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)

Wow--if you're a mother/working women, a must read

If you could sum up Lean In in three words, what would they be?

A must read!

What did you like best about this story?

Maybe some women don't need to hear this; maybe they are already aware and changing or simply not this way, but as an executive with almost two decades of experience, this one captured my attention and then left me gaping in horror--I was hearing her describe me! Only, I thought I was alone. I wanted to hear more--who was this intruder and how did she escape?

Any additional comments?

This is one I will keep in my office and hand out like candy

Useful guidance, too long for small number of idea

I initially refused to consider reading this because I find business books boring and underwritten -two ideas, two hundred pages. Most would make a reasonable serious business journal article at best. This book is not a lot different, lots of ego and anecdotes, but also some very useful perspectives and ideas that would have made a nice substantive article.

That said, I agree with much of what Sandberg says and I agree with her general point on how badly things are going for working women in our country relative to their potential to have more fulfilling and more meaningful careers whether at home or at the office depending on their ability to negotiate more manageable work loads in the home and the office. I salute her for standing up and saying so and for her commitment to being a feminist when so many women are willing to take the fruits of the women's movement but unwilling to fight anyone other than themselves.

I enjoyed the book, but it could have been an article….

Awesome Book!!!

If you could sum up Lean In in three words, what would they be?

Powerful, motivation, inspiring. I have since "Lean In" at my work. Which happens to be in estimating of construction work, an all boy's club. I am the only woman estimator in my company and I could relate to so many of what Sheryl was talking about.

What other book might you compare Lean In to and why?

I don't have any yet.

Which character – as performed by Elisa Donovan – was your favorite?

She made it hard for me to stop listening.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I normally do not read or listen to books, but this one I could not stop listening to.

Great listen

Any additional comments?

Lean In is a book full of Sheryl Sandberg's lessons learned. It is a great listen with some good advice and a lot of common sense. If you talk to someone and s/he trivializes the contents of this book, s/he either hasn't listened to or read it or s/he didn't pay attention. Anyone who is paying attention to the contents of this book will finish it knowing s/he has a plan to obtain his/her dreams whatever they are.

Didn't Expect to like it.

Initially, when asked to read this book, I didn't thinking it would be my cup of tea. I'm not a corporate woman, but I am a business owner. I was pleasantly surprised at how applicable most of the book was to my life, although there were major cultural things that were not relatable.

good portions of the different views

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend and have already recommended this book to quite a few women/men that I know. Some men are still skeptical about reading it. I think everyone whether they're working or not needs to understand the biases of the world so true equality is achieved.

What did you like best about this story?

These are situations most working and non-working women face. These was well described with anecdotes and her reactions were realistic and the way she handled them was brave.
I feel this book was mostly unbiased and showed attitudes of women towards men just as much as it showed attitude of women towards women and men towards women.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Elisa Donovan?

She was very expressive and in most parts could relate to the tone in her voice. So, yes!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did not listen to this in one sitting, I listened to it on my car phone during my long commute to work through multiple days

Good book with information for all genders

I believe this book has opened my eyes to several perspectives that I didn't necessarily share to begin with. The author made some very important points and has motivated me to look for opportunities to lead and encourage other women more, unapologetically!!

Easy and Interesting

I enjoyed the narration and found the book interesting and motivating and a quick listen.

I found this book to be motivational

I am a mother of two about to return to work in a leadership role. Becoming a working mother does not make you less of a mother. Both roles are important and needed.

Great read

This book should be read by every professional in all industries, specially men. Outstanding!
Mixture of life experiences and impressive statistics.