When you first heard that Ivanka was writing another book (yes, there’s been one before), your response was probably a heavy eye roll or a dismissive shrug. Whatevs, right? But when you found out that it’s called ‘Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules For Success’, you wouldn’t be blamed for growing a palm-sized fireball of rage in your chest on your way home from that second job you're working to try and make rent this month.
Harsh much? Probably. But if you ask me, any response to the ‘feminist’ daughter of Donald ‘Grab ‘Em By The Pussy’ Trump’s attempt to enlighten and encourage women in the struggle for success and equality, can’t afford not to be met pretty harshly.
‘I believe that when it comes to women and work, there isn’t one right answer. The only person who can create a life you’ll love is you’, says Ivanka in the blurb of her Amazon page. ‘Women who work lead meetings and train for marathons. We learn how to cook and how to code. We inspire our employees and our children. We innovate at our current jobs and start new businesses.’
We do indeed, Ivanka. I just wasn’t aware that we needed the favourite child of one of the richest, most terrifyingly powerful men in the world, who was recently awarded the non-existent role of ‘Assistant to the President’ on account of sharing the same DNA as the President to tell us that yes, we can have both a career and a family in 2017. Shit. Cheers, Ivanka.
The book has earned itself 2.8 stars out of 5 on Amazon with the votes interestingly split between 43 percent awarding 5 stars and 54 percent awarding 1. As for whether or not ‘Women Who Work’ did equip its readers with ‘the best skills [Ivanka] learned from some of the amazing people [she’s] met, on subjects such as identifying opportunities, shifting careers smoothly, negotiating, leading teams, starting companies, managing work and family and helping change the system to make it better for women – now and in the future’, we’ll let the reviews speak for themselves…
‘Good grief.’ By P.sendejo, 1 star
‘Honestly, I wasn’t treating myself to a massage ...’ Good grief. She has no idea what struggle and working really hard actually means.
‘Not The Real World’, by prisrob. 1 star
‘This is a book for working women who are wealthy. It is not filled with pertinent information for the modern woman. The book gives us pleasant sentences with little meaning. "You only have one life, so live it fully'. References aplenty but we have read it all before.
Ivanka was not writing a book for most women of today, women who have a family without a nanny or a maid. A job, where she needs to find her own transportation, needs to shop, cook, bake, wash dishes and clothes, for her family. Take the children to school without the services of a chauffeur, attend school functions, and then have time for her husband and some leisure activities. Ivanka needs to spend time among the masses. Ivanka may be coming from a place where she thinks she is helpful, but not to the women in the real world.’
‘even raising amazing young women as single mothers’, by Raven Zaki. 1 Star
‘I challenge ivanka to leave her life for 1 year, become an employee instead of an heiress with infinite resources at her fingertips, make $60k or so a year in NYC and have to play the game the normal way. And then maybe, and only maybe, she may have a point of view that has any relevance or holds any interest to those of us women who came by success the honest, hard working, losing sleep at night, making ends meet, even raising amazing young women as single mothers, getting home loans and on and on. The audacity that she thinks she has any prespective to share is an insult to every woman who’s lived the real truth of making it from scratch. Read her book, NO THANKS’
‘Read something great, like hidden figures instead’, by Pam Hoffman. 1 star
‘Well, reading this was an hour of my life I will never get back. Don't bother. Read something great, like hidden figures instead.’
‘Ivana and IvanKa, two rich women who feel they can give the rest of us advice…’, by janissima. 1 star
‘Wow, I though Ivana Trump's book was ridiculous decades ago, where she discussed how difficult it was to be a single parent, feeling like all single parents are generally the same. I see IvanKa has exceeded her mother's rich advice.’
‘Should be called “Women Who Have Choices, Priviege And Family Money, And Want To Rub Poor People’s Noses In it” by Amazon Customer. 1 star
‘Complete tosh from someone who is utterly tone-deaf to how the world views her. What substantive steps has Ivanka Trump ever taken towards her supposed goals for working women and mothers as opposed to the service of the Trump brand and her own bottom line?’
‘RIP’, by Kat. 1 star
‘A poor tree died for this’.
The only five star reviews were over on the American Amazon site, Brits don’t seem to have been making as many purchases, which isn’t all that surprising. But in the spirit of being fair, here’s what the people who were into Ivanka’s rewritten rules had to say:
‘The book provides great guidance. Ivanka’s a winner’, by Brian C. 5 stars
‘Absorb the material. The book provides great guidance. Ivanka's a winner. Sure she had a leg up, but one still has to play the cards and we have observed many who had a "leg up" and thrown it all away!’
‘Great read’, by John Matthew. 5 stars
‘Really enjoyed reading this book. Thanks’.
‘Good advice for any person looking to create their best life!’, by Martha B. Boone. 5 stars
‘I am a woman urologist. My field is 90% male. I enjoyed the book and deeply appreciated the concept of " there is no such thing as balance."
I was one of the first 100 women urologists in the world and I Found the advice in this book to be very sophisticated and " spot-on"
The old "feminist " ways do NOT work in a male dominated field. I admire Ivanka Trump's intelligence, commitment to family and love of an honest days work! I look forward to the day when women can be proud to stay at home, or work full time or have a life that is flexible! I have tried to bring up all the young people coming behind me and I would suggest this book to anyone that I mentor. I hope people won't let " politics" get in the way of their reading a book that could improve their lives!’
Full disclosure; I haven’t read the whole book. Nor do I intend to. I honestly think the whole thing is ridiculous. But it exists now, and at least a portion of the proceeds from the book will be going to charities hopefully better equipt to educating and empowering the women who probably feel alienated by the Trump guide to being able to cook and code at the same time.
Like this? You might also be interested in…
Unpicking The Career Advice From Ivanka Trump’s 2009 Book, The Trump Card
We Have Lots Of Questions About Ivanka Trump’s New Job Title
Follow Jazmin on Instagram @JazKopotsha
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.