About the Book

Seasoned trends forecaster and consultant Annie Auerbach takes a fresh look at women’s professional lives today by rethinking the 9 to 5 in this “no-nonsense guide to thinking and behaving more flexibly in order to have a happier, better, less frenetic life” (Marie Claire)—now widely available for American readers and updated with an author note addressing work in the post-Covid age.

The recent coronavirus outbreak has proven what Annie Auerbach has long championed: working 9-5 in an office doesn’t work for most us. 

It’s time to change the rules.

We can be efficient and productive when we’re allowed the freedom of flexibility—to meet deadlines working during the hours and in the places we choose. But before the coronavirus pandemic, only 47 percent of American workers had access to flexible working options. Annie Auerbach advises major corporations, including Nike, Google, Unilever, and Pepsico. She understands work culture and the needs of employees. The world is changing for working women, but until the recent pandemic, companies turned a blind eye. Now, it’s time to make this change routine.

Auerbach reiterates the importance of leaving the office cubicle behind and explores the realities many women experience working from home and the changes to their daily lives, including the trickle-down effects, from emotional labor to balancing childcare and education with work, to even biohacking the female body’s unique rhythms. 

What happens when women embrace the concept of flex? We become more creative, more strategic with our time and energy, and more engaged with our personal lives. As Auerbach makes clear, we reject “our toxic culture of presenteeism, time-pressure, and ultimately burnout. It helps us escape the army of octopus lady jugglers, crazed with the exhaustion of “having it all.” It allows us to live longer lives more sustainably. It gives us self-worth.”

Critical Praise

"The call for flexibility—once shunned in the workplace and elsewhere—has grown larger and louder. Auerbach delves into five areas where most of the world needs more malleability." — Booklist

"A no-nonsense guide to thinking and behaving more flexibly in order to have a happier, better, less frenetic life" — Marie Claire

"Using case studies and Annie’s own experience as the co-founder of cultural insight agency Starling, Flex is full of motivation to challenge the status quo and reshape the routines and social norms women are confined by." — Sunday Times Style

"Flex is great at exploring ways to avoid burnout… and giving your brain a chance to think differently... Read it and flex." — Stylist

"Women face more of an uphill battle with extra pressure to be perfect at home and work. Auerbach offers solutions in her book Flex." — The Sun

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Product Details

• ISBN: 9780063059658
• ISBN 10: 0063059657
• Imprint: HarperOne
• On Sale: 02/08/2022
• Trimsize: 5.000 in (w) x 7.750 in (h) x 0.470 in (d)
• Pages: 208
• List Price: $16.99
• BISAC1 : SELF-HELP / Personal Growth / Happiness
• BISAC2 : BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Workplace Culture
• BISAC3 : BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Personal Success