4/5 - I went into this book expecting some of Sandberg's ideals to be inapplicable to me. Sandberg made a career switch from Google to Facebook, was Chief of Staff for the Secretary of the Treasury, and has two degrees from Harvard. I'm proud of my own accomplishments, but hers are quite a bit more impressive sounding than mine or the vast majority of working women. Thankfully, most of "Lean In" was relatable and not reserved for that elite 1%. This book is all about taking the initiative to get where you want in your career, while pointing out the things that women do to hold themselves back. I am definitely guilty of some things she talks about; I don't always take credit for something I worked hard on or negotiate at work. 
 Sandberg believes women back off in the workplace because successful women aren't as well-liked, and she has plenty of statistics and studies to back this up. Howard vs. Heidi study, anyone? Her thorough research into the various topics is the main reason I liked the book. Compared to the memoir of Caitlin Moran that I read a few weeks back, "Lean In" managed to stay objective because of all the research, even with Sandberg's personal work stories. I think the most interesting part of the book, though, was the chapters on balancing work and family. A lot of women let work take the back seat even before they get pregnant, and Sandberg really encourages women to lean in and keep work a priority, because in the long run that generally pays off more. I appreciated how she talked about stay-at-home moms though, she respects that difficult job too. Did reading this book make me want to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company? No. Did it make me aware of several things I could work on to be more purposeful in my career actions? Yes, and that's why my rating is 4/5.