Includes a new afterword by the author - "Slaughter's gift for
illuminating large issues through everyday human stories is what makes
this book so necessary for anyone who wants to be both a leader at work
and a fully engaged parent at home."--Arianna Huffington
**NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST, NPR,
AND THE ECONOMIST
**
When Anne-Marie Slaughter accepted her dream job as the first female
director of policy planning at the U.S. State Department in 2009, she
was confident she could juggle the demands of her position in
Washington, D.C., with the responsibilities of her family life in
suburban New Jersey. Her husband and two young sons encouraged her to
pursue the job; she had a tremendously supportive boss, Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton; and she had been moving up on a high-profile
career track since law school. But then life intervened. Parenting needs
caused her to make a decision to leave the State Department and return
to an academic career that gave her more time for her family.
The reactions to her choice to leave Washington because of her kids led
her to question the feminist narrative she grew up with. Her subsequent
article for The Atlantic, "Why Women Still Can't Have It All," created
a firestorm, sparked intense national debate, and became one of the
most-read pieces in the magazine's history.
Since that time, Anne-Marie Slaughter has pushed forward, breaking free
of her long-standing assumptions about work, life, and family. Though
many solutions have been proposed for how women can continue to break
the glass ceiling or rise above the "motherhood penalty," women at the
top and the bottom of the income scale are further and further apart.
Now, in her refreshing and forthright voice, Anne-Marie Slaughter
returns with her vision for what true equality between men and women
really means, and how we can get there. She uncovers the missing piece
of the puzzle, presenting a new focus that can reunite the women's
movement and provide a common banner under which both men and women can
advance and thrive.
With moving personal stories, individual action plans, and a broad
outline for change, Anne-Marie Slaughter reveals a future in which all
of us can finally finish the business of equality for women and men,
work and family.
"I'm confident that you will be left with Anne-Marie's hope and
optimism that we can change our points of view and policies so that both
men and women can fully participate in their families and use their full
talents on the job."--Hillary Rodham Clinton
