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  • The Authority Gap

  • Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously than Men, and What We Can Do About It
  • By: Mary Ann Sieghart
  • Narrated by: Mary Ann Sieghart
  • Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (210 ratings)

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The Authority Gap cover art

The Authority Gap

By: Mary Ann Sieghart
Narrated by: Mary Ann Sieghart
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Imagine living in a world in which you were routinely patronised by women.

Imagine having your views ignored or your expertise frequently challenged by them.

Imagine trying to speak up in a meeting, only to be talked over by female colleagues.

Imagine subordinates resisting you as a boss, merely because you're a man.

Imagine being trolled by women on social media for daring to express an opinion.

Imagine people always addressing the woman you are with before you.

Now imagine a world in which the reverse of this is true.

The Authority Gap provides a startling perspective on the unseen bias at work in our everyday lives, to reveal the scale of the gap that still persists between men and women. Marshalling a wealth of data with precision and insight, and including interviews with pioneering women such as Baroness Hale, Mary Beard and Bernadine Evaristo, this is a fresh feminist take on how to address and counteract systemic sexism in ways that benefit us all.

©2021 Mary Ann Sieghart (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A brilliant manifesto explaining why women are still so underestimated and overlooked in today's world, but how we can also be hopeful for change." (Philippa Perry)

"Hugely exciting." (Emily Maitlis)

What listeners say about The Authority Gap

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I didn't realise how much I needed this

What a fantastic listen. Curiosity brought me to Mary Anne's book and I soon became engulfed. Very well researched and thoughtfully constructed. I'm confident we can now make positive change if we wake up and reevaluate our lives.

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Compelling argument, listenable voice

I do not consider myself a feminist, wokist or a stuck in the mud conservative. This book does an excellent job of following the evidence and being dispassionate while clearly being written by an author passionate about the subject.

Buzzword terminology is largely avoided, with the exceptions standing out all the more because they seem to have been carefully left out elsewhere in the book.

Often the subjective experiences (used carefully to give life to the 'narrative') are reinforced with more objective data which is a refreshing change from the usual instant angry and emotional discussion of any subject today.

Sieghart avoids accusatory language and makes the sort of reasonable suggestions that both men and women can follow in a way that makes it seem simple enough to make a change.

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Absolutely Stunning!

I enjoyed this book immensely and will be buying a physical copy.
I found it so useful, from the current statistics delivered in context, to the anecdotes.

This is not an "aren't men bastards" fest - rather an objective look at how we All came to be here. How humanity, whether men, women and all other gender types, arrived at our commonly held misconceptions, with great emphasis on the fact that 99% of the time, none of us realise a decision has even been made.
Whilst we're given food for thought, we are not only prompted to question ourselves, re-allign our selves, and eventually offered possible solutions.

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Great informative book

A must read for anyone interested in creating gender equality and wants to know what they can do about it.

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An absolute must listen

I saw Mary Ann speak at Ilkley Lit Fest and was hooked from then. I was not disappointed? Do you want to be equal parts annoyed and empowered for change? Listen to this book.

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Book every person should read

a fantastic book. it was like listening to my own life and it's an issue I see everyday.

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Incredible

Really well researched and very insightful! An enjoyable yet thought provoking listen (male 31 yrs old).

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An important read

Everyone should listen to this book. It’s well written and insightful striking a good balance between facts and figures and eye opening personal accounts and interviews. Listening to this book will make you angry at times but also inspire you to make the world a better place for the women in your lives.

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What we all need to hear

Not just anecdotal or opinion, this book uses scientific research to present the hard facts of the authority gap. So relatable but also shocking - it had me going “wow” the whole way through.

Such an important and well crafted insight into the widespread impacts of implicit bias. Everyone needs to hear it !

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Unsettling

I struggled to get through the first few chapters of the book and persevered but glad I did. Why? Because this book challenged my beliefs. I have been happy to behave ‘like a man’ in many areas of my business life but perhaps I’ve poorly served myself and others. I’ve always much preferred male fiction writing to women’s but am evenly split when listening to or reading non-fiction. This book is exceptional because it makes use of so much data to back up arguments. It’s also brilliantly delivered by Mary Ann Sieghart on Audible. I disliked the repetition at first but now accept it is legitimate to reinforce the messaging. It is the best (possibly only) feminist book I’ve consumed and yes, it’s something I will come back to again. Thank you.

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