Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose - Softcover

Learn how some of the world’s most powerful women are using their growing economic power to create success and meaning in their lives while building a better world.

Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In ignited a conversation about women and their careers that resonated with millions of readers.Fast Forward, by two women leaders whose experience spans corporate America, public service, and global diplomacy, takes the next step. Through interviews with a network of more than fifty trailblazers, the book shows women how to accelerate their growing economic power, and use it to serve a higher purpose.   Corporate America, countries, and organizations the world over are finally waking up to today’s new reality. Women control the lion’s share of purchasing power and those in leadership positions are increasingly key to competitiveness.  The age of women’s explosive economic power has finally arrived, and every woman, man, and organization needs to know why and how everyone wins when women get ahead.  Using personal stories of women like Hillary Clinton, Salma Hayek, Christine Lagarde, Ursula Burns, and Diane von Furstenberg, Fast Forward shows how these women are combining power with purpose, and how you can too.
Advance praise for Fast Forward:

“Fast Forward shows us how leaders at every level can use their power and purpose to help more and more women achieve their dreams for a better life.”—Hillary Rodham Clinton

“We are all capable of great things, even world-changing things, if we take inspiration from others and join together to get it done. We are witnessing an awakening to the justice of civil rights for women in our time. You can feel it is imminent, and it will change the world when it is accomplished. Here are stories of a few women who have dared to imagine the day, and worked to make it happen. Let them inspire you.”
—Meryl Streep

“A life filled with purpose is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves — and to others. Fast Forward shows women how to lead lives of purpose and meaning, so that they, and our world, can thrive.”
—Arianna Huffington

“As I have travelled the world, I’ve seen incredible strength and resilience of women everywhere, working at every level. If there was ever a doubt that our moment is now, this book dispels it. Fast Forward shows every woman how she can empower herself and her community, and why all of us will be better for it. Women are the growing force for progress in the 21st century.”
—Madeleine Albright

“What is life without a sense of purpose? Any woman who’s asked herself this question must read Fast Forward, filled with inspiring stories of women who’ve achieved power in their own lives and used it to make a difference for others, especially other women and girls.”
—Maria Shriver

“The stories in this inspirational book serve as a powerful reminder that, with the right support, women can become an unstoppable force in their communities and economies. It is a rousing call to action for anyone who cares about creating a more equal world. Unleashing the full potential of women is not an option – it is an imperative.”
—Cherie Blair, founder, Cherie Blair for Women

“I love this book. It tells the stories of ingenious women who took the circumstances around them and created successful companies and purpose in their lives, while at the same time recognizing their own power to lift other women up, supporting both economic growth and social progress all over the world. It’s an inspiring wake-up call to action, and once you’re fired up, longing to find your own power and potential, it gives you a tool kit of information as to how you can begin. Brilliant.”
—Sally Field

“Fast Forward gives all of us hope through the inspiring examples of pioneering women in global leadership, public service, and the corporate world — a path forged by Melanne Verveer since she helped Hillary Clinton transform the concept of women's rights in Beijing in 1995. Verveer and co-author Kim Azzarelli share their practical experience with new insights into how we can all lean even further forward. A must read for women — and men — who believe strong, educated women and girls are the key to advancing societies.”
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC News

“A durable contribution to the continued efforts to effect change for women.” 
—Kirkus

"[An] empowering work about women's valuable contributions to the global economy." 
—Publishers Weekly

“[Fast Forward] outlines a female power action plan: how to find yours and use it while supporting other women . . . The book is full of compelling studies and stats.” — Elle

Books like Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In have helped advance a conversation about women and their careers that has resonated with millions of readers. Fast Forward, by two women leaders whose experience spans corporate America, public service, and global diplomacy, takes the next step. Through interviews with a network of more than seventy trailblazing women, Fast Forward shows women how to accelerate their growing economic power and combine it with purpose to find both success and meaning in their lives.

Companies, countries, and organizations the world over are waking up to today’s new reality. Women control the lion’s share of purchasing power and are increasingly essential to competitiveness. Women are using their power for purpose, redefining what power and success mean in the process. Through clear, practical advice and personal stories of women around the world — including Hillary Clinton, Geena Davis, Christine Lagarde, and Diane von Furstenberg — Fast Forward shows every woman how to know her power, find her purpose, and connect with others to achieve her life’s goals.
 
“A durable contribution to the continued efforts to effect change for women.” — Kirkus Reviews

Melanne Verveer is a founder of Seneca Women and executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace, and Security. In 2009, President Obama appointed her the first-ever United States ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues.

Kim K. Azzarelli is a founder of Seneca Women and cofounder and chair of Cornell Law School’s Avon Global Center for Women and Justice. She is a legal, corporate, and philanthropic adviser and has held senior positions at companies including Newsweek/The Daily Beast, Goldman Sachs, and Avon.