3 “must-have” women’s books to read in 2022, according to female CEOs
Women have made invaluable contributions to the world, from the discovery of radioactivity to the invention of windshield wipers. However, women are far from being equal to men.
The World Economic Forum estimates that it will take us another 135 years before we can close the global gender gap, as the Covid-19 pandemic has raised “new obstacles to building inclusive and prosperous economies and societies”, Saadia Zahidi , managing director and head of the WEF Center for the New Economy and Society, writes in the report. Women also make up just 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs.
Although there is no clear answer to solving these gender disparities, we can find inspiration and new ideas in books. CNBC Make It spoke to three female CEOs about their top recommendations for books written by women and what we can learn from each title.
‘The phrase’
By Louise Erdrich
Recommended by Crystal Echo Hawk, Founder and CEO of IllumiNative
This modern ghost tale is set in a Native-owned bookstore in Minneapolis at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the protests following the police killing of George Floyd. Amid this chaos, store employees must solve the mystery of Flora, a stubborn ghost that haunts the aisles.
“Louise Erdrich is a National Treasurer for Native Americans and one of the most important writers of our time,” Hawk said. “She flips the script on one of the most well-worn tropes about Native people — Native American graveyards and Native spirits that haunt non-Native places and people.”
Using humor, historical references, and creative detail, Erdrich shows readers how “violence and systemic racism against Indigenous and Black people has deep roots in the fabric and foundation of Minnesota and the United States.” United, which all started well before 2020,” she adds. . “It’s a must-read.”
‘Dyslexic Advantage: Unleashing the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain’
By Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide
Recommended by Rachel Thomas, co-founder and CEO of LeanIn.org
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities in children and affects about 20% of people in the United States, according to research of the National Institute of Health.
In “The Dyslexic Advantage,” Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide, who are leading experts in the study of dyslexia, debunk myths about the condition and explain the forces of the dyslexic mind, focusing on how these forces can give people a benefit at work and in their lives.
Thomas shares that the central message of the book – to view dyslexia “not as a disability, but as a different approach to thinking and learning”, resonated with her both as the mother of a child with dyslexia and business leader.
More importantly, “it underscores how important it is for leaders to learn from experiences that aren’t our own and to look at differences in how people think and work,” she says. “It reminds us that too often we don’t focus on people with disabilities – let alone the invisible people with disabilities – when we talk about diversity, equity and inclusion, and that needs to change.”