Lean In

Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

By: Sheryl Sandberg

Narrated by: Elisa Donovan

Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A landmark manifesto" (The New York Times) that's a revelatory, inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth that will empower women around the world to achieve their full potential.

In her famed TED talk, Sheryl Sandberg described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which has been viewed more than eleven million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto. Lean In continues that conversation, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what they can. Sandberg, COO of Meta (previously called Facebook) from 2008-2022, provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career. She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment, and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women both in the workplace and at home.

©2013 Sheryl Sandberg; 2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Lean In is an inauguration more than a last word, and an occasion for celebration ... Many, many women, young and old, elite and otherwise, will find it prescriptive, refreshing, and perhaps even revolutionary.” (Anna Holmes, The New Yorker)

“A landmark manifesto ... Fifty years after The Feminine Mystique ... Sandberg addresses 21st-century issues that never entered Betty Friedan’s wildest dreams ... Lean In will be an influential book. It will open the eyes of women who grew up thinking that feminism was ancient history, who recoil at the word but walk heedlessly through the doors it opened. And it will encourage those women to persevere in their professional lives.” (Janet Maslin, The New York Times)

“I approached it wearing two hats—one as CEO [and] the other as the parent of a nine-year-old daughter. In both capacities, I feel that Lean In is a must read.” (Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of PIMCO, in Fortune)

Amazing perspective for men and women to hear

I wish this was a mandatory book for everyone to read. Learning new perspectives is critical for everyone's development. I loved this book. Many interesting and appalling statistics were cited from various studies. I know this book will help me in my career.

Life Aligning!

This book echoes so many thoughts in heads of today's generation of working women! Decisions to make, paths to take, common misconceptions, set notions, and everyday struggles for all women are so poignantly discussed. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for inspiration for self, facing lack of motivation or just need some validation that the thoughts in your head are not wrong. Please , do read . Highly recommended!

A call to action for equality

Lean in is a comprehensive observation of and call to action for acknowledging the subtle yet pervasive hindrances that gender stereotypes incidentally brings to our professional and personal lives, regardless of the gender of the affected, and regardless of the gender of the perceiver/reinforcer. Personal anecdotes create morsels of author rapport that wet the appetite for the forthcoming substantive large-scale evidentiary/statistical facts that the listener can feast upon. Sanberg makes a utilitarian Humanist case—that we ought to foster a system where men and women are free to strike the professional/personal balance that they elect to strike. Do what you like. Do what you do well. Do what you find passion in. Where those things are should not be defined by your gender. Choice is on a pedestal, not career. With quips of self deprecation, and admissions of being in a 1%-esq position due to factors (eg. parental education levels, etc.) that she was fortunate to be born into, Sanberg does an appropriate amount of qualification that her opinions, viewpoints and experiences. She is astute to acknowledge it may not be the same for women of color, lower socioeconomic standing, and/or in less progressive company cultures, etc. Lean In is a book for progressive notions of economic equality and self determination. As a 31-yr old, childless, unmarried female attorney working in corporate America for a Fortune 500 company in a male-dominated career field, I’d recommend it highly. I hope you can draw upon your own personal experiences as the chapters weave in and out of memories her memories and lessons learned you may discover it sparks memories of your own of chances lost, conformities you bent to, uncomfortable awkward moments you thought were isolated to your life, etc. that you may realize you’ve repressed for years. It’s refreshing reminder that regardless of our industry and age, we have remarkably similar challenges and would be well served to support each other through the same.

Don’t wait to read this

The only thing I didn’t love about this book is how long it took me to finally read it. This is one of these gems that is 100% applicable to real life. You can fresh out of college or a decade into your career, you can’t miss this book. It has applicable lessons in all areas, from how to find a mentor to how to prioritize you duties. This is defini

great book!!

love how she spoke about work environment but also how to better your home or your relationship.

All women & MEN should read

I truly appreciated this ebook & think this may be one of few cases where it's better than the physical book

Powerful and Relateable

Every women, career-minded, honored & dedicated stay at home moms, singles, high schoolers, & college women alike can relate and use this as an enlightened tool as you enter the workplace.

Men can and should listen and really hear how we can all move forward and lean in to each other.

So inspirational!

If you are woman, man, manager, parent, working parent, stay at home parent, soon to be parent, or just a person interested in equality for all... READ THIS BOOK!

Fabulous! Inspirational and motivating.

Loved the book very much. I actually got in print as well just so I can go back to it from time to time. It resounds so true to the reality we face at the present age and provides encouragement and practical methods to finding and being a solution.

The narrator was very good as well, in fact one of the best I've encountered so far.

An a essential read for any woman

Would you listen to Lean In again? Why?

Perhaps later in life - like for encouragement when in the middle of a career change.

What does Elisa Donovan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This is my first audiobook. I felt like I was listening to a compelling lecture, in which I could associate parts of the books that I enjoyed with a voice.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Would not be appropriate for film.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book to any woman at any point in her career. Would make a great graduation gift now that the season is upon us.