Why Men Earn More

Reviewer's Bookwatch, April, 2005

Why Men Earn More

Warren Farrell, PhD

AMACOM

ISBN 0814472109 $23.00 270 pages

Eye-Opening, Well-Constructed

The premise of this book is that a major influencer on the amount of money women--and men--earn is determined by the occupation chosen. Some jobs pay a lot more because they are less desirable and less popular among job-seekers. Others will pay much less because they involve easier work, better working conditions, less education and training, and more flexibility. These jobs are often held by women, who could increase their income by moving to the higher paying positions. These opportunities are described in the book.

Based on his premise that if you "choose the right field, the higher pay will come," Farrell continues with 25 ways to increase your income. While a lot of this knowledge is not rocket science, I've never seen it presented so succinctly. This book is quite well organized, very easy to navigate and absorb.

The six chapters in Part One, with the 25 reasons, are a fine book without anything else. But, there's more! Part Two delivers eight more chapters on a wide range of factors that differentiate men from women in the marketplace. Farrell slices through the myths to provide new perspectives ... including a chapter on jobs where women are paid more than men for the same work. Facts and feelings are intertwined to create a fascinating read that is hard to put down. A lot of questions in this field are addressed head-on, like "Isn't the issue more than comparable pay; isn't it comparable worth?"

This book will be popular, and frequently cited. Now that I've read it to create this review, I'm sending this book to my daughter who is about to receive her masters degree. As a proud father, I've told her for years that she deserves more. Now I can give her a book that documents that position.