Book title: The Pressure Cooker; Lessons from a Woman at Work
Author: Nkiru Olumide-Ojo
Pages: 111
Publisher: Narrative Landscape Press
Reviewer: Hafsah Abubakar Matazu
Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, a marketing and communications executive has been writing weekly columns titled, ‘Pressure Cooker’ for 6 years for the Business Day. When she debuted her book of the same title, it proved to be an enlightening and refreshing piece of work that women will probably go back to for many years to come.
‘The Pressure Cooker’ is a book that contained so much more than 111 pages could hold. It’s brimming with what the Nigerian career woman needs to know and hear. I truly haven’t read anything like it before. It really is a guide every woman should reference every now and again for motivation and advice.
Nkiru did an outstanding job when she penned this book. She did not shy away from the everyday issues encountered by career women, whether it’s in the home front as a mother and wife or at the work place, where cases of gender inequality, sexism and competition between women are prevalent.
The book consists of 9 chapters namely: Mum at Work, Get Over Yourself and Get Ahead, The Boy’s Club, Your Partner and Your Work, The Executive Suite: Getting Up That Ladder, You and the Next Woman, Back to the Beginning, Managing Up; You and Your Boss and Lessons from Failing. These chapters as their titles imply, cover literally everything.
Writing from her own personal experiences, Nkiru was very open in all she wrote, from her own challenges, how she overcame them, her failures and insecurities she had and how she came out fierce and strong despite all odds is exhilarating.
It gives fellow women the inspiration, empowerment and push they need to be go getters too. She also reminds us that despite how society may paint us, we have the capability to paint ourselves in the image we choose as well and break the stereotypes.
At the opening of each chapter is a firm and resonating quote with some embedded within the chapters too. A few of my favorites are; “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” Another one is where she mentioned women telling each other glossy clichés like, “Put in your best and nothing can stop you.” Where she was referring to how women could help each other build and uplift one another honestly in the chapter “The Boy’s Club.”
Along the same lines is another quote where she says, “Lighting another’s candle doesn’t dim yours, it just makes the room shine brighter.” The quotes she uses are so relatable. We can all apply them to our day to day lives and encourage others with them too.
‘The Pressure Cooker’ is such a down to earth, realistic and practical book that is here to redefine the narrative for women. To show that indeed, a woman can have it all; a family, a successful career and an overall happy life where she can make it work. This book contains the recipe for success for the Nigerian woman in all aspects of her life simply because a woman like us came forward with her own personal experiences and showed us all that there is a way to conquer it and break the glass ceiling.
Women issues are a common topic of discussion in our society and sometimes, simply having discussions online simply does not cut it. Writing a book was needed so that women could find something to identify with. I believe many women will find this book to be a sort of companion, a friend that can be read in times when we may need to find our way around our gender-defying society.
Nkiru’s ‘The Pressure Cooker’ is a strong, chain-breaking, yet spirited book needed to navigate through the world we live in.
