Review of Power Glass

[Vivian Writes]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Power Glass" by Katherine Cooper.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Everyone wants to feel more powerful, but there lies a challenge in figuring out what power even means. It doesn’t help that in the world, women are set back ten paces from their male counterparts, especially in the workplace. Power Glass: Personal Essays by Katherine Cooper explores the concept of power and how it affects women. Through her own experiences, starting from the time her rape drastically changed her life to being an adult in nuclear engineering, Cooper shares what it means to be a woman in her position and how both external and internal forces have affected her journey, both as a woman and as a nuclear engineer.

This book is a collection of essays where the author reveals uncomfortable truths about power. According to Cooper, power has a mirror side: fragility. And until we explore the components of fragility, we cannot truly understand power. I liked that she divided the book into four chapters that represent the most important frames through which we can examine the concept of power and its effects on people’s lives, and they are sex, service, society, and self; this helped her to explore how power has affected women extensively.

The author’s sharp tongue and interesting wit made for a fulfilling read. As a woman, I could relate to so many issues she dissected. Having to deal with sexual innuendos, even in the workplace, is rife for many women. But in a field like nuclear engineering, it is even more startling. But the author did a great job of navigating all those uncomfortable situations, both on paper and in real life. Her crisp writing and biting remarks about gender power imbalance were so hilarious that they uplifted the sober mood her darker experiences induced. The author’s qualifications and achievements as a nuclear engineer are impressive, but what's more impressive is her ability to reveal vulnerability (or fragility, as she calls it) while showcasing strength.

The author was very expressive in this book and wrote about things that may make some readers squirm. She included a visual sexual scene from her sexual abuse experience and other considerations about sex. So this book is only for mature readers who want to understand how the world affects women and how to play their part in smoothing out the power imbalance between the sexes. The author explained that men must meet women in the middle of the pursuit of equality, and I couldn’t agree more. At the start of each essay, she included insightful quotes that I also couldn’t get enough of.

On the flip side, when I opted to read this book, I expected something akin to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power, and so on. However, this book is not a book on strategy nor a true understanding of power. It read to me like a memoir that explored the difficulties of being a woman in a male-dominated field. In addition to this, the author also analyzed women’s rights and how oppression has affected them. While these topics, including the author’s personal experiences, are relevant and engaging, I found it a little misleading to call Power Glass a book about power. Additionally, sometimes, Cooper veered off course and gave lengthy explanations about the technicalities of her work, which I found educative but irrelevant. My rating is 3 out of 4 as a result of these issues.

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Power Glass
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[Sarah tianna]

Well, I would explicitly say I understand her very much. Son people don't know the psychological trauma that comes with rape. Great review.

[FunkyFlowerLady]

It seems like it includes traumatic scenes for some people and quite heavy topics to deal with here. But your review is very well structured, congrats!

[Wren Michaels]

Thank you for warning those who may find some topics in this book very sensitive

[Thompson Grace]

I enjoyed the fact the author well expressed her feelings, it would make readers better understand the author's mind. I love the fact that your review was clear and straight to the point.

[Oyedeji Funmilayo]

Women face alot actually, but men thinks women enjoys a lot of benefits they don't enjoy. I appreciate your honest review on the book and look forward to reading. Welldone

[Anthony Ekemezie]

This book has such an interesting title. I am curious to know more av it’s content. The author addressed a lot of important societal issues.

[Silvia Idahosa]

Sometimes, women have to strive twice as hard to get to the level of their male counterparts. This is the reality. It was nice to read that the reviewer thought the issues were relatable. It says a lot about the reality of what the author expressed in the book. Nicely written review.

[Treasure Elendu]

I love books like this. Women go through a lot in society, family and church. Women, they say are weaker vessels? I don't think so. Women are very strong and men think they enjoy a lot of things, but they don't. Thanks for your honest review.

[Youngreader720-OluwabukunmiWilliamsOso]

The author has presented a relatable piece that highlights a relevant issue in society today. This will make for an educative read as you have pointed out, and it is well executed as well.

[Wamala Elijah Mul]

The author has produced a piece of writing that is approachable while at the same time drawing attention to a critical societal issue. You were right when you remarked that it is a well-executed work that teaches the reader something new.

[Glory_C]

Inasmuch as the book is not entirely about power, I love the fact that trivial gender issues like females working in a male-dominated environment. Well done for a great review.

[Nicholas Bush]

Power is intoxicating, no doubts to that I believe that power is best suited to this3 who contend for it. It may be a wrong perceptive but I think it will work out fine. Nice review

[Alex Reeves]

Consider a woman who is knowledgeable on the subject of power. Women who didn't have access to power and authority centuries ago. This is to inform us that the world is rapidly changing, and we have to keep up unless we will be left on the sidewalks. From your review, I sense that the author would have been there, and done that. Great review.

[Opara Jerry]

This discussion regarding the perception of power and its relation to women needs to be had more often than we admit. It’s crucial to clarify things to prevent bad actions late in the future And also to even out the inequalities in our perception of that regard.