We wanted to uplift your Fall reading nights with inspiring and enticing books that WomenTech Network speakers have written.
As we say goodbye to summer, get a blanket and a glass of wine ready, and curl up on the couch with the written word of one of these amazing Women In Tech who have spoken at our events.
1. The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers That Are Holding Women Back at Work by Michelle King, Head of Inlcusion at Netflix
In this fascinating and empowering book, King outlines the invisible barriers that hold women back at all stages of their careers, and provides readers with a clear set of takeaways to thrive despite the sexist workplace, as they fight for change from within. Gender equality is not about women, and it is not about men—it is about making workplaces work for everyone. Together, we can fix work, not women.
Harvard Business Review said about the book: “Hammers home the point that employers are responsible for creating safe workplaces for women and for protecting them from not just harassment but also other forms of discrimination and threats to advancement.”
Michelle King is a leading global expert in gender and organizations. She is a keynote speaker, researcher, writer and advocate. Michelle has significant international experience advancing women in innovation and technology, leading global diversity and inclusion programs and advocating for women at work. Michelle has been featured in the Economist, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Business Insider, The Times, Daily Mail and LinkedIn Editors.
2. Girl Decoded: My Quest to Make Technology Emotionally Intelligent – and Change the Way We Interact Forever by Rana el Kaliouby, CEO of Affectiva
We are entering an empathy crisis. Most of our communication is conveyed through non-verbal cues - facial expressions, tone of voice, body language - nuances that are completely lost when we interact through our smartphones and other technology. The result is a digital universe that's emotion-blind - a society lacking in empathy.
In a captivating memoir, Girl Decoded chronicles Rana el Kaliouby's mission to humanise technology and what she learns about humanity along the way.
A pioneer in Emotion AI, Rana el Kaliouby, Ph.D., is Co-Founder and CEO of Affectiva, and author of the book Girl Decoded: A Scientist's Quest to Reclaim Our Humanity by Bringing Emotional Intelligence to Technology. A passionate advocate for humanizing technology, ethics in AI and diversity, Rana has been recognized on Fortune's 40 Under 40 list and as one of Forbes' Top 50 Women in Tech.
3. The Adventures of Women in Tech: How We Got Here and Why We Stay by Alana Karen, Director at Google
Alana’s book takes a close look at the lives of women forging their careers in Tech.
What do their paths look like and how are they navigating the ongoing stressors of an environment where they are in the minority? Do women feel like they are thriving, or just surviving? Are they satisfied, or are they tempted to give up?
Alana Karen is an award-winning tech leader, author, and speaker whose work impacts many of our everyday lives. From Google Search to Ads, Fiber to Google Grants and beyond, Alana has been leading the charge to develop, scale, build and drive team and product development that has seen rippling industry impact. Alana has spoken at conferences and summits on technology, leadership, DEI, talent and innovation.
Her book will be a focal point of our Fireside Chat with Alana as well.
4. Own Your Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life by Lisa Orbé-Austin, PhD
Own Your Greatness will give you all the tools you need to recognize and overcome the impostor syndrome that is holding you back. Packed full of research- and therapy-backed exercises, prompts, and activities, this interactive workbook will help you: Identify the root causes of your impostor syndrome; Recognize your natural skills and strengths; Gain the confidence to lead; Speak up for yourself; Feel comfortable receiving and giving praise.
Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin is a licensed psychologist and executive coach, with a focus on career advancement and leadership development. She is a co-founder and partner of Dynamic Transitions Psychological Consulting, a career and executive coaching consultancy, where she works mostly with high potential managers and executives. She earned her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University. Her views about career advancement, job transitions, leadership, and diversity & inclusion are regularly sought by the media and she has appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, NBC News, and Forbes.
5. Building For Everyone: Expand Your Market With Design Practices From Google's Product Inclusion Team by Annie Jean-Baptiste, Head of Product Inclusion at Google
Building For Everyone will show you how to infuse your business processes with inclusive design. You’ll learn best practices for inclusion in product design, marketing, management, leadership and beyond, straight from the innovative Google Product Inclusion team.
Annie Jean-Baptiste is an author, founder of the Equity Army, and the Head of Product Inclusion at Google. She leads Product Inclusion strategy across the company, including consultation, communications, scale and research and created the movement 3 years ago as a way to ensure underrepresented users felt seen throughout the product design process. Annie is passionate about making the web and Google’s products work for underserved communities while ensuring that Google is a place where everyone shines for their differences.
6. Leading Gracefully: A Woman's Guide to Confident, Authentic & Effective Leadership by Monique Tallon, Founder and CEO of Highest Path
Whether you are a senior level executive, a mid-career manager or just starting out, Leading Gracefully is a must-read for women who want to get to the next level in their career and life. Through personal stories and those of female executives and entrepreneurs from the world of technology, science, retail and non-profits, you will learn how to successfully use 'feminine' strengths combined with traditional traits to breakthrough gender bias. Use it as self-coaching 'how-to' guide, with 15 powerful exercises, tips and resources you can apply right away to gain more confidence, authenticity and effectiveness.
Monique Tallon is a strategic business partner and consultant in the Leadership Development & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion space to global Fortune 500 companies with 10 years experience driving inclusion and culture change within organizations and developing leaders.
Proven track record of designing and implementing leadership development programs for high-potential women, as well as Diversity & Inclusion strategy and programs aligned with company vision and business objectives.
Bonus:
While Reshman Saujani hasn't spoken at WomenTech Network events yet, we are big fans of her book Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder, so we included it in this list.
Inspired by her popular TED Talk, the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code urges women to embrace imperfection and live a bolder, more authentic life.
By choosing bravery over perfection, we can find the power to claim our voice, to leave behind what makes us unhappy, and to go for the things we genuinely, passionately want. Perfection may set us on a path that feels safe, but bravery leads us to the one we’re authentically meant to follow. In Brave, Not Perfect,Saujani shares powerful insights and practices to help us let go of our need for perfection and make bravery a lifelong habit.
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