Working Women, Workable Lives
Linamen and Holland
1993
This is another of those books that attempts to help women solve their problems with juggling home and family obligations against those of one’s career. I should make these books their own special category. Check out a couple of examples here, here, here, and here.) They all have suggestions like:
- Stay more organized
- Take time for yourself
- Hire a babysitter
- Talk to your husband
- Meditate
I feel like I read most of the ones published between 1989-1995 when I was trying to get a handle on my life. None of these books have any real solutions. Even the privileged mother with lots of cash, supportive family, and a staff would find these suggestions ridiculous. The reality is that none of these books go after the real problems or working women. You know, those pesky problems like wage inequality, lack of childcare, sexism, racism, worker exploitation, poor management, etc. You know, the problems that plague 99% of working families.
Basically, like all books of this type, your inability to manage the unmanageable, is because of a lack of organization or failure to “find your creative period”. I am sure if I just embraced my creative time, I could pay the rent and the dishes would magically do themselves.
Mary
