Product Description:
The Myth
The popular media often portrays Asian Americans as highly educated and successful individuals -- the "Model Minority."
The Reality
As the ethnic minority with the largest percentage of college graduates, many Asian Americans do enter the professional workforce. However, many of them seem to stall in their careers and never make it to the corner offices.
The Solution
Leading executive coach Jane Hyun explores how traditional Asian values can be at odds with Western corporate culture. By using anecdotes, case studies, and exercises, Hyun offers practical solutions for resolving misunderstandings and overcoming challenges in an increasingly multicultural workplace. This timely book explains how companies will benefit from discovering and supporting the talents of their Asian employees and shows Asians how to leverage their strengths to break through the bamboo ceiling.



Summary: Highly Recommended!
Rating: 5
Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling is a great guide on advancing and succeeding in the corporate workplace today. It sheds much needed light on topics relevant to all Asian Americans but virtually unaddressed, in my opinion, by mainstream career advancement books.

What makes the book particularly helpful is how it provides not only big-picture strategy guidance, such as the importance of building career networks, but also provides practical tips, at the tactical level, needed to make these a reality: how to perfect the 30 second marketing pitch and how to build and nurture mentoring relationships.

Occasionally, however, I found the examples a bit repetitive, especially with regard to the descriptions of examples stereotypically attributed to Asians. However, the short vignettes and anecdotes used to illustrate many of these examples were very insightful and kept the pace of the reading lively.

Overall, Jane Hyun's message throughout Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling is an inherently empowering one - that building the skills to succeed in today's workplace does not have to conflict with our cultural values and that these skillsets are no different from the other interpersonal / managerial skills needed as we climb the corporate ladder. Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling has definitely earned a permanent spot on my reference bookshelf and I highly recommend it to all those working to build more successful careers.



Summary: Highly recommended read
Rating: 5
I started a new job a few months ago and have found this book to be very helpful. In past positions, I've been able to distinguish myself based on the quality of my work product, but I've always felt that improvement of my soft skills would take me a level up from just being viewed as intelligent and hardworking. I knew I could probably do things to better my standing, but I didn't know how to do so since I figured doing good work and being social was pretty much the whole equation.

Hyun's book has been a solid resource for me in identifying concrete areas to improve on and providing guidance for such improvement. The book made me conscious of some habits I have that might be perceived negatively (though some habits I might not consider asian-specific) and ways to improve how I present myself. The self assessment section and the networking and mentorship guidance were very insightful and I've found them easy to turn into actionable items.

I will say that I wish the book could have gone a little more in depth into certain areas (maybe more with on-the-job strategies) and covered others a little less (e.g. on choosing a career since I'm pretty much wed to mine). Still, I would be surprised if any career-oriented person read this book and didn't find it to be a very valuable read. Highly recommended.




Summary: I'm an Asian, not an Idiot
Rating: 2
Let me save you some money...because if you're Asian, you're definitely all about saving money:

Section 1: You're Asian. That means you're reserved and don't like to toot your own horn. Let me tell you a story about Bobby Chang... (repeat 50 times)

Section 2: You're raised to only want to be a doctor or a lawyer and business is only a backup. You should be less reserved, toot your own horn, and find a job you really love *but* that doesn't mean you're less Asian! Let me tell you a story about Suzie Lee...(repeat 50 times)

Section 3: Even though I encouraged you to do whatever you want in the previous section, now I'm going to tell you how to get ahead in business because you're Asian, and that's obviously the job you're in.

I understand she had to make generalizations to make the book appealing to a diverse group of people, but it's so watered down that it's near meaningless. She repeats herself so much that the actual content could be boiled down to 10 pages or so.

Most of book is spent describing what it means to be Asian. While this was done succinctly on one page, the descriptions were then repeated over and over again until it became a charicature. I get it already. It's not like I didn't already spend over half my life living amongst non-Asians and haven't analyzed or overanalyzed all the ways I'm different. Most of my Asian friends are a pretty self-aware bunch.

Where the book could've been most helpful, it was pretty much useless. Instead of giving tips on how to change the habits she identified, her advice boil down to "change your ways," "here are some things you can say," or "this is what I told this one guy and it changed his life." She has a few good tips here and there, but most of the examples she gives of things you can say sound really unnatural and brown-nosey. Her job advice seems geared for some generic 'Office Space' role. In addition, her self-assessment tests provide no way for you to assess them after you've taken them.

If this were a book on how to be a faster runner, it would go something like this:
You run slow. You need to run faster because you run slow. Other people can see you run slow. Therefore, you should run faster. Here's a stopwatch. You should time how fast you run, but I'm not going to tell you how to run faster or what your speed means. I gave Johnny Kim a pair of new sneakers and now he's in the Olympics.

WTF?!

I gave it two stars for those Asians out there who dodn't realize how Asian-y they're being. This book could be a tremendous help to them. It's also always nice to hear someone confirm what you think and tell you how others perceive you. But if you already realize your shortcomings and someone telling you to "speak up" isn't all the encouragement you need to change, then look elsewhere or just skim it in the bookstore.


Summary: Good start but too generalised
Rating: 2
The author has attempted a subject that is not written or discussed widely and the attempt is commendable. However, the book is packed with generalisations on cultural behavior and most importantly does not differentiate between how culture is perceived or received in different parts of America. As an asian who has survived 20+ years of corporate america, I have learnt that the hard way - it is very important to choose a business that openly supports and promotes diversity, that is not the same thing as just hiring asian people or other immigrants. If choosing such places is not possible or too restrictive, then learn to work WITHIN the stereotype, not without. If you want to be 'one of them' in a place that does not value diversity you'd probably end up losing values that you are respected for, stereotyped though they may be - hard work, loyalty and so on.As another reader says traits such as aggressiveness, speaking up to one's boss etc are seen pretty widely among asians in other parts of the world simply because it is more acceptable. Most of the 'negative' behaviors such as cliques, not showing emotion, not socialising etc are simply a result of wanting to belong.
Socialising with people who do not regard your background with respect is very difficult - it is VERY common in many workplacesto be in an all white group and not able to get a single word in (now is that a clique or not??. AND, when was it acceptable in America to show emotion in workplaces? Please give me a break. Even americans who do so are not respected or thought of as 'not cool'.

The basic advice I have to most asians - find a workplace that supports diversity, if not learn to operate within your stereo type. After a decade or so of experience learn to start your own shop so that these barriers are minimised - at the very least be a consultant so that there is no need to stress over what the company stands for. And lastly Asian values such as team spirit and respect for elders or bosses are not to be thrown away or discarded, respect the fact that you inherited them because most americans are clueless especially as far as team spirit goes.

All in all a good start but long way to go.


Summary: Must read for any asian..
Rating: 4
Its a nice read contrasting cultural background and biases of different asians, and how that hinders progress in corporate america. Must read for any asian. Few things I already knew having worked for sometime. But its a good review material when you take a step back and rethink the way you operate.
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