Ivanka Trump ‘Vapid’ New Book Earns a Series of Savage Reviews
The reviews are in: Ivanka Trump new book is “vapid” at worst, “earnest” at best, and “a strawberry milkshake of inspirational quotes” somewhere in between. “Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success” went on sale Tuesday and seemed to immediately incite criticism from all corners of the internet. Trump has explained that the book is meant to “inspire you to redefine success and architect a life that honors your individual passions and priorities.” However, the self-help approach has been described in noticeably harsher terms in the book reviews that have come out since its release. Take for example, The New York Times’ Jennifer Senior, who indeed described the book as “a strawberry milkshake of inspirational quotes” “perfect for a generation weaned on Pinterest and goop.com,” adding: Self-actualization is the all-consuming preoccupation of “Women Who Work.” In this way, the book is not really offensive so much as witlessly derivative, endlessly recapitulating the wisdom of others, accepting as genuine those self-help and business books by Stephen Covey, Simon Sinek, Shawn Achor, Adam Grant. (Profiting handsomely off the hard work of others appears to be a signature Trumpian trait.) For a while, it reads like the best valedictorian speech ever.”
Business Insider’s Kate Taylor agrees, at least when it comes to Trump’s penchant for regurgitating other people’s advice. “The book reads like a mashup of countless essays and articles written in the past decade aimed at female entrepreneurs. That isn’t to say all the advice is bad, it’s just that little is new. The book borrows heavily from books like Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In,” Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston’s “How Remarkable Women Lead,” and backlogs of IvankaTrump.com. Her worldview it turns out, is not so different from her father’s. Both see society through the lens of quasi-mystical corporate self-help, the sort pioneered by Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking and a major influence on Donald Trump. In their scheme of life, success is proof of virtue and people are to blame for their own misfortune. If Ivanka Trump hasn’t expressed any outrage at the cruelties her father is inflicting on the poor and vulnerable, it may well be because she doesn’t feel any. HuffPost’s own Emily Peck similarly remarked upon the First Daughter’s inability to “realize just how much being wealthy, white and famous helped her out in life.” Ivanka’s life seems pretty smooth but in her book, she reveals struggles, like the time Anna Wintour heard that she was about to graduate from college and called out of the blue with a job offer, a challenge familiar to so many aspiring writers. Lol! Book world ire is hardly new for Ivanka Trump. Just last month, a horde of social media-savvy librarians schooled the author after her tone-deaf #NationalLibraryWeek tweet applauding libraries when her father had just proposed a budget cut of $230M to cultural agencies which $213M of that go to library grants.
Will Ivanka Trump’s Book Change How People View Her?
Susan Z’s Conclusion:
Actually yes. The book I feel is a much more personal insight of who she really is than she knows and people will see that! Whether it be negative or positive, she has exposed an underbelly of her entitled views on working women.
Ten of Swords:
This card represents a difficult life situation. I feel this card shows Ivanka is not having a fun time being a target of criticism for her failures.
Six of Cups:
This card represents forgiveness and also nostalgia for the past. I believe this card shows she has a tough time “forgiving” her attackers and just might be wishing she had her old life back.
The Magician: Inverted (Upside Down)
This card represents manifesting what you want but since it is inverted, it also shows tricks and illusions. I feel Ivanka feels her position was offered in a “smoke and mirrors” illusion. Nothing is turning out the way it was promised her.
Susan Z Rich is an emotional addiction counselor, spiritual intuitive and holistic therapist. She counsels others to see life in a more positive way and teaches personal accountability for life choices. She is also the author of several children’s books and Soul Windows…Secrets From The Divine.