Title: Captivating Insights: A Review of "The Ladder" by Cathy Newman
Review: Cathy Newman's new book The Ladder is full of powerful life lessons shared by some of the most influential women the author has interviewed during her journalistic career. Newman captures the essence of resilience, determination, and leadership through stories of remarkable women who have made it to the top of their fields.
The book is structured around a series of interviews, each offering a unique perspective on the challenges and triumphs experienced by women in the workplace. These stories are inspiring and show the many ways women have overcome obstacles and pushed through the glass ceiling.
Chapter Highlights: One of the most impactful chapters for me was Chapter 2, which talks about imposter syndrome. Sometimes I feel this term is overused in today's professional world.
My favourite part of the chapter was a quote from Oxford University biologist Catherine Green, who offers a refreshing take on the idea. Green says, "I think we all sometimes feel out of our depth. But if you don't ever feel that, then you're probably not pushing yourself hard enough. If you're going to be successful, you sometimes do have to be out of your depth and take on something that you're not entirely sure is going to succeed."
Her words really resonated with me. It’s a good reminder that feeling like an imposter can simply mean we're growing and challenging ourselves.
Another powerful story is in Chapter 4, titled "Dodging the Snakes", which features an interview with former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. In Women and Leadership, Gillard reflects on the gendered criticism she faced during her time in office. She originally thought any reaction to her gender would happen early on and then settle down. But instead, she found that, "the longer I served as prime minister, the more shrill the sexism became."
Opposition leader Tony Abbott even ran a campaign against her called "ditch the witch". This shows just how tough it can be for women in leadership roles. Climbing the ladder isn’t just about doing the work — it’s also about being aware of sexism, bias, and even subtle forms of aggression. You have to be alert to things that might not seem serious at first but actually are.
Chapter 5 covers "The Adverse Effect", exploring how personal loss and hardship shape our outlook on life and work. One part that stayed with me was from Marina Litvinenko, who encourages embracing magical thinking: "The person you lost will always be with you... maybe in a parallel life, but always with you."
It’s a comforting idea — that those we love remain part of our journey. Joan Bakewell adds that sitting with someone at the end of their life reminds us that, "death is a very extraordinary experience and a very important part of life. Death gives life its perspective." These reflections highlight how loss can change us and strengthen our resilience.
Conclusion: The final part of The Ladder talks about embracing change — a reminder that change is constant, and it can lead to good things as often as bad. Newman encourages us to remember that we’ve already made it through so many changes in life, even when we didn’t notice. By recognising the skills we’ve used before, we can face new challenges with confidence.
Favourite Quote: Another standout quote for me was: "Women have to learn resilience because they are so often relied upon to demonstrate it in the face of male negligence or incapacity." This hits hard — it really sums up what many women experience every day.
Recommendation: This book is a great read. I'm not a feminist, but as a mother and working professional, I found it a real booster.
Oh, and by the way — never ask me about work-life balance. It doesn’t exist in my world, and why should it?