What's Holding You Back? Eight Critical Choices for Women's Success

Rating:
Summary: If you could be doing more with your life, read this book!
Review: "What's Holding You Back" is the most interesting and motivating book I've read since attending college 20 years ago. Dr. Austin provides strategies for women to achieve their dreams, without undermining motherhood. As a former marketing professional and current at-home mom (the last eight years) it's given me the motivation I've needed to stop worrying about all the barriers and rather focus on taking the steps now to achieving my goals.

Dr. Austin explores the differences between men's and women's roles in the family and society and how this shapes women's self-esteem and expectations for achievement. She then offers a practical step-by-step plan for accomplishing your goals. The book is filled with inspiring and amusing stories of famous and not-so-famous women who achieved their goals despite overwhelming obstacles. Whatever your background or age, you'll know "if they can do it, I can do it!".

Regarding her appearance on "Oprah" last week, Dr. Austin was the most intelligent and charismatic psychiatrist Oprah has had. It was fascinating to see how Dr. Austin "zeroed-in" on the conflicts of each guest and provided an insightful and meaningful solution that each woman could use to improve her life. Unfortunately, in one hour they only touched the surface of her book. I hope Dr. Austin will return for a more comprehensive interview.

Rating:
Summary: A Self-Defeating Collaboration
Review: According to Austin, "Making correct choices will enable women to overcome the obstacles to professional and personal success which they now face." These choices are heavily influenced by "a powerful motivation driven by a sense of meaning" and involve "the capacity for risk-taking; the ability to focus intelligence; the ability to find and define great problems to work on; a willingness to compete in hierarchies as well as individually; the ability to tolerate and learn from failure; significant skill with difficult people; and the development of autonomy and power." Frankly, I continue to wonder why so many (most?) women still have to put up with all the illegal or at least unethical obstacles. Of course, they do. For Austin, there is one force which united all eight issues for variopus women cited, and powerfully shaped their careers: "That force was the feminine drive to affiliate with others, a drive scholars have described as the most gender-specific aspect of women's psychology." When addressing the eight critical choices for women's success, Austin organizes a wealth of information and insight within eight highly informative chapters.

Austin concludes her final chapter with this observation: "Our commonality of values and ambitions may well make it easier to build lives of accomplishment as well as loving relationships, with deeper appreciation of our shared humanity." I agree. One final point: Although Austin's perspectives are gender-specific, just about all of her advice would be of substantial value to males as well as to females. I am convinced that most human limitations are self-imposed. We hold ourselves back, perhaps convinced by others that we must do so. But obviously there are other limits such as those which result from gender discrimination. They are an obscene violation of our "shared humanity" and must be eliminated immediately.

Rating:
Summary: A Self-Defeating Collaboration
Review: According to Austin, "Making correct choices will enable women to overcome the obstacles to professional and personal success which they now face." These choices are heavily influenced by "a powerful motivation driven by a sense of meaning" and involve "the capacity for risk-taking; the ability to focus intelligence; the ability to find and define great problems to work on; a willingness to compete in hierarchies as well as individually; the ability to tolerate and learn from failure; significant skill with difficult people; and the development of autonomy and power." Frankly, I continue to wonder why so many (most?) women still have to put up with all the illegal or at least unethical obstacles. Of course, they do. For Austin, there is one force which united all eight issues for variopus women cited, and powerfully shaped their careers: "That force was the feminine drive to affiliate with others, a drive scholars have described as the most gender-specific aspect of women's psychology." When addressing the eight critical choices for women's success, Austin organizes a wealth of information and insight within eight highly informative chapters.

Austin concludes her final chapter with this observation: "Our commonality of values and ambitions may well make it easier to build lives of accomplishment as well as loving relationships, with deeper appreciation of our shared humanity." I agree. One final point: Although Austin's perspectives are gender-specific, just about all of her advice would be of substantial value to males as well as to females. I am convinced that most human limitations are self-imposed. We hold ourselves back, perhaps convinced by others that we must do so. But obviously there are other limits such as those which result from gender discrimination. They are an obscene violation of our "shared humanity" and must be eliminated immediately.

Rating:
Summary: This gifted woman helps others achieve their dreams!
Review: Eight choices which affect women's success are covered in What's Holding You Back?, a guide which analyzes why women continue to underachieve and fall below top management levels. Research studies, interviews and focus groups lend to Austin's analysis of how women fail at the eight critical choices which determine success or underachievement paths.

Rating:
Summary: Didn't deliver the answers it promissed
Review: I bought this book because I saw it reviewed on Oprah. They touched on all pertinent questions regarding why women feel 'stuck' and can't seem to move forward in their goals. Topics such as fear of success and taking risks, years of 'feminine'conditioning, lack of motivation and anxiety to name a few were some of the reasons. The way the book presents itself is that it will cover these topics and offer constructive advice as to how to overcome these issues and move forward. It never did. I found the book to be very informative if you want statistics and thorough research on the effects of years of feminism and how women are trying to overcome the need to nest-build and sacrifice their careers for family life. The book touched on a lot of eye-opening facts. Linda Austin wrote excessively about her research and included a lot of case studies of the professionals she interviewed, but with no practical advice or solutions. I read the book twice...maybe I missed something the first time. At the end of it I just felt worried for the future of working women...very daunting. I was not impressed at all. I was really hoping for some answers.

Rating:
Summary: What's Holding You Back? ...this book!
Review: If you enjoy anthropological and biological theories in trying to explain female/feminine behaviors,then this book is for you.But if you are looking for what I'd call a psychic/psychological awakening read or listen to "Wishing Well" this will expand your mind way beyond the artificalised limits of gender and inspire you to start seeing yourself as a soul,it will teach you that thoughts are things and you can make it happen.

I think way too many books,which as What's Holding You Back? use questionable and controversal theories for gender differences which make it seem as though there is no middle ground, no individuality,male this way and female another. I get very tired of hearing in self help books how women can use their greater intuition,people oriented skills and verbal skills when in my case and some other,this does not apply to us.What help is anything which makes assumptions of its readers without realizing not all of a certain group/gender has the same abilities to begin with. Personally I enjoy reading books that open the boundaries not close one up with sentences such as "the male hormone testorstone makes boys more prone to taking risks" doesn't that just make girls seem a bit defective,poor me I wasn't born with enough testostrone,but maybe I was because as a young child I was very much the tomboy til my wicked ways caught up with me one day and I was told to "be a lady" those words put such boundaries on me that not til recently did I no longer care what others though but decided to draw on my inner tomboy for full self awareness. Try books that are for both genders,maybe more focused on energy and thought than biology and anthropolical explainations.

We don't need wordy and somewhat suspicious theories to explain the behaviors we are trying to escape from ..what we really need is inspiration to fullfill dreams and make them come true.

Rating:
Summary: What's Holding You Back?
Review: Women's rights basically began in 1920 and since then women have made great strides in trying to become equal to men in many aspects of life, however in most case they fail to achieve the same accolades as there male counterparts. After reading this book I found that women can succeed and Austin give you the 8 reasons why and how.

Austin's radio program "What's On your Mind?" is the launching pad for this book and each chapter takes and breakdown commonly held myths about why and women are supposed act and what they are entitled to . Austin gives a great explanation into what women must do in order to make headway in a male dominated society.

From the beginning with Channeling Motivation, Austin has you learning how to turn an idea in real action. The learning to take risks chapter dispels the old myth that girls can't play as rough as men, Austin powerful explanation will unlock the inner power and allow you become more confident and change t your outlook in life.

Other chapter include Moving away from Problem Fixing, which has always been the "Women's Role" in learning about the problem finding, which Austin believes is one of the most important steps in becoming successful. Austin also gives you several ways to handling annoying and difficult people in the business world.

Now I am certainly no expert in women's issues, but after reading this book I found myself looking and thinking differently about women in the workplace and how over the past 80 years changes have been made and also how difficult it was to make those changes. Linda Austin has a written a most impressive book that not only women but men as well might want to take a look at.