Culture> Books

Women, lean in

By Mei Jia ( China Daily ) Updated: 2013-10-29 09:34:42

Different language, same, strong message

Lean In: Women, Work and The Will to Lead is Sheryl Sandberg's first book. The book topped the New York Times booklist for nonfiction for eight weeks after its release in March.

The Chinese version, launched in July by China Citic Press, sold 120,000 copies in two months, according to the press' deputy editor-in-chief Li Yinghong.

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Citic's Kong Yan and other editors all say they were drawn to Sandberg's charm during the process of working on the Chinese version.

"She's serious with details. She works carefully while having a full picture in her mind," Kong says.

"Working with her was indeed an inspiring experience."

Kong says the editors worked hard to satisfy all of Sandberg's requests.

"She would see to the details on the book cover herself, sending in versions in other languages as references," Kong says, adding that she and her colleagues were respectful of what Sandberg insisted on.

The book's editor Liu Beichen remembers discussing the translation for the word "bossy" with Sandberg many times.

"She just wants to get the message right," Liu says.

Liu also noticed that Sandberg would research and add new data/information on China to go with the Chinese version, as she did with the other versions.

The editors believe the book will inspire more Chinese women to "lean in" for a better situation at work and at home.

Sandberg says she thinks China's growth, which is important to the world, is at least partially driven by Chinese women.

"For other economies that are slowing down, they're facing real crisis that can only be changed if more women get into the workforce (like the Chinese)," she says.

Sandberg believes China has an opportunity to lead with women, because it "has strong investment in the next generation" and "already has a lot of great stories of successful women".

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