The XX Factor: How Working Women are Creating a New Society

For most of history, being female defined the limits of a woman's achievements. But now, women are successful careerists equal to men. In Norway, women legally must constitute a third of all boards; in America, women have gone from 3% of practising lawyers in 1970 to 40% today, and over half of all law students.

These changes are revolutionary -but not universal: the 'sisterhood' of working women is deeply divided. Making enormous strides in the workplace are young, educated, full-time professionals who have put children on hold. But for a second group of women this is unattainable: instead, they work part-time, earn less, are concentrated in heavily feminized occupations like cleaning and gain income and self-worth from having children young.

As these two groups move ever further apart, shared gender no longer automatically creates interests in common with other women. Instead, for the first group, their working lives - and priorities - increasingly resemble those of the successful men they work alongside.

The XX Factor lifts the curtain on the social, cultural and economic schisms behind the phenomenal rise of women in the workplace.

About the Author :
Alison Wolf is a British economist. She is currently the Sir Roy Griffiths Professor of Public Sector Management, and has been a specialist adviser to the House of Commons select committee on education and skills. In March 2011 she completed the Wolf Review of Vocational Education for the Secretary of State for Education. She writes widely for the national press and is a presenter for Analysis on BBC Radio 4.

Review :
An exhilarating piece of analysis that explains once and for all why educated women have done so well and why they have become a class apart. Just when you thought you never wanted to read another word on working woman, here comes Alison Wolf Alison Wolf's skill is to use facts where others have only opinions. The results will infuriate and stimulate almost every reader Powerful, brilliantly argued, provocative and original - an outstanding book from a compelling thinker Wolf has written an exhaustive, intelligent, thoughtful and at times provocative and idiosyncratic analysis of what it is to be an elite woman. By laying out the choices that women are faced with and the consequences of their actions, Wolf is ensuring that we do not have to walk blindfold into the future. A crucial bible for anyone wanting to check up on anything about contemporary woman. Full of such factual richness... The XX Factor is a feast of data. Alison Wolf has made a brilliant, lucid, and original contribution to the debate about women and the modern economy. If you care about women, work and families in the world today, you must read this passionate, fact-filled book. Just when you thought you never wanted to read another word on working woman, here comes Alison Wolf sweeping away the sloppy prejudices and dreary whining, presenting us with some bracing facts. The XX Factor is an exhilarating piece of analysis that explains once and for all why educated women have done so well (though will never be 50:50 in the boardroom) and why they have become a class apart to the other four fifths. Cheering and sobering by turns, it puts to shame almost every other book that has been written on this subject Highly readable and informative The book is fascinating and there is plenty of food for thought within it Engagingly written ... has a light touch and is full of personal anecdotes, but it is also well footnoted, with a scholar's careful attention to sources An exhaustive, provocative analysis With the XX Factor Wolf accomplishes a rare feat: she combines real breadth with real depth. No matter how much you think you know about this hotly debated subject, and whether or not you agree with every one of Wolf's ideas, you will come away from her book with new information - some merely amusing, but some foundation-shaking