In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers

My 11-year-old niece buried herself in this book, and it's easy to see why: it's very well written, inviting, and reader-friendly. It's full of juicy real-life, interesting info. It makes me want to experience the careers of all of the women in it, and it's sure to draw in girls of all ages. A perfect resource for your daughter, niece, or student who's brainstorming possible career paths.--Catherine Dee, author of The Girls' Book of Wisdom and other empowering books for girls

I bought several copies of this book for the graduation season, the young women I gave it to absolutly love it. Having to take on so many serious life defining decisions over the last 18 months of their lives, finally here was a book that presented actual futures to them in a interesting and, most importantly, real attainable way. I now give copies to my girlfriends (35+), with more than half of us expected to change careers more than 4x in our professional life, In Their Shoes is such a great look at not what could have been but what could still be!! The book is incredibly motivating and inspiring for the girl in all of us who is still saying "what do I want to be when I grow up" no matter what age you are.

I am a woman of almost 40 and happy in my career; even so, this book grabbed my interest! It is fascinating reading about all the different career paths these women have chosen, and the interview format and sidebars make it really enjoyable and user friendly. I WISH I would have had such a book as a high-school student or college student; it would've been helpful even in my late twenties when I switched careers mid-stream. I recommend this book to any woman who is wondering what could be out there for her!

Ms. Reber has written an extraordinary book profiling 50 women and their amazing careers. There's a firefighter, a marine biologist, a senator, and an architect, just to name a few. But the amazing thing about this book is that along with finding out the nitty-gritty details (salaries, stress level, i.e., "the facts"), you also get a window into what a typical day is like for an environmentalist, a network executive, a world-class photographer, etc. Reber allows us to view these women up close by including journal entries, interview excerpts, and their advice on career planning. I loved, for instance, these words of wisdom from a district attorney: "Own your power. Know your value and your potential. Don't be afraid of it; don't be intimidated by it, and certainly don't deny it." But beyond providing an insider's view into 50 careers, this book offers very practical tips on how to get started in a given profession. It also lets readers know "what it takes" to be, for instance, a screenwriter ("extreme self-motivation" and "no shortage of good ideas"). I really appreciate how reader-friendly and well-organized this book is. There's also a "then to now" timeline of each woman (where they went to college and what they majored in, previous jobs, and major accomplishments). It's very interesting to learn that not all these women knew exactly where their educational and career paths were taking them. At long last, a book for teens and young women (or for anyone who's thinking about a career change) that provides useful, specific, helpful and concrete information about a whole bunch of really cool jobs. How awesome is that?!

In this wonderful reference guide from Deborah Reber, you can find an astounding amount of information from women across the globe in a variety of career fields. Laid out in a simple, easy-to-use and follow way, IN THEIR SHOES highlights a number of career choices, and the pertinent information you need to decide if a particular path is right for you. Each career - from a forensic scientist to a librarian to a journalist and everything in between - is featured with the same layout. You'll find "the facts," including what the career entails, where you can find a job in that particular field, how you go about getting that type of job, what type of money you can expect to make, the dress code for the profession, and the stress factor for that career, rated on a scale from 1 to 10. Each career - and, in turn, each amazing woman profiled - also offers practical advice to readers interested in pursuing the same field of interest, an interview held by the author, answers to questions from teen readers, a few points of interest as to what it takes to do the job, related careers, and a timeline of the professional's life. Everything you could want, and need, to know about the women featured in IN THEIR SHOES and their chosen career is in this book. This is the perfect guide for any girl who is ready to start deciding on what path they would like their career choice to take, and even for those who are just interested in reading about the amazing positions that are out there. With just about everything you need to make some firm decisions, IN THEIR SHOES also points readers to additional sources of information for each particular career. It also includes a career chooser, which is a checklist of job traits to help you in your quest for the perfect career, and an index that can help you find facts in a hurry. Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"