Outspoken audiobook

Highly recommend you listen to the audiobook. Veronica Rueckert goes through so many layers of how and why women's voices get silenced and what women, allies, parents, everyone can do to change up the dynamic that allows for this type of injustice to happen. She's also incredibly expressive, humorous and engaging. I typically hate audiobooks because I don't like people reading anything remotely self-help/self-improvement-related to me. It feels judgemental. I feel like their trying to brainwash me with their inflections and tonality and it fucks with my enjoyment. HOWEVER, this book was different. Veronica had some unique voice lessons and it's so important to experience the lessons that she has to share explaining how to really embrace, find and use your voice. There was ways to make good trouble in here too, she talks about maneuvers to get around people trying to silence you, interrupt you, trying to take credit for your work, etc. She gets into reclaiming your mofucking time, a la Maxine Waters. She talks about getting around other women who've internalized misogyny and ageist bullshit that also seek to limit the voices of women pushing their way through the ranks of the business, entertainment, political, sports and academic worlds, etc. There are so many layers to this book she goes through how girls' perceptions of themselves start to change as young as 4-6 years old and how women have been socialized to manipulate how and limit the amount at which they speak as to not cause the illusion of a disruption based on sexist notions and externalized/internalized misogyny. She has so so many references, popular and obscure, and it's not boring or dry not even for one second. Outspoken is expansive in it's scope but not dry. Veronica Rueckert discusses historical contexts that limited women's voices and the variety of modern ways that women are changing up the dynamic and how society can liberate itself from the madness. I enjoyed it immensely. It was like listening to a great informative lengthy podcast. I highly recommend.

Wow. Wow. Wow.I felt like this book was written for me, which is going to completely bias this review. As a child I was extremely talkative, receiving the feedback that I talked too much on every report card. I was constantly getting in trouble for disrupting class or talking during lecture. As a kid I was told to be quiet and keep my voice down during free play time. I eventually learned to whisper in class so I wouldn't get caught talking out of turn. While I've long been a daddy's girl, my dad has critiqued my tone of voice my whole life. Constantly telling me when I'm "using a tone of voice" with him that's unacceptable, which often makes me feel trapped and unable to express displeasure or frustration. In high school, my sophomore English teacher called out my soft spoken voice in the middle of class. Randomly. I had just simply raised my hand to answer one of his questions. After answering he ignored my answer and just went on a tangent about my voice. This was over halfway through the school year (so not a reaction to the first time hearing my voice). He spent several minutes saying how I had the weirdest voice he has ever heard and that it was on an entirely different wavelength than any other human voice. This was after he'd previously told me my papers were physically painful to read so it did not feel like a compliment. By the time I got to college I was still not-shy and was often the person in class who participates too much, constantly raising my hand to answer questions, leaving no percentage of that easy peasy participation portion of the grade on the table, and earning some eye rolls, I'm sure.But somehow over that time, privately, I became more quiet. I had one guy after a 3 months of dating say he did not want to date me anymore. I asked why or if it was something I'd done and he said I didn't talk enough. My close friends and brother didn't even believe me when I told them he had said this because to them I'm a rambling Joe Biden.My first job after college was as a commercial underwriter for a major insurance carrier. I spent all day on the phone talking to the agents in my territory. It wasn't going great, my voice didn't carry well over the phone. It didn't help that my manager had lost 40% of his hearing in one ear and often could barely hear me, but he also told me I should go to a voice coach. I now have a different job for a different company, and was originally referred to the job by a friend. I don't know if I'd have gotten the job on my own, based on how they perceived me. After being in the role for 6 months I met with my director to share how things were going so far and he told me that the only thing that gave them hesitation in hiring me was my soft spoken voice. And that because of it, I hadn't projected confidence. I work in an open office environment (go figure) in IT and am constantly told people can't hear me or they'll say that half the time they can't hear me but don't say anything and then just pretend that they did hear me.This has been hard for me and frustrating because outside of work I still get told by my dad and the occasional romantic interest that I need to lower my voice. I went to am ENT doctor to check for nodules because people say I often sound sick or will ask me if I have a cold. The doctor said there was no damage to my throat, which was good. He referred me to a voice coach but it was just out of my price range. I think we need more intermediate solutions in this area because I live in a city of 2.5 million and have only been able to find voice coaches for severe speech impediments and therefore they want to charge $800 an hour. And unfortunately, insurance doesn't cover those who simply want to improve their work and personal life. It seems we need companies and HR departments to step up. If you want women to sound different, offer coaching and voice lessons through your company benefits. There really isn't another path. I plan on tracking down more exercises that are surely on youtube since I have yet to find a voice coach.I appreciated that this book offered simple exercises, and went beyond the classic "don't tell girls they're being bossy" which is grating. I also appreciated that this book called out why its not the woman's problem how she sounds. I run into this every day because perception is reality. And unfortunately it doesn't seem like you can ever be enough. The same job that almost didn't hire me because I wasn't confident enough, also told me once after a meeting, "you did great back there, especially when you said, 'this may not be the best approach but I was thinking we could do it this way'..." making it clear that I'll have better business success if I introduce room for doubt or acknowledge my potential shortcomings. Women are constantly expected to temper how sure they are about statements they make but then told the next minute that they aren't likely to be able to command a room. And it is EXHAUSTING.

I wholeheartedly recommend Veronica Reuckert's groundbreaking analysis of the myriad ways women are unheard-- seen as "too much" or dismissed as "not enough"-- and, in both cases, silenced. Since reading Outspoken, I've been cognizant of my own patterns in speech and space, in posture and performance and am working to reclaim my voice I loved as a child-- before my library-job cubicle voice, before the shame in "talks too much" elementary school report card comments, before friends made fun of my singing on karaoke night, before my first public speaking-induced, deeply painful attack of nerves, before being told I apologize too much and before realizing who refused to make eye contact with me during important conversations. Beyond the call for personal improvement, though, I'm also feeling a surprising strength post-Outspoken-read. Reuckert's call for reclaiming one's voice is certain, sincere and buoying-- and she asks that we begin where we are. Where am I? I have a long way to go but now give myself props for things like choosing as my life partner my friend who read Outspoken the day before I did and who has *long* held the open, supportive face I can look to when speaking my mind (the kind of face Reuckert recommends stationing in your audience when possible); remembering the (scary) time I asked someone to not interrupt me while I was speaking in a classroom environment; seeking professional advice regarding my voice/public speaking fears and-- not least-- choosing to buy Outspoken-- an entertaining, very well-written and insightful book. I am certain I will return to it often! Outspoken is well researched yet written in a non-linear and informal, highly readable style. I appreciated both the richness and brevity of each chapter. It's an excellent commuter or lunch book. Each section can and ought to stand alone as an essay and I expect segments to appear in media and in classroom readers (gender studies, communication arts, business, etc.) I discovered Reuckert's enthusiasm for voice was contagious for me and enacted several of her exercises as I read along. My heavy Settlement cookbook gave me quite an abdominal workout and my soft palate will no longer be ignored.

This book was like visiting with an old friend. Although Rueckert brings her own voice and fresh perspective, this was a visit back to my my first years of college, immersed in vocal work. A great book for those women who struggle to find their voice and helpful for anyone wanting to understand the hidden and not so hidden dynamics between gender, status, societal conditioning and voice.

I loved this book. A great balance of storytelling, data, motivation and practical exercises to examine the female voice.

Thanks to Harper for providing me a free copy of this book at BEA 2019. I'm honestly conflicted about the message of this book and have a lot of thoughts.This book does not describe an innovative concept. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of books encouraging and advising women to be more assertive and more outspoken. Where the book becomes interesting is when Veronica focuses on how vocal tonality, pitch, and rhythm affect how someone is perceived, which did not comprise a majority of the book. Additionally, this book, like most, takes a very cis-gendered approach to the differences between men and women. In a society where gender fluidity receives more acknowledgment, messages from these books can feel antiquated. Having recently read Lean Out (see review here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...), which highlights a lot of the pitfalls books like Outspoken fall into, it was hard to take many of the results of the research studies for face-value (i.e. how much time female characters speak in Disney movies, how many times female senators are interrupted, etc.). Using these studies as evidence, Veronica then lays out advice for the reader (assumed to be female) on how to be more Outspoken. She advises that women should take up more space with their bodies, should speak more powerfully, and should be at peace with interrupting others. She even describes that to promote and encourage such behaviors in her daughter, she gives her daughter permission to cry and scream in social places, even where it may be inappropriate such as the movies or an airplane. It is this part of the book that had me really question the appropriate way to solve the male/female divide. From what I've read so far, there seem to be two schools of thought when looking at potential solutions for the glass ceiling. 1. From books like Outspoken, women should be taught opposite from the cultural conditioning they've received their whole life. They should be told to be loud, assertive, and outspoken, qualities that will allow them to compete with their male counter-parts. 2. From books like Lean Out, women shouldn't be graded based on criteria created by men. We should change the system so that women are appreciated for the skill-sets they possess without telling them they need to act like men. I think both have their place depending on the audience, but it makes me wonder what the most effective method is to changing how women are viewed in our society. Obviously, we want to reach a point where men and women are viewed as equals and each are lauded for their independent strengths, however do we immediately jump to the roots of such beliefs and try to pull them out or do we first equalize women in a man's world before trying to make it gender-equal? I honestly don't know the answer and it is books like Outspoken and Lean Out that really allow us to further question the current climate, either intentionally or unintentionally. The methods Veronica describes in her book allowing women to feel more "empowered" leave me feeling unsatisfied. Do we really need more people acting like entitled men? For me, the answer is a resounding no. But I'm not going to claim to know how to fix the problem. Overall, although this book put me in a mild existential crisis yesterday, it's worth a read if you're looking for specific advice on how to be louder. However, the same message to be more assertive and outspoken can be found in many other books and provide a superficial fix to a much deeper problem.

Incredibly relatable and inspiring as it is infuriating, I so appreciated Reuckert's stats and encouragement here. As a woman myself, much of what is said about the reality of women's voices is all too obvious, but I am always game to listen to ideas for rebelling against the status quo because I am not about to prolong anyone's complacency.

I wholeheartedly recommend Veronica Reuckert's groundbreaking analysis of the myriad ways women are unheard-- seen as "too much" or dismissed as "not enough"-- and, in both cases, silenced. Since reading Outspoken, I've been cognizant of my own patterns in speech and space, in posture and performance and am working to reclaim my voice I loved as a child-- before my library-job cubicle voice, before the shame in "talks too much" elementary school report card comments, before friends made fun of my singing on karaoke night, before my first public speaking-induced, deeply painful attack of nerves, before being told I apologize too much and before realizing who refused to make eye contact with me during important conversations. Beyond the call for personal improvement, though, I'm also feeling a surprising strength post-Outspoken-read. Reuckert's call for reclaiming one's voice is certain, sincere and buoying-- and she asks that we begin where we are. Where am I? I have a long way to go but now give myself props for things like choosing as my life partner my friend who read Outspoken the day before I did and who has *long* held the open, supportive face I can look to when speaking my mind (the kind of face Reuckert recommends stationing in your audience when possible); remembering the (scary) time I asked someone to not interrupt me while I was speaking in a classroom environment; seeking professional advice regarding my voice/public speaking fears and-- not least-- choosing to buy Outspoken-- an entertaining, very well-written and insightful book. I am certain I will return to it often! Outspoken is well researched yet written in a non-linear and informal, highly readable style. I appreciated both the richness and brevity of each chapter. It's an excellent commuter or lunch book. Each section can and ought to stand alone as an essay and I expect segments to appear in media and in classroom readers (gender studies, communication arts, business, etc.) I discovered Reuckert's enthusiasm for voice was contagious for me and enacted several of her exercises as I read along. My heavy Settlement cookbook gave me quite an abdominal workout and my soft palate will no longer be ignored.PS. An earlier Goodreads reviewer overlooked the author's inclusion of WOC and non-cisgendered voices. They're in this book and Reuckert spends quite a bit of time talking about how a silent place at the table is not enough-- that all women's voices must be heard. She also talks about her own background such that I am confused by the reviewer's accusation of a white, upper middle class lens. I have to wonder if the reviewer read Outspoken.

I had never thought much about my physical voice and the impact mine (and other women's) has in that direct sense, so Veronica opened my eyes. While I am not fully convinced that changing my voice could change my life, reading this book definitely made me more aware of my voice in a public setting - and made me want to use it more! This book provided motivation and insight into not just women's voices but our space in the public sphere. I put it down feeling empowered and wanting to buy my own copy (I rented mine from the library) so I could reread, highlight and take note of her most poignant sentences.

Veronicia Reuchert's book, Outspoken, is a book everyone should read. It is so important for women's voices to be heard. The book is well written and easy to read with all important points reviewed at the end of many of the chapters. I was really interested in the revelations in the last chapters, because I didn't know that in India, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and the UK, they have quotas mandating a required number of seats in lawmaking bodies be held by women. That really helps level the playing field and give women a great opportunity to shape policy that affects them. If we can imagine a better world, it is one that everyone is given a voice.

** spoiler alert ** Pienso que este libro te hace reflexionar mucho sobre el poder de la voz y sobre la realidad de la voz de la mujer en la sociedad actual. No creo que me dio herramientas mind-blowing pero si creo que se adentra sobre el entendimiento de las diferencias entre hombres y mujeres que tienen al expresarse y comunicarse y al hacerse escuchar.

Having taken her class in person, the first half of this book was a nice review of the content covered in the course. I enjoyed this book greatly and am excited that this content can now reach a greater audience.

I’m in software development and I work with a lot of men who dominant conversations in meetings. I really loved this book and my confidence in the workplace has improved since I started reading it. I will for sure come back to reread the tips outlined throughout the book.

Should be required reading. Especially for men in leadership roles. I love the term “manterruption” and I’m going to start paying more attention to those moments.