Rating: 
Summary: Definitive, essential and inspiring.
Review: Hallelujah! Valian has not only done her homework; she's done ALL of our homework. Anybody who doubts the power of subtle discrimination to shape, and warp, women's professional lives should read this book. But all is not glum: Valian goes beyond merely cataloguing problems to offer thoughtful and creative solutions as well.
Rating:
Summary: Have we come a long way, baby?
Review: I discovered this book browsing through the bibliography of Woman, An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier. Some of the statistics Angier used truly frightened me, and this excellent book turned out to be the source. This book paints a fascinatingly disturbing picture of the status of women in modern society, and Valian relies on statistics, data and research to back up her theory that we haven't progressed quite as far as we might think. Because Why So Slow? focuses on research rather than anecdotal evidence or experiences, it does come across as 'somewhat dry,' as one reviewer noted, but I still couldn't put it down as I completely engrossed in and upset by what I was reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone at all interested in the position of women in current society. It certainly opened my eyes and has helped me notice things that otherwise wouldn't have caught my attention - examples of gender bias are so pervasive, and Valian does not sugar coat the story. Again, Why So Slow is invaluable for people - men and women alike - who are concerned about women's place in the modern world - I cannot recommend it highly enough. Be prepared to be annoyed and disturbed but don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Have we come a long way, baby?
Review: I discovered this book browsing through the bibliography of Woman, An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier. Some of the statistics Angier used truly frightened me, and this excellent book turned out to be the source. This book paints a fascinatingly disturbing picture of the status of women in modern society, and Valian relies on statistics, data and research to back up her theory that we haven't progressed quite as far as we might think. Because Why So Slow? focuses on research rather than anecdotal evidence or experiences, it does come across as 'somewhat dry,' as one reviewer noted, but I still couldn't put it down as I completely engrossed in and upset by what I was reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone at all interested in the position of women in current society. It certainly opened my eyes and has helped me notice things that otherwise wouldn't have caught my attention - examples of gender bias are so pervasive, and Valian does not sugar coat the story. Again, Why So Slow is invaluable for people - men and women alike - who are concerned about women's place in the modern world - I cannot recommend it highly enough. Be prepared to be annoyed and disturbed but don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Finally, some data
Review: If you're interested in the empirical findings which back-up many often dismissed feminist claims that women have a raw deal...then read this book.
Easy to read with some engrossing anecdotes (included only to illustrate, not prove, her points as pointed out by Valian herself), this book is a convincing tour guide of women's achievement in male-dominated professions.
My advisor in graduate school actually recommended this book with only one warning: don't read it when you're already depressed about the plight of women! By the middle of it, you might be ready to throw your hands up in the air and think the situation is hopeless...but luckily Valian includes a careful analysis of possible solutions. By googling her I also found out that she's making some proactive efforts (as a professor at CUNY) to put theory into practice. Bravo.
Rating: 
Summary: STARRED REVIEW IN PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
Review: Social psychologist Valian thinks that the Western world has gotten gender all wrong. "As social beings we tend to perceive the genders as alternatives to each other, as occupying opposite and contrasting ends of a continuum," she writes, "even though the sexes are not opposite but are much more alike than they are different." Indeed, despite nearly three decades of feminism,"gender schema" -- the assumption that masculine and feminine characteristics determine personality and ability -- continue to influence the expectations and thinking of most Americans. Just about everyone, Valian writes, assumes that men are independent, task-oriented and assertive, while women are tagged as expressive and nuturing. As such, women lag behind in many professions and continue to do the lion's share of housework and child-rearing. Girls remain less attentive in math and science, while even women who attend medical school tend to steer themselves into "gender appropriate" slots such as family practice or pediatrics. Valian bases her findings on research conducted by social scientists in fields as disparate as psychology, education, sociology, and economics, and the result is a work that is both scholarly and anecdotally rich. But it also posits concrete suggestions for changing the way we view the sexes, from stepped-up affirmative action programs, to timetables for rectifying gender-based valuations. Accessible and lively, WHY SO SLOW? is a breakthrough in the discourse on gender and has great potential to move the women's movement to a new, more productive phase. (full text of December 15, 1997 review)
Rating:
Summary: the data you need
Review: Spells out clearly and carefully how it is that, despite the good intentions of many, women are still paid less and are in fewer positions of power within the academy. Especially helpful in explaining how subtly gender bias can exert its effect. Should be on the Must Read list for any dean or provost who is serious about addressing gender equity in hiring, promotion, retention, or pay.
Rating:
Summary: Definitive, essential and inspiring.
Review: Valian has succeeded in taking the hysteria out of sex discrimination and replacing it with cool, calm rational thinking. Though much of her text makes reference to previous research, she incorporates these references with a graceful sleight of hand that enables the layman (laywoman?) to get the gist, while making resources readily available to those who wish to pursue the details. This book should be required reading of every Chief Executive Officer, and everyone else who agrees that we have not maximized our potential until we've made it possible for every woman to contribute her share of brilliance to the world in general. Women: you're not crazy after all. Valian points out ways that our influence is compromised in today's "slow" working world. It's not just you. It's everybody with two x chromosomes. Knowledge is power. Read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A wake-up call for us all
Review: Valian has succeeded in taking the hysteria out of sex discrimination and replacing it with cool, calm rational thinking. Though much of her text makes reference to previous research, she incorporates these references with a graceful sleight of hand that enables the layman (laywoman?) to get the gist, while making resources readily available to those who wish to pursue the details. This book should be required reading of every Chief Executive Officer, and everyone else who agrees that we have not maximized our potential until we've made it possible for every woman to contribute her share of brilliance to the world in general. Women: you're not crazy after all. Valian points out ways that our influence is compromised in today's "slow" working world. It's not just you. It's everybody with two x chromosomes. Knowledge is power. Read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A tad dry, but enlightening
Review: Valian's premise is the "accumulation of advantage" and how one male and one female who start off on a theoretically equal footing quickly end up in different positions. We all have subconscious biases that play a part in our evaluation of education, experience, leadership skills, etc. Recognizing them, and ensuring equal exposure to experiences and opportunities, will help. An example that struck me was in the case of a female and a male in a business setting who both spoke a foreign language. Both were candidates for an overseas position with their company. The man's fluency was seen as evidencing his seriousness about his career, while the women's was seen as something she dabbled in--like a hobby. So, the ability to speak a foreign language was a plus in the case of the male but a negative (not even neutral) in the case of the female. As a social scientist, Valian writes in an academic style. Her work is footnoted and statistics back up her points. She makes her arguments in a matter-of-fact way that lends credence to her book.
Rating:
Summary: A tad dry, but enlightening
Review: Valian's premise is the "accumulation of advantage" and how one male and one female who start off on a theoretically equal footing quickly end up in different positions. We all have subconscious biases that play a part in our evaluation of education, experience, leadership skills, etc. Recognizing them, and ensuring equal exposure to experiences and opportunities, will help. An example that struck me was in the case of a female and a male in a business setting who both spoke a foreign language. Both were candidates for an overseas position with their company. The man's fluency was seen as evidencing his seriousness about his career, while the women's was seen as something she dabbled in--like a hobby. So, the ability to speak a foreign language was a plus in the case of the male but a negative (not even neutral) in the case of the female. As a social scientist, Valian writes in an academic style. Her work is footnoted and statistics back up her points. She makes her arguments in a matter-of-fact way that lends credence to her book.
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