Joanne W. Ray, PhD is a professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Toledo in Ohio. Her work deals with all areas of psychology including social psychology, personality, social learning, development, education, health, and developmental psychology. She has been a pioneer in the field of developmental psychology as well as the psychology of motivation. In her own book, A Woman’s Guide to Motivation, she discusses how to create your own personal sense of empowerment through taking initiative and making choices.
The book is organized into four sections, each dealing with a specific problem that a woman may be facing, such as fear of rejection, fear of aging, and being unappreciated, among other issues. Each section is also linked with a chapter that explains the concept behind it, whether it is from developmental psychology or from a woman’s own experiences. It is meant to serve as an overview of what the book is about and what the reader should take away from it. Each chapter will offer a brief description of what is discussed within that chapter. The author also provides a brief summary of her own work on motivation, where she comes from and how she views motivation. Each chapter ends with a question or two that the reader can use to further explore her work. She also includes links to other websites and articles that offer additional information about her work and her book.
This book is aimed at a woman’s personal development as well as helping her to recognize her own personal needs. Each chapter is broken down into sections so that a woman can get a feel for how the different aspects of her life relate to each other. Overall, it is an excellent book to use as a refresher on the subject of motivation and how to think of ways to motivate yourself.
