“If You Lean In, Will Men Just Look Down Your Blouse?”: Questions and Thoughts for Loud, Smart Women in Turbulent Times

Do you view Spanx as less of a wardrobe choice and more of a mortal enemy? Do you harbor a secret conviction that the lessons you were taught in kindergarten might not make the best map to chart your adulthood by? Do you find yourself getting louder the older you get? If you said yes to any of these then you’re in good company. Gina Barreca’s collection of essays offers insight, humor, and comfort for a whole range of common—and sometimes not-so-common—situations that we’ve all knocked elbows with at one time or another. Barreca has a great sense of humor and a blunt openness when it comes to admitting that there’re some situations where a funny quip needs to take a backseat. My only thumbs down were that the essays were really, really short – sometimes only a page or two – and the author’s insistence on treating most of her topics as female-centric, when even thirty seconds of consideration would reveal that, with a handful of exceptions, the bulk of the situations discussed were gender-neutral. So don’t let the title fool you—this book has enough insight and humor for everyone, regardless of sex.