Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work

It’s possible for women to “rebalance the equation and to take back our power,” writes Ancestry CEO Liu in her inspiring debut, a guide “to changing yourself while changing the world.” She recounts her experience in the early aughts climbing the corporate ladder, working at PayPal, eBay, and as v-p at Facebook before landing at Ancestry. No matter where she worked, though, Liu felt like the “odd ‘man’ out” as the only woman. To help other women become “leaders equal to men,” she offers 10 rules, including charting one’s own course (breaking a goal into “achievable units with monthly or quarterly milestones” can help), learning to forgive (since workplace conflict is “inevitable”), developing allies (such as mentors, sponsors, and a circle of coworkers with shared interests), and creating balance at home (“a strong partnership at home is the rock on which you build your career”). The book also includes great interviews with high-powered women: the experience of Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina woman in space, is a case study in making one’s voice heard, and Sylvia Acevedo, one of “America’s Top 50 Women in Tech” per Forbes, “never allow[ed] others to underestimate her.” Practical and wise, this is a worthy addition to the body of work on empowering women. (Aug.)