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Lessons for our daughters: 'How Jane Won'
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| Imagine a room full of successful women, all willing to share their insights about what made them so successful. You'll find that in How Jane Won: 55 Successful Women Share How They Grew from Ordinary Girls into Extraordinary Women (Crown Publishers 2001). While it's targeted to teens and young adults, this valuable collection of interviews was compiled by Dr. Sylvia Rimm with her daughter, Dr. Sara Rimm-Kaufman. The women surveyed represent a broad range of lifestyles and careers, and come from diverse backgrounds. Each tells her own story in her own words, and the varying narrative styles make for an interesting and engaging read. If you start out believing there is a common childhood thread among successful women, you'll soon be convinced that's a fallacy. Those profiled here have family relationships that range from excellent to horrendous. They come from dire financial hardships and great wealth and ease, some had connections and some built the ladder they climbed to the top. The authors highlight in bold type the critical elements of each woman's story. They've also added special touches; for instance, a narrative from nationally certified teacher Lisa Hayes-Taylor, titled "A Role Model for her Daughter," includes a paragraph entitled, "What Lisa's Eight-Year-Old Daughter, Sarah, Learned" – in Sarah's own words. In the final chapter, titled "Coda", the authors reflect that women's lives are like a symphony, with changing rhythms and recurring themes, a vast array of voices and emotions. "We anticipate that one or more of these women in our book will motivate, strengthen, stimulate or support you in some small way in your life goals. As you sign or play out your own personal life symphony, we are confident that they will help you strike the best chords, harmonies and melodies for your own individual fulfillment. |
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