There is a certain questionable premise to any self-help book, best encapsulated by Garrison Keillor when he talked about Lake Wobegon as a place where "all the children are above average." The premise here that anyone can earn a lot of money if they simply follow the steps outlined in this book is perhaps, as usual, a little too good to be true.

Nevertheless, I enjoy the occasional self-help book, and this one stands out for a couple of reasons because it is a book explicitly directed at women. It is reasonable to believe that as they recover from centuries of discrimination, women generally have greater untapped earning power than men. Moreover, particularly as an employment lawyer, I found it very interesting how this author suggested that women manage what is still a very challenging workplace environment; it nothing else, it is a strong rallying cry for women to take their fortunes into their own hands and assert their power and independence.

Finally, however, it is probably unfair to characterize this book as simply another get-rich-quick manual. The expectations -- a six-figure income -- are high but not outrageous. More importantly, however, the book encourages what might be called prudent risk-taking, good stewardship, and personal responsibility. While the emphasis is on encouraging women to seize control of their destiny and live to their full potential, the precepts in this little book are good advice for anybody.