I was somewhat skeptical when I read this book. As a strong believer that you can both be a good and successful person and that corporate cutthroat is not the only way to succeed, I had a somewhat harsh reaction to the title. However, I have been encouraged to read this book by several of my coworkers and finally decided to dive in and give it a try!

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the book. While it still plays into some workplace stereotypes, overall it provides some concise, actionable ideas for female leaders to implement in the workplace. I don't love that it plays into the idea that some actions are inherently feminine, but I get where the stereotypes do exist.

The effectiveness of the advice varies greatly depending on what setting your workplace is, and will definitely be more helpful in a corporate setting than in a small business or non-profit. However, if you read it with this in mind,  overall its a decent read!

As always, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through the link here. It costs you nothing and keeps this site running and producing even more amazing content weekly for you!

As someone who is up to her elbows in management every day, I frequently come across situations where I want a second opinion or reference a general guide to what the heck I should be doing. For me, this book is just that. While it's not the most comprehensive text out there and certainly doesn't deal with your more wild workplace scenarios, the Essential HR Handbook is just what it claims to be- a great starting point to dealing with HR issues. I especially love their guide to interview questions. They have one of the most comprehensive selections of sample questions I've ever seen and they're all behavioral questions that are easy to incorporate into your own hiring practices. For the brand new manager or HR professional, this reference book is a great starting place. 

Thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the author. I receive a small commission if you purchase through the link provided here. ​

One of my favorite bloggers of all time is Allison Green of Ask a Manager. She offers practical advice, hilarious workplace stories, and hours of entertainment scrolling through her blog. I have religiously read her blog for years and it's my morning routine to check and see what she's writing abut. 

For those of you that are job hunting, I highly recommend her eBook, How to Get a Job. It's full of practical advice on everything from answering interview questions to explaining why you were fired from your last job.

For those who have never been on the other side of the table, it's a valuable insight into what the hiring manager is thinking and what you can do to make them see your value. It can be overwhelming trying to figure out exactly what your interviewer is thinking and trying to "hack" the interview process. However, those of us who hire know that gimmicks aren't the way to a job. This book offers the alternative- real, solid advice that works. Definitely worth a read if you're on the market for a new job!

​Thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the author. I receive a small commission if you purchase through the link provided here. 

So up front, I want to say that one of the authors, Alison Green, is my management idol. Her popular blog, Ask a Manager, is a must-read for me daily. She answers some of the most entertaining workplace questions (think "an employee is putting magic curses on her coworkers") with tact and straight-forward advice. A large part of my management philosophy was developed through her advice- so of course, when I realized she had a book, I snagged a copy. 

While definitely geared towards nonprofits, this guide offers straight-forward advice with practical examples and applications that almost any manager can learn from. For a newer manager, this guide is invaluable, especially if you've been thrown into management with little support or training (as many of us are). I keep a copy of this book on my shelf and reference it frequently, especially when interviewing or doing annual evaluations. I love her interview question examples and have noticed a dramatic change in the effectiveness of my interviewing after implementing her advice. 

I always offer to lend this book to new supervisors in my department this book and they agree that it was immensely helpful to learn the basics! For a new manager, I'd say it's a must read. 

You can buy this book on amazon, or grab a copy form your local library. Happy reading and I'd love to hear your impressions of the book in the comments below!

This review is my personal opinion and in no way sponsored by the authors or publisher. I do earn a small commission if you purchase the book through the amazon link provided here.