Books

Women Don’t Ask

Whether it’s a higher salary, much-deserved promotion, or more help at home, women find it hard to ask for what they want. They pay for this reluctance in every aspect of their lives—in lost income, slower career progress, barred access to leadership roles at work and health risks at home. 

Drawing on research in psychology, sociology, organizational behavior and economics as well as interviews with men and women from all walks of life, Women Don't Ask has become the essential go-to text for women seeking insight into their vexed relationship with negotiating—and for businesses and institutions wanting to make their organizational culture more accepting of women who ask. Forbes magazine included Women Don’t Ask in its list of “The 75 Smartest Books We Know.”

"Eye-opening and riveting."

— Virginia Valian, author of Why So Slow? The Advancement of Women

Praise for Women Don’t Ask

“A highly readable, thoroughly researched and important book. Women Don’t Ask should be read by anyone with a fear of negotiating, male or female, and by managers who want a better understanding of how 47 percent of the work force confronts the workplace. The book [also] has a more revolutionary goal: to change the social context in which bargaining takes place, so the world becomes accepting of women who ask.”

— Alan Krueger, The New York Times 

"In this brilliant book Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever provide readers with the means not only of navigating the difficulties of negotiation, but also of fully engaging a modern world where traditional roles and norms are receding."

— Robert J. Shiller, best-selling author of Irrational Exuberance and
The New Financial Order

"Women Don’t Ask does an amazing job in identifying and providing solutions to a very real issue: the challenges women face in negotiating.…Any senior manager needs to be aware of the significant ramifications both in and out of the workplace…. A must read for executives—female and male."

— Jim Berrien, former President and Publisher, Forbes Magazine Group 

Ask for It

Women refrain from negotiating even when they know that negotiation is necessary to get what they want. Years of socialization have taught women the dangers of appearing “too aggressive” and their lack of experience makes them worry that they won’t negotiate effectively if they try.

Ask For It is designed to help women push back against these forces by teaching them to ask for what they want in ways that feel comfortable and do-able. Developed after years of real-world research, the book’s innovative four-step program guides women through the process of becoming more confident, savvy, and successful negotiators.

Praise for Ask For It

"This upbeat, realistic, and inspiring book will help you create new possibilities in every part of your life—whether you’re just starting out or already mid-career. Give it to your mother, your daughter, your sister, your friends!"

— Miriam Nelson, author of Strong Women Stay Young 

"Nice girls don’t ask, but smart women do. Ask For It provides the tangible tools and tips you need to get your fair share of the raises, promotions, and perks you’ve earned—and deserve."

— Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., author of Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office

“Gives women a groundbreaking gift: the means to ask for what they’re worth...more pay, more status, more resources, more equitable treatment."

— Evelyn Murphy, President,  the WAGE Project

"A must read for any woman looking to make a change at home or on the job."                                                                

— Lindsay Hyde, Founder, Strong Women, Strong Girls, Inc