Maxed Out by Katrina Alcorn

Maxed Out by Katrina Alcorn
(photo not loading today- mountain Internet issues)


I loved this book. I'll read anything that speaks to the plight of professional mothers, so I've read a lot of crap, but loved this.
What I found most helpful was the info in the back of the book on how to help and how to fight: MomsRising, Emily's List and ROWE.
I felt validated reading Alcorn's story. It is similar to a lot of working mothers as well as to my own story. I've opted out of the male dominated world of architecture to be an elementary school librarian and be there everyday for my three kids.
If you have suffered from guilt, panic attacks and overwhelming exhaustion you will relate to this story.
Others have claimed the book "whines" too much. Whining is often misinterpreted. I see it as a healthy ability to ask for what you need, a skill that a lot of women lack. No one can help you if you don't ask for help.
Overall a good read, entertaining and educational.

That is my official Amazon Review. I stole it and posted it here. I hope that's okay with Amazon. I didn't read the terms and conditions of my review contract. I'm sure there is one out there somewhere.

I'm always on the bandwagon for working mothers. The few reviews that I saw of this book on Amazon that call the writer a "whiner" make me so mad. I want to punch those reviewers in the face.

Working full time and raising a family is not a job that everyone can or wants to take on.
For me it is too much. I cannot work full time and be sane. I've tried it and I sacrificed my health and my family for the sake of a few dollars. Unfortunately that is choice some of us have to make. You cannot judge unless you have been in a situation where your mind and body are about to snap under the pressure. Personal accountability is not a factor and neither is whining. It's just different strokes for different folks.
When I see books like this written I know I am not alone. I know it is okay for me to be at home with my kids. I know it is okay to work part time even though I am an architect and have a masters degree in library science. Sometimes I feel guilty that I am not working up to my full potential, but then I realize that I am doing the absolute best that I can in the jobs that I can handle. I am not giving 20% to anything. I am finally able to give 100% to the things that I have committed to; my part time job at a library, my job with the family businesses, my children, my husband and my home. It is a very empowering feeling to be in control and to be able to choose those things carefully. I have weeded out all the things that I cannot handle. Sure I still have bad days. Who doesn't? But everything is under control.
I have extra time for me as well. I have time to read and time to write. I have time to take a quiet lunch at Chipolte once a week. I have time to roam the shelves at my local library. What more can a gal ask for?