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justinyan13's review against another edition
3.0
Dry at times, a bit prolonged. However, memoir was extremely insightful, and indicative of a troubling narrative/attitude in the workforce today, especially in big-tech. The constant hustle at all costs attitude will surely have long-term implications, and Uber is just one of the dominos to have already fallen.
ifoundtheme's review against another edition
3.0
The only thing I'm really surprised by in this book is that our paths didn't cross; I was in a lot of the same places at the same times, in the same industry. An important story.
jchhorng's review against another edition
4.0
Really inspiring. Because of this book, I actually made it a goal for myself to read more and more.
anvayonline's review
4.0
I can't believe a work place can have such a toxic culture and people who came from Ivy League schools could engage in such a behavior. This account is truly heart breaking of what happened with Susan at a big start up. Surprisingly, this was not the first time she was discriminated against and the same incident happened with her at the university and her first job. I would have called her unlucky on this count but the prime reason decided to write this blog was that these incidents kept repeating.
No doubt Susan will always be remembered as someone who started a movement that brought a change.
Now the book - a very personal account and well written. Its an easy read and once you start, its hard to stop. The reason to knock one star off is because the additional content in the book is little in addition to what she has written in the blog. This about this book as the extended version of the blog she wrote with more details about her earlier and later life plus what happened to her at university and her first company.
No doubt Susan will always be remembered as someone who started a movement that brought a change.
Now the book - a very personal account and well written. Its an easy read and once you start, its hard to stop. The reason to knock one star off is because the additional content in the book is little in addition to what she has written in the blog. This about this book as the extended version of the blog she wrote with more details about her earlier and later life plus what happened to her at university and her first company.
kettlepot's review
4.0
I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started this book but the news reports that I read when it happened only scratched the surface. Susan’s background is fascinating and its tragic that her hard work and grit was rewarded by abuse.
As a leader in a technical organization, I am shocked at these events but, at the same time, I’m also not surprised, which just makes me sad for the state of the world and the industry that let such things go on this way for too long.
As a leader in a technical organization, I am shocked at these events but, at the same time, I’m also not surprised, which just makes me sad for the state of the world and the industry that let such things go on this way for too long.
boundtwobooks's review
5.0
https://bound2books.co/2020/06/10/a-review-of-susan-fowlers-memoir-whistle-blower-dealing-with-discrimination-at-work/?fbclid=IwAR1TpjT4G8_1RwhIndG8GHT6DiTuYUB3KFMJRF0CGl1q68hsyTlPxTx5w54
I picked this memoir because I wanted to read and learn more about other women’s experiences with workplace discrimination. It is something I have personally experienced, and to be honest, it took years for me to come to terms with everything that happened. In reading Susan Fowler’s memoir, I felt, for the first time, truly not alone. I recognised her descriptions of hopelessness and fear. I saw how the gaslighting played out for Fowler and couldn’t help but recognise similar practices from some of my previous employers. It almost felt like Fowler’s memoir was not just a personal reflection on her time at Uber, rather it felt in many ways like a case study of how discrimination in the workplace can manifest, as well as what companies do to avoid the truth coming out.
Fowler has had an extraordinary life and her story reminded me a lot of the J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy . She struggled to make her way in life and her education was earnt with blood, sweat, and tears. She talks about her experiences with discrimination at university and about being a woman in STEM research. The discrimination is, I believe, a major obstacle for girls and women wanting to work in the sciences still to this day.
Companies (that discriminate against employees) hold a lot of power. They have financial and legal backing that can mean your case, if you take it to court, can take years. This means you are drowned in bills before you ever get your day in court. Furthermore, companies that are large enough can have the power to almost end your career if you go public with discrimination claims. Who wants to employ the ‘difficult’ woman/POC/Queer? The power wielded with money and career trajectory are some of the main reasons why people who experience discrimination never come forward. It would be too impossible to calculate the true numbers of workplace discrimination because of the fear and forced secrecy surrounding it.
Fowler risked it all to come forward. And for that, I am grateful. I want to be hopeful, but I don’t know if there has really been any actual change in the world since Fowler came forward. I still hear of women, the world over, experiencing similar problems. And again, most of it goes unreported.
Throughout the memoir, Fowler talks about this overwhelming feeling that life was happening to her, rather than her having control over her own experiences. This really struck a chord with me. Not just in the context of discrimination, but for life in general. 2020 has been a lot! For everyone. And I have struggled to catch my breath since I moved to Australia. There are so many obstacles placed in my way, and people bigger and more power than you are often making decisions about your life that you have no control over. It can feel like you have nothing to hold on to, so you just free fall. Sometimes, there are just not enough good vibes, calls to friends, reading, self-care and love that can give you the security you need.
Fowler’s memoir is extremely important for every woman to read. Even if you haven’t experienced discrimination, Fowler’s memoir will make sure you know what to look out for.
What books are you reading at the moment? Have you dealt with workplace discrimination? What resources did you find helpful? As always, share the reading love.
I picked this memoir because I wanted to read and learn more about other women’s experiences with workplace discrimination. It is something I have personally experienced, and to be honest, it took years for me to come to terms with everything that happened. In reading Susan Fowler’s memoir, I felt, for the first time, truly not alone. I recognised her descriptions of hopelessness and fear. I saw how the gaslighting played out for Fowler and couldn’t help but recognise similar practices from some of my previous employers. It almost felt like Fowler’s memoir was not just a personal reflection on her time at Uber, rather it felt in many ways like a case study of how discrimination in the workplace can manifest, as well as what companies do to avoid the truth coming out.
Fowler has had an extraordinary life and her story reminded me a lot of the J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy . She struggled to make her way in life and her education was earnt with blood, sweat, and tears. She talks about her experiences with discrimination at university and about being a woman in STEM research. The discrimination is, I believe, a major obstacle for girls and women wanting to work in the sciences still to this day.
Companies (that discriminate against employees) hold a lot of power. They have financial and legal backing that can mean your case, if you take it to court, can take years. This means you are drowned in bills before you ever get your day in court. Furthermore, companies that are large enough can have the power to almost end your career if you go public with discrimination claims. Who wants to employ the ‘difficult’ woman/POC/Queer? The power wielded with money and career trajectory are some of the main reasons why people who experience discrimination never come forward. It would be too impossible to calculate the true numbers of workplace discrimination because of the fear and forced secrecy surrounding it.
Fowler risked it all to come forward. And for that, I am grateful. I want to be hopeful, but I don’t know if there has really been any actual change in the world since Fowler came forward. I still hear of women, the world over, experiencing similar problems. And again, most of it goes unreported.
Throughout the memoir, Fowler talks about this overwhelming feeling that life was happening to her, rather than her having control over her own experiences. This really struck a chord with me. Not just in the context of discrimination, but for life in general. 2020 has been a lot! For everyone. And I have struggled to catch my breath since I moved to Australia. There are so many obstacles placed in my way, and people bigger and more power than you are often making decisions about your life that you have no control over. It can feel like you have nothing to hold on to, so you just free fall. Sometimes, there are just not enough good vibes, calls to friends, reading, self-care and love that can give you the security you need.
Fowler’s memoir is extremely important for every woman to read. Even if you haven’t experienced discrimination, Fowler’s memoir will make sure you know what to look out for.
What books are you reading at the moment? Have you dealt with workplace discrimination? What resources did you find helpful? As always, share the reading love.
bkish's review against another edition
5.0
Extraordinary is her courage her sense of Self her Integrity her talents as a writer and her humanity
Judy g
Judy g
twilhelmsen's review
4.0
I didn't follow this story when Susan published her blog post in 2017 so this was all relatively new to me. When I started reading the book, I was surprised to discover she also grew up in extreme poverty. I was impressed by her drive and determination to succeed in spite of the challenges she faced. The stories she tells of her time at UPenn blew my mind, to the point where I almost questioned whether what she said happened could possibly be true. I actually thought the discrimination and harassment she described at Uber, while truly awful, were less shocking, especially in light of what we've learned from women in the #metoo movement in recent years.
I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Susan, and found it impactful. You could hear the emotion in her voice not only as she recounted the most difficult portions of her story, but also when she spoke of the happiest times in her life.
I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Susan, and found it impactful. You could hear the emotion in her voice not only as she recounted the most difficult portions of her story, but also when she spoke of the happiest times in her life.