to succes. How feminin attitudes ( openess, enthousiasme, emotionality even feminin clothes) can help you with succes in bussiness and carrier. It gave me a great push to go on in the way that feels best for me. I advice this book to all (wo)men that don't feel comfartable with most books on management strategies.
Rating: 
Summary: A trifle disingenuous; take on The Prince not convincing.
Review: An interesting work which makes subtle use of weakness as strength in various situations, however, the use of flaunting where flouting is the correct word is extremely irritating, and the example of the concubines from The Art of War is just plain wrong.In my translation once the two favourite concubines were executed for NOT obeying orders the rest of the 180 obeyed with great precision. So much for "besting". None-the-less I found the book an entertaining read, but give me the real Machiavelli any day !
Rating:
Summary: A wetstone for the psyche.
Review: As a male it was necessary to turn off much of my "programming" to absorb and reflect without judgement. This text will push your buttons and stretch your envelope. I cannot honestly say I agree with the author on every point, but then that would make for a boring world wouldn't it ? The test of theory is in the application. The bottom line ..... put the shared consciousness offered in the book to the test and you will find most of it is valid.
Rating:
Summary: Real Girl Power
Review: As an intelligent and powerful woman, I struggled a great deal to accept and rejoice in my femininity and womanhood. Many books for women either told them to be men or encouraged a whiny manipulation that seemed counter to real power. Rubin's book came as a spring rain on a parched soul! I read it through rapidly and plan on reading it again. It was wonderful to have my power as a woman affirmed and valued. If you are a woman that has a dominant personality and have been accused of being un-womanly, or if you have been struggling to find power in what seems to be a weaker position, read this book. There is always so much more strength in embracing the reality of who you are and acting out of the joy and satisfaction that it brings, rather than denying who you are.
On a side note, I have had several men in my life tell me that they consider me (and my sister who also embraces these ideals) to be very powerful women, and yet still beautiful. It is not because of any sort of physical perfection, but that the joy in our womanhood and our strong personalities work together to give us power and connection with the men and women around us. Definitely worth a read!
Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't compare to the real thing
Review: Do not bother with this disjointed, disappointing attempt to tell women how to get ahead. Rubin's treatise is poorly constructed and difficult to follow. She fails to appreciate the most important lesson in Machiavelli's The Prince: that you must be willing to do whatever is necessary to get ahead. She instead insists that women are incapable of that kind of ruthlessness, and advises that we take everything on the chin and hope we can turn a string of failures into success. No thanks. I'll just stick with the original.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Don't waste your time on this book. Convoluted and concepts poorly strung together. Lacking substance, condescending tone, and not realistic. I recommend: Gail Evans' Play Like a Man Win Like a Woman.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe really only 1 1/2 stars...
Review: Finally, a book for wannabe braindead yuppie-type career oriented women with a case of executive-office envy! Having read the other reviews, I'll add that the Sun Tzu thing isn't the only error in the book. Rubin thinks it was women who invented birth control technology (cheering for the girls...), whereas it was actually male doctors and scientists who did this work. It was women reformers and physicians who opposed birth control early on... She tosses out the term "strong attractors", which is from chaos theory (she's for "constructive" chaos, an oxymoron); unfortunately, it should be "strange attractors". -Guess the scientifically illiterate target female audience would never catch this, but an editor should. Rubin has an obsession with what's called a one-down position, leading to guerilla tactics. It then seems contradictory that she's also trumpeting "women's special powers". As if all that weren't enough, the original Machiavelli was ultimately concerned with the well-being of his land and his people, service to the community if you will. By contrast, Rubin wants *you* to get ahead in the rat race, though I doubt this book would do one any good at being a better rat. Make sure you get that tear-proof mascara for those important meetings...
Rating:
Summary: A book that is inspirational for women everywhere!
Review: Harriet Rubin goes places that many people, including women, do not dare to go---good for her! It is encourging to know that other princess's exist in this world of male dominance. It was helpful that the author laid out effective ways of expressing women's place in this world---a place of power.
| 
