I enjoyed Jenny Wood’s creative framing of her book, Wild Courage, which takes characteristics we have often been taught to arm ourselves against and instead to embrace our weird, selfish, shameless, obsessed, nosy, manipulative, brutal, reckless, and bossy selves in order to create the life— both in work and out of work— that we want. I have read a few books in this professional development category and usually judge them by 1) how useful or unique the insights I took away from reading the book, 2) if the reading experience imparted knowledge in an enjoyable way, and 3) whether or not I could have gotten the same thing from a summary.

Point 1- how useful and insightful? There was a mix of insights that were less impactful because they were less relevant to where I am in my career, and some insights that were poignant to my life now. Wood introduced me to some new vocabulary which I always appreciate— e.g, "Nap Work" or not actually promotable work (which I used to do a lot more of earlier in my career and now have keener judgment). the more useful insights were Wood's stories on leadership, seeking to solve for "patterns not problems" and coming to people without giving them all the answers.

Point 2- Enjoyable? Yes. I haven’t been a longtime follower of Wood’s work but can get a sense of who she is and her approach to work and life. Wood shows vulnerability in the book, such as the Brutal chapter where she talks about the regret of not boundary setting and dropping her work obligations to be with her daughter during a blender/hair malfunction. I could relate- rushing home bleary eyed after a middle of the night ER trip with my husband to take an important meeting the next day. (Hindsight: that meeting could have been moved to allow me to be more present). Although my personal and professional backgrounds are different from Woods’s— I could relate and thought her stories brought the concept to life.

Point 3- Enough interest in the book to be more than a summary? While one could try to summarize the punchline of each chapter, Wood’s personal stories throughout the book bring the point home as she tongue-in-cheek turns each “negative” trait into a good one. The takeaways are not so simple that I could have gotten the book through a 2 page summary. While some chapters resonated more than others I thought the threading through of the characteristics was well done.

Overall, Jenny Woods's book is for anyone who is looking to level-up and get what they want-- in both work and in life.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book early and provide a review!

Get What You Want!

Jenny Wood, a former Google operations manager whose team contributed billions to the company’s profitability, has authored Wild Courage. This book is designed to enhance your communication skills and develop a mindset that drives success. Whether you’re a CEO, aspiring for a promotion, or an independent entrepreneur, Wild Courage delivers immediate, impactful results. It may not be required reading, but your competitors will certainly find it valuable.