Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder

“Bold, Not Perfect” is a cult classic by the founder of the “Girls Who Code” movement, which fights for gender equality in technical fields. This is the manifesto of a woman in the modern world—a world of collaboration, not discrimination.

The author explains why society imposes standards of perfection on women and how those standards limit their freedom. From childhood, girls are taught they should be nice, polite, neat, get only straight A’s, sit quietly, and never challenge adults. It’s time to admit it: women owe nothing to anyone—except themselves.

Reshma Saujani argues that letting go of the fear of not being perfect is much easier than you think. She offers 19 strategies and a step-by-step guide to help you:

• develop the mindset of a brave person,

• learn to say a decisive “no,”

• stand up for your personal boundaries,

• get rid of the guilt you feel for being imperfect—once and for all.

Reshma Saujani is an American lawyer and politician. She is the founder of the technical organization Girls Who Code. Saujani was the first American of Indian origin (and the first American from South Asia) to run for the New York City Congress.