“Launching While Female” by Susanne Althoff • Book Review

Published: October 27, 2020 by Beacon Press
Format: Hardcover, English, 208 pages

★★★★ (3.5 / 5 stars) Tl;dr - This is a great book but just not what I wanted it to be.

Everything about this book, from the cover to the title to even the subtitle, led me to believe this would be an actionable guidebook for aspiring and active women entrepreneurs. That was simply not the case. Susanne Althoff is a journalist, and that talent for interviewing, researching, and telling people’s stories is shining through in this book. But that’s what most of the book was: telling.

I didn’t quite understand what the endgame was. It’s a terrific long-form piece of journalism on the gender gap in entrepreneurship. But if the people picking up this book are likely already understanding of, empathetic to, or directly affected by this discrimination, what is this book trying to DO for its readers? I kept turning the page, hoping for a solution, call-to-action, or rallying cry by the end.

At times, however, we move so quickly from story to story, it’s as if we are a stone skipping across the surface of the much deeper truth to the evolution of women entrepreneurship. Even in the final chapter, which does highlight resources, potential solutions, and feasible improvements for gender equity in the entrepreneurial space, we spend more time discussing WHAT could make entrepreneurship for U.S. women better, rather than HOW readers should take action.

I’d like to reiterate: This is an excellent book. It is well-researched and well-written. The organization of stories and topics flow well from chapter to chapter. And you’d be hard-pressed to find less than three female founders or resources you’ll be Googling when you put the book down. If anything, this book has served as a guide to women entrepreneur role models, prominently featuring the women who made it despite the hurdles they faced.

However, I came away with a lot of information and not a lot of guidance on what to DO with that information other than digest it. So I suggest you bear that in mind before you start reading! And if you’re interested in more of a how-to book for women entrepreneurs, I’d recommend Disrupters by Dr. Patti Fletcher.