Review by Booklist Review
It wasn't her dream job, but it was one that could help assuage a mountain of guilt accumulated by sacrifices her family made for her out-of-the-ordinary childhood health care and pricey college tuition. When Higgins signed on as a trainee at Goldman Sachs, her commitment came with a price. Long days and pressure to produce, sure, but also sexual harassment and psychological and emotional abuse. Marriage and motherhood only escalated the office misogyny. Yet Higgins stayed. One more bonus, she told herself, one more promotion. When an ill-considered affair with a colleague almost torpedoed her marriage and a traumatic miscarriage almost took her life, Higgins doubled down on her plan to resign. As insiders say, You only leave Goldman once, but for Higgins, once would be enough. Higgins recounts Goldman Sachs' toxic work environment in jaw-dropping detail, rivaled only by the remarkable candor with which she reveals her own culpability in tolerating such behavior. A brave and vivid portrait of a destructive corporate culture and toxic sexism and the terrifying toll it took on Higgins and her family.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
One of America's leading financial institutions is rife with misogyny, homophobia, and racism, according to this scintillating exposé. Higgins, a former managing director at Goldman Sachs, documents her 20-year rise from trainee to the highest-ranking woman in her department, explaining that the toxic environment nearly destroyed her marriage and family life, even as she was seduced by the huge income and prestige. She documents a workplace culture of grueling hours, drunken parties, and commonplace sexual harassment and discrimination, and notes that when her twin girls were born, she was strongly discouraged from breastfeeding at work. Later, when her son was born, she was in a more senior position and did breastfeed and pump in the office but was mocked by "mooing" sounds on her way to the lactation room. And after a difficult miscarriage, Higgins was pressured to return to work well before her physician advised it, causing even more health difficulties. Setting a brisk pace, Higgins packs the narrative with dramatic scenes but somewhat distracts from her larger point with gossipy details about an affair with one of her bosses. Still, this is a persuasive warning that Wall Street still has a long way to go to become a more human and equitable workplace. Agent: Gail Ross, Ross Yoon. (Aug.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A former Goldman Sachs managing director lays out the noxious culture of the storied investment firm. In her debut memoir, Fiore Higgins mounts a scathing critique of the sexist, racist, homophobic, and elitist culture pervading Goldman Sachs, where she spent a long career. Although she had hoped to become a social worker, her parents pressed her to find a higher-paying job; immigrants who struggled to pay her hefty tuition at Bryn Mawr, they wanted a return on their investment. Fiore Higgins had no interest in finance, but she was inspired by a Goldman Sachs recruiter who encouraged women to apply. The company's ethos, she said, was "Minds. Wide. Open." However, from her first days as a trainee, the author realized she was out of place at the firm, where most of her colleagues were young, male, White, and wealthy. The macho atmosphere, far from being open and welcoming, was toxic. Still, she wanted to prove that she could excel. Diagnosed with scoliosis as a child, she was used to being underestimated. "All I ever wanted to do," she admits, "was break out of the boxes of limitations that others put me into." She worked hard and received praise, promotions, and bonuses beyond her expectations. After the first year, expecting a bonus of $40,000, she got $80,000. Another year, her total compensation went from $500,000 to $1 million. But it came at great moral cost, as Fiore Higgins neglected her husband and children, failed to support women colleagues, and reveled in her power. "Like the long-bullied kid on the playground who becomes the bully," she realizes, "I had become a part of the cycle of abuse." Longing to quit, she and her husband devised a "Spreadsheet of Freedom" to indicate when they would have enough money for her to walk away. The author never reveals the sum, but despite a seven-figure salary and bonuses, she felt compelled to stay for nearly 20 years. A disturbing portrait of power and greed. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
