6 unexpected things I learned about Ivanka Trump from her new book
Ivanka Trump has a new book out Tuesday entitled, "Women Who Work."
The book, which the first daughter and White House adviser wrote while her father was running for president, reads like a mashup of countless essays and articles written in the past decade aimed at female entrepreneurs.
That isn't to say all the advice is bad — it's just that little is new. The book borrows heavily from books like Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In," Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston's "How Remarkable Women Lead," and backlogs of IvankaTrump.com.
More disappointing for people hoping for a window into what to expect from the Trump administration is a lack of details on Ivanka's own life and political views. While Trump does reference some of her own experiences, including her efforts to prepare a speech at the Republican National Convention, the book often lapses into generic platitudes of female empowerment that could have been written by anyone.
However, there are a handful of interesting tidbits in the book that help illuminate the powerful first daughter. Here's what I learned about Ivanka Trump from "Women Who Work."
1. Ivanka finished writing the book before her father won the presidency — and it shows.
Getty/ Jeff J Mitchell
According to the book's preface, Trump finished the manuscript before the election's results were announced and wrote the preface in the days before her father's inauguration. As a result, as Trump was writing the book, there was no way she could have predicted that, by the time it was published, she would have quit her job as CEO of Ivanka Trump to work in an official White House role.
"When my father takes office as our nation's forty-fifth president, I will take a formal leave of absence from both The Trump Organization and my apparel and accessories brand," Trump wrote. "On paper this separation is straightforward, but emotionally, this was not an easy decision."
The book returns repeatedly to Trump's love for entrepreneurship and how important her job is to her — something she may have toned down had she realized she'd be making a career jump before the book was published. Trump may have also avoided quoting so many vocal critics of her father's political aspirations, if she had realized he would be elected.
2. Ivanka has two nannies that she credits with "enabling me to do what I do."
ivankatrump/Instragram
In the book's acknowledgements, Trump thanks her children's two nannies, Liza and Xixi, "for being a part of our extended family and enabling me to do what I do."
Despite extensive discussion of the need for paid childcare throughout the book, Trump only mentions her own nannies one other time in "Women Who Work."
"Some of my best photos of the kids were taken by my nanny during the day (I'm sure in ten years I'll convince myself I took them!)" she wrote.
Trump also thanks Dorothy and Bridget, the nannies who helped raise her and her siblings.
3. Ivanka struggles to grapple with conflicting ideas about why she's successful.
Mark Makela/Getty Images
In writing a book that is essentially a "how-to" guide on being a successful working women, Trump had to show that she wasn't just born with a silver spoon in her mouth — a point that she reiterates again and again throughout the book.
"Undeniably, one factor in my success has been the doors that my family's name and my privileged upbringing have opened," Trump writes. "I'm deeply grateful for all the opportunities afforded to me, but they alone didn't guarantee my success. Curiosity, passion, hard work, and perseverance have enabled me to prove my value to myself and others beyond my surname."
However, as an anonymous quote that Trump includes in the book states, "It's not what you know but who you know that makes a difference."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider