Rating: 
Summary: Laughable
Review: Is this the book of a military leader, a General Officer, or is it the feminist guidebook for survival in the military? It is a joke. Kennedy was nothing but a "straw-man" in the military, she was shielded from the real army by serving in one strategic assignment to the next and never saw battle or led troops in battle, and she rose to the rank of general? The army needs military leaders, not corporate managers and rebels who wear their gender on their collar. Kennedy was always quick to mentor female soldiers, officers particularly, but find me a male officer she mentored, I dare you. Nevertheless, the army needed to "check the block" to prove it was pursuing equality, they did it by promoting this hapless woman who did more to damage the army than she did good. Thank God For Greyhound! The book is not about the military or a military leader, it is the work of a gloating marplot who used her gender and her education to manipulate and politic to her position. She is not a military leader, never has been, and never will be. I have known her for over 20 years, as a soldier.
Rating: 
Summary: A great career story
Review: Reviewers who dismiss the book as a "woman's story" are missing the point. Kennedy joined the Army as a WAC and, as a young officer, was denied access to combat branches. She made strategic moves throughout her career, choosing a branch where her gender wouldn't hold her back, knowing when to speak out and when to keep quiet.
I loved the sections about her training: she didn't worry about getting demerits or being yelled at, and she did worry when she never did get her brass and shoes to shine as brightly as those of her classmates.
The mentoring discussion is superb. She offers guidance to men AND women -- but she dismisses a woman who foolishly asks, "How can I be a general like you?"
As General Kennedy's career demonstrates, you need inner wisdom to move through a system like the Army or a giant corporation. You have limited time and you'd better figure out the rules early. That's the lesson of this book, which I would recommend to all my career consulting clients.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Fabrication
Review: This book is not worth buying! "Dear Claudia" fails to tell "the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth" in this miserable excuse of a book. Too many real episodes are left out of the book to make it worth reading. It's a good thing that the "weakest link" in the intelligence community is now retired. You would be better served by throwing your money out a car window than spending it on this sham of a book.
Rating:
Summary: Generally
Review: This book presents an excellent road map for people interested in understanding how we have arrived at where we are today--women coming home from a war in body bags.
Rating: 
Summary: Very general, useful, but not well edited
Review: This book screams for the work of a good editor and another year of rewriting. It's not particularly well organized, and leaves the reader wondering about some incidents that could have been explored in greater depth, but were left inexplicibly blank. General Kennedy is understandably provented from discussing the nature of much of her career in Army Intelligence, but totally glosses over much of the human story.Having followed her career since being a cadet, a found this book a bit disappointing and could not help but wonder why someone of talent and intelligence allowed it to go to print with such obvious quality flaws. All of that said, Kennedy and her story are important, and the book is not tedious to read, and often times funny. Those who like her will still like her, and those who dislike her, did before they even picked up the book.
Rating:
Summary: Very general, useful, but not well edited
Review: This book screams for the work of a good editor and another year of rewriting. It's not particularly well organized, and leaves the reader wondering about some incidents that could have been explored in greater depth, but were left inexplicibly blank. General Kennedy is understandably provented from discussing the nature of much of her career in Army Intelligence, but totally glosses over much of the human story. Having followed her career since being a cadet, a found this book a bit disappointing and could not help but wonder why someone of talent and intelligence allowed it to go to print with such obvious quality flaws. All of that said, Kennedy and her story are important, and the book is not tedious to read, and often times funny. Those who like her will still like her, and those who dislike her, did before they even picked up the book.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful and powerful.
Review: This is a terrific insight into breaking through the glass ceiling. While the author's experience is in the military, the lessons she offers are equally valuable in the corporate world. She avoids recriminations and all the drama and trauma so many employ in examining their successes. Instead, the author presents real life examples, problems and solutions, that are transferable to a multitude of situations. It is a fascinating personal history with important lessons to be learned by women (and men!) in all walks of life. I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Management Insights
Review: This is an excellent book-well written and informative. It is useful in understabding the military, management and communication and the glass ceiling. I will recommed it for management classes.
Rating:
Summary: Good message - poor writing
Review: This story of General Kennedy's military career is interesting from two aspects. First is the transition of the army from the Vietnam draft era to today's all-volunteer army, which is of interest to military history enthusiasts. Second is the story of a woman's progression through a traditionally all-male organization to a very senior position, which is (or should be) of interest to managers and HR people as well as women in any job. Unfortunately, the book is poorly written and poorly edited. The text switches back and forth between a historical narrative and collections of thoughts on specific topics. As a result, many experiences are discussed in almost identical words in more than one place in the book. This leaves the reader having to slog through already-familiar material to gain new information. (Actually, the book reads as if a ghostwriter simply transcribed interview tapes and tried to organize the interviews to make some sort of sense without taking any editorial responsibility.) Better organized and edited, this could be a classic for men and women aspiring to senior management positions. As it is, you'll have to read patiently to get the General's message.
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