Those who have read this book understand that having a network is necessary for success in pretty much any endeavor. Everyone needs help (from both men and women), and thankfully I had lots of help with this book. My family deserves a very special thank-you for their encouragement, love, and support throughout the writing process. My husband, Bill, has spent an inordinate amount of time discussing different aspects of the sex partition with me. He came up with the partition metaphor, read several drafts of the book without complaint, and offered innumerable valuable comments. Thank you, Bill. Your enthusiasm and support are much appreciated. To my son, Bradley, thanks for being the greatest kid in the universe, for your excitement about Mom’s book, and for your treasured thoughts on everything from the cover to the anecdotes about you. And to the late Lucy Marie Dog, border collie extraordinaire: Thanks to you, I was never alone while writing.
Having never published a book before, some extra hand-holding was needed with the publishing process. Thanks to Janet Lever for introducing me to my fabulous agent, Helen Zimmermann. And thanks to Helen for all her support, for patiently answering all my frantic newbie author questions, and for pointing out that a book that describes a problem must also offer solutions.
Thanks to my editor at Globe Pequot, Lara Asher—it was great to work with someone who could relate to the sex partition. Lara’s positive feedback was a motivating force. After the acquisition of Globe Pequot, thanks to everyone at Taylor Trade for staying on top of all aspects of the book’s progression. I appreciate your attention to detail and all of your expertise in transforming my words into an actual book.
I started my research on the sex partition while in the doctoral program at UCLA and want to thank Anne Peplau, my advisor, for her help and enthusiasm for this line of research. Long after I graduated, Anne continues to offer her inspiring support. Furthermore, without the support and research privileges provided to me by the UCLA Center for the Study of Women, I would not have been able to complete the research for this book.
Thanks, also, to those who provided endorsements while I was trying to find a publisher, including Barbara Gutek, Pepper Schwartz, Matthew Lieberman, Heidi Reeder, Anne Peplau, and Richard Lippa. I’m also indebted to friends and relatives who offered their thoughts, read drafts, or shared their contacts with me, especially Chuck Elsesser, Tom Elsesser, Kathleen Tkac, Elaine Gibson, Geoff Gibson, Susan Wall, and Peter Muller.
I am particularly grateful to everyone who opened up and shared their stories with me. I wish I could recognize you by name, because your stories truly made the sex partition come to life. Last but not least, thanks to everyone who reads this book. I appreciate you taking the time to understand the sex partition, and why it’s an important issue for women at work.