The Feminine Technique: Sheryl Sandberg’s ‘Lean In’

Looking at the hotly debated contents of the Facebook COO’s first book

In a commencement address at an all-women’s liberal arts school, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg urged graduates to think of what they would do if they weren’t afraid, and then go do it. “Writing this book is what I would do if I weren’t afraid,” Sandberg writes in Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.

The book is a feminist manifesto for the 21st Century and a field guide for professional ambition. She explodes the myth of “having it all” (you can’t; nobody can), explains why “Will you be my mentor?” is a mood- killer question, and gives women the tools to occupy the same boardroom seats and salary band as their male counterparts (Knopf 2013, $15.92; chapters. indigo.ca).

Want a deeper look at what it means to “Lean in”? Check out our Lean In Lessons: How Women Can Be Leaders.