About this item
New York Times bestselling author and Girls Who Code founder/CEO inspires us to discover the power of female bravery.Do you run yourself ragged trying to not just do it all, but do it all flawlessly? Do you lose sleep ruminating over small mistakes or worrying that something you said or did might have offended someone? Have you ever passed up a big opportunity - a relationship, job, or a personal challenge - for fear you wouldn't nail it right away or look foolish trying? For you, is failure simply not an option?You're not alone. As women, we've been taught from an early age to play it safe. Well-meaning parents and teachers rewarded us for being quiet and polite, urged us to be careful so we didn't get hurt, and steered us to activities at which we could shine. Meanwhile, boys were encouraged to speak up, get dirty, take risks and get right back up again if they fell. In short, boys are taught to be brave, while girls are taught to be perfect. As a result, we grow up to be women who are afraid to fail. And as too many of us eventually learn, when we hold ourselves back for fear of not being good enough, of appearing less than perfectly together, or of making the wrong choice, we tamp down our dreams and narrow our world, along with our chance at happiness.But it doesn't have to be that way. In a book inspired by her popular TED Talk, Reshma Saujani shows us how to break free from the trap of perfection and rewire ourselves for bravery. Because while chasing perfection may set us on a path that feels safe, it's bravery that leads us to the one we're authentically meant to follow. Bravery gives us the power to claim our voice, to leave behind what makes us unhappy, and go for what sparks in our souls. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with girls and women from across the country, stories of fearless women changing the world one brave act at a time, and her own personal journey to accept her imperfections, Saujani shares an array of powerful insights and practices to make bravery a lifelong habit. By being brave, not perfect, we can all become the authors of our biggest, boldest, and most joyful life.
About the Author
Reshma Saujani is the Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, a national non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology and change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. With their 7-week Summer Immersion Program, 2-week specialized Campus Program, after school Clubs, and a 13-book New York Times best-selling series, Girls Who Code is leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. By the end of the 2018 academic year, Girls Who Code will have reached over 90,0000 girls in all 50 states and several US territories. Girls Who Code alumni are choosing to major in CS, or related fields, at a rate 15 times the national average; Black and Latina alumni are choosing to major in CS or related fields at a rate 16 times the national average.Reshma began her career as an attorney and activist. In 2010, she surged onto the political scene as the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress. During the race, Reshma visited local schools and saw the gender gap in computing classes firsthand, which led her to start Girls Who Code. She has also served as Deputy Public Advocate for New York City and ran a spirited campaign for Public Advocate in 2013.Reshma's TED talk, "Teach girls, bravery not perfection," has more than four million views and has sparked a national conversation about how we're raising our girls. She is the author of three books, including the forthcoming Brave, Not Perfect - scheduled for release in Winter 2018, New York Times bestseller Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World, and Women Who Don't Wait In Line - in which she advocates for a new model of female leadership focused on embracing risk and failure, promoting mentorship and sponsorship, and boldly charting your own course - personally and professionally. Reshma is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and Yale Law School. She's been named one of Fortune's World's Greatest Leaders, Fortune's 40 Under 40, a WSJ Magazine Innovator of the Year, a Future Lion of New York by the New York Times, a Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education winner, one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in New York by the New York Daily News, CNBC's Next List, Forbes's Most Powerful Women Changing the World, Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People, Crain's New York 40 Under 40, Ad Age's Creativity 50, Business Insider's 50 Women Who Are Changing the World, City & State's Rising Stars, and an AOL / PBS Next MAKER. Saujani serves on the Board of Overseers for the International Rescue Committee, which provides aid to refugees and those impacted by humanitarian crises, and She Should Run, which seeks to increase the number of women in public leadership. Reshma lives in New York City with her husband, Nihal, their son, Shaan, and their bulldog, Stanley.
