Am-Bitch-Ous: Learn to Be Her Now

Ambitchous is Condren's way of describing the double standard facing women. As she puts it, "Ambitious men are go-getters, but ambitious women are bitches." Through interviews with other women and her work as a business coach, Condren has developed strategies to help women overcome the fear of being ambitious. She bemoans the fact that many advice books suggest that achieving "balance" requires career sacrifices. Nonsense, she says. Putting your career ambitions first makes you a better person, she argues, because you will be a happier one. "You must regard your deepest career aspirations as unconditionally sacrosanct," she writes. While the pep talk is inspiring, the real value of this book lies in its concrete tips. She recommends asking for the raise you deserve, claiming credit when it's due, asking for advice from women you respect, and taking regular sabbaticals to make sure you are dreaming big. All of it is great advice.

After hearing Debra Condren interviewed on a podcast about how women undermine their own ambitions, I couldn't wait to read her book. I related to her thesis. Sometimes, out of fear of looking like I have a huge ego, I don't even try to take on projects that I know I'm capable of. In other words, I need to learn how to be a little more ambitchous. That word is Condren's way of describing the double standard facing women. As she puts it, "Ambitious men are go-getters, but ambitious women are bitches." She illustrates her point with Madonna and Carly Fiorina. Media stories about both of them tend to focus on their faults instead of their accomplishments. (Perhaps we could add Paris Hilton to that list.) Through interviews with other women and her work as a business coach, Condren has developed strategies to help women overcome the fear of being ambitious. She bemoans the fact that many advice books suggest that achieving "balance" requires career sacrifices. Nonsense, she says. Putting your career ambitions first makes you a better person, she argues, because you will be a happier one. "You must regard your deepest career aspirations as unconditionally sacrosanct," she writes. While the pep talk is inspiring, the real value of this book lies in its concrete tips. She recommends asking for the raise you deserve, claiming credit when it's due, asking for advice from women you respect, and taking regular sabbaticals to make sure you are dreaming big. All of it is great advice that I plan to incorporate into my life. And when I'm done with this book, I can think of more than a few friends I'd like to pass it on to.

This book was a helpful guide for me. I was dealing with a manipulative boss who I felt uncomfortable confronting until I read this book. I followed Dr. Condren's advice on how to deal with passive-agressive detractors. This gave me the courage to let my boss know what she was doing was wrong and stay determined in getting what I deserve. I thought this book was provided great insight in the many areas of life women end up suffering becuase of the way we are socialized. After reading this book my self-respect increased and I felt more confident demanding more from myself and the world.

Dr. Condren really hit the mark! This book is a must for all women - and men, whether in the corporate world, or wanting to realize their dreams in any arena. It's a great read; clear and crisp, and straight to the point. She shows you how to get past your own obstacles, do what you love, and make no apologies. There are fabulous nuggets of helpful information and inspiring examples. I've recommended it to all my colleagues.

I'm always searching the shelves for the perfect business book. The one that will motivate me and keep me up all night brainstorming when I finish reading it. The book that I won't skim through I will actually sit down and read every tip - every bit of advice. AMBITCHOUS IS THAT BOOK. Dr. Debra Condren hits the nail on its head with this savvy, intelligent, original piece of work. I'm an entrepreneur and this was key in helping to motivate myself and kick myself into gear. You walk away from this book knowing that you can and will succeed if you follow some of Dr. Debra Condren's guidance about advancing through the business world and believing in your abilities and having confidence in the fact that you are an AMBITCHOUS woman. This book is great for people of all ages - and not just for women - there are some tips and pointers for the workplace that men will find extremely useful.