Description
Book Synopsis"This inspiring collection makes a strong case for how women can design their work lives to meet both personal and professional needs.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review Womentality: Thirteen Empowering Stories by Everyday Women Who Said Goodbye to the Workplace and Hello to Their Lives is a collection of powerful, personal essays from enterprising women around the world who came to the same realization: work shouldn’t have to be painful and demeaning. Armed with an internet connection and plenty of creativity and ingenuity, they prove that it is possible to redefine the nine-to-five work paradigm and create a flourishing career that is flexible and fulfilling outside the corporate structure.
The thirteen women—from diverse countries such as Uganda, Venezuela, Poland, Palestine, and the Philippines—approach independent work in different ways, but are all motivated by the same impulses—to escape the drudgery of office life, to have control of their time, and to enjoy the freedom of working for themselves. Importantly, many discover that—outside of the office—it is possible to triumph over global pay disparities that favor men.
Womentality is not a book about people who do not work—on the contrary, these women work hard and their stories illustrate how they overcame challenges to achieve their goals—whether they sought freedom to travel, to spend more time with the family, escape demeaning office politics, or simply to control their career.
The essays in
Womentality prove that a life of independence is not reserved for elite, American workers. It is possible for anyone. As the women who contributed to
Womentality can attest: escaping the nine-to-five life isn’t easy—it takes guts and persistence—but it’s absolutely worthwhile.
Trade Review"Provides provocative perspective on gender and work."
—Entertainment Weekly's Literary Gift Guide: The 30 best holiday books of the Year "Wildermuth, a freelance writer and travel enthusiast, offers up a stellar collection of stories from women around the globe who bucked nine-to-five jobs to go into business for themselves. . . . This inspiring collection makes a strong case for how women can design their work lives to meet both personal and professional needs.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review “In the future, people will be able to work from any location, at any time, and live life completely on their own terms. What if the future is now? [Erin] Wildermuth lets thirteen women who found success as freelancers tell their encouraging stories here. . . . Striking out on your own can seem imposing, but women seeking a professional change may find a biography that resonates in this book.”
—Booklist “With only two of the stories based in the United States, these essays hold a universal message that self-employment generally leads to a more enriching work life. . . .
Womentality helps to make self-employment seem more attainable and can serve as a useful reference for anyone considering making a career change to work for themselves.”
—Rain Taxi "Lit Hit: Indie Books That’ll Blow You Away!" “Get out your pen and paper and prepare to take notes on Erin Wildermuth’s short volume
Womentality, a collection of stories from thirteen women who abandoned the traditional workplace and reclaimed the reins to their lives.”
—Foreword Reviews "As informatively thoughtful as it is inspiring and inspirational,
Womentality is a unique and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary Women's Issues collections.”
—Midwest Book Review “Women are often expected to sacrifice for and adapt to a world that seems designed around the needs of someone else. In
Womentality, Erin Wildermuth has collected essays that show how the sometimes-maligned "gig economy" has empowered women, giving them choice and control through self-employment. The essays demonstrate that this is not an option only for women in rich Western countries, but a universal opportunity. Breaking away from the traditional role of an employee is instrumental even—maybe especially—in countries where women fight discrimination and poverty.”
—Janet Bufton, Co-founder and Program Coordinator, Institute for Liberal Studies, Ottawa, Canada “
Womentality's topic is so important.It is eye-opening and empowering to read about these women harnessing technology to take charge of their careers and their lives. They show us possibilities for women around the world and for ourselves.”
—Jessica Bacal, M.F.A., Ed.D., Director, Smith College Narratives Project; Editor, Mistakes I Made at Work "In
Womentality, editor Erin Wildermuth calls attention to a burgeoning trend for workplace independence with essays from 13 women who’ve all said, 'Enough is enough!' to their jobs. These are not professional writers—they are nurses, accountants, teachers and IT specialists, who speak plain and write with passion, whether they’ve given up a long commute or are fleeing from a failing economy. The book progresses from accounts of the initial “aha” moment to step-by-step advice on how to forge self-employment without much more than pluck and a strong internet connection. Their courage is inspiring."
—Karen Hildebrand, former HR director; author, Crossing Pleasure Avenue "I very much enjoyed reading this collection of essays about women who took a risk and left their 9-5 workplace for independent work. These essays are particularly relevant in the #MeToo Era, where women are more empowered than ever to stand up for themselves. Even though each essay recounts a unique story from women across the globe, I found myself strongly identifying with the frustrations and setbacks they faced in the workplace. This collection left me inspired by their courage and full of ideas on how to reclaim power in my own professional life."
—Lisa Gailloud, Community OrganizerTable of ContentsForeword Erin Wildermuth,
editor, United States Chapter One: My Escape from the Rat Race Lauren Gerber,
South Africa Chapter Two: The Fear and the Farm Emily Schwartz,
United States Chapter Three: Finding and Sharing Freelancing Yanique P. Walters-Dynott,
Jamaica Chapter Four: Brexit: The Final Push Aleksandra Kaye,
Poland Chapter Five: From Uganda To The Cloud Christine Muleme,
Uganda Chapter Six: Escaping Dictatorship and Making My Way Xionary Guerrero,
Venezuela Chapter Seven: Veering Off the Tracks Klara C. Racpan,
Philippines Chapter Eight: Freedom at Forty Debra Hall,
United States Chapter Nine: Choosing Jayden Terry Gachanja,
Kenya Chapter Ten: From Nursing to Abroad Gayle Aggiss,
Australia Chapter Eleven: Choosing Art Ayelen Lamas,
Argentina Chapter Twelve: Stepping, Starting, Teaching Alison Wood,
United Kingdom Chapter Thirteen: Building a Successful Freelance Business Samar Owais,
United Arab Emirates
