OVERVIEW
Malcolm Gladwell mentioned Ursula in his book, "Revenge of the Tipping Point". I wanted to know more about her (and do my own research), so I found her memoir.
I thoroughly enjoyed, but didn't love, this memoir. Ursula mentions she is best one-on-one, and I know I would enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with her! She reminds me of my late friend, Robin, who also came from New York.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The writing is strong, emotional, and personal.
But, there was so much "Xerox speak". Ursula is also a mechanical engineer, so she is very technical (like my electrical engineer husband).
Narration: 4.0 stars
Ursula seemed uncomfortable and tentative reading the book. Narration is not her forte.
I recommend reading this book as either a digital or physical copy instead of an audiobook.
Character development: 5.0 stars
The main character is Ursula, as it is her memoir. But there are other important people in her life, especially her mother, Olga, with the book title and many chapters named after her mother's sayings.
Ursula grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side, living in public housing. She used education to improve her life and is a true American success story. But that doesn't mean she didn't encounter racism, sexism, and classism.
Ursula presents the good, the bad, and the ugly in this memoir. She discusses her strengths and weaknesses candidly.
Finally, the memoir is in fairly chronological order, which makes it easy to follow her life trajectory.
Memorable: 5.0 stars
As the first Black woman CEO to run a Fortune 500 company, she was a trailblazer. But the biggest takeaway was that she was technically proficient, mentored by the top leaders in the country, and exceedingly qualified for the position.
It caused a lot of drama when she was announced as the Xerox CEO, but would the same have happened if she had been a white man? I think not, so that is definitely something to remember and consider.
Entertaining/Educational: 5.0 stars
Ursula mentions impactful capitalism and believes the United States would be better off following this model. This business theory sounds fascinating and a real opportunity for positive change.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Great photograph.
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfectly stated.
STRONG recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow: audiobook
Where You Are Is Not Who You Are by Ursula Burns
7 hours, 39 minutes
HarperAudio
Release date: 6/15/2021
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mild swearing, drug addiction, medical content, classism, racism, sexism, pandemic
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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