Non-fiction books by women for women 2022

The non-fiction books by women or for women released last year that resonated with Tatler’s Front & Female

Looking for advice on how to become financially independent and ensure you are set-up for your own future? Perhaps you are keen to learn lessons from some of the most accomplished female leaders and discover the characteristics that they have in common? Or, would an inspiring account of the career of one of the world's most respected journalists, one who knows the meaning of sacrifice and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in be your pick of the pile? We've selected some of the most outstanding and inspiring non-fiction books worth reading from the last year, in case you missed them.                    

1. Girls that Invest by Simran Kaur

Author Simran Kaur is the woman behind the number one investing education podcast, Girls That Invest. Her book of the same name distills the essential principles she teaches around investing in the stock market, growing an investment portfolio and building a better financial future, delivering a guide to achieving financial independence and more security going forward. 

2. When Women Lead by Julia Boorstin

Through her work as a CNBC media and tech reporter Julia Boorstin has met many accomplished female leaders and CEOs. Here, she collates the stories of more than 60 of them, and analyses the characteristics and commonalities that have allowed them to lead and succeed. Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake, Bumble's Whitney Wolfe Herd, and Gwyneth Paltrow of Goop are just a few of the impressive women she interviews for the book.

3. The No Club by Linda Babcock, Brenda Peyser, Lise Vesterlund and Laurie Weingart

Women at work are consistently asked—and expected—to do "non-promotable" work. The No Club, written by four professors, wants to share ways that woman can better utilise their professional time and organisations can do better allocating and rewarding work in order to achieve a more equitable workplace.

4. Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg

NPR reporter Nina Totenberg and the indomitable former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsberg enjoyed almost fifty years of friendship. Throughout this time, the two worked to ensure women would have greater opportunities. This memoir paints a personal picture of these two fascinating and influential women and the important people and purposes in their lives through the lens of a powerful friendship.

5. Pay Up by Reshma Saujani

Can women really "have it all"? In Pay Up, author Reshma Saujani questions the notion and asserts through a compelling use of data and narrative that some serious changes need to be made for this to be achieved. Her book offers practical advice for both business leaders and women who work as the future of the corporate world takes shape.

6. Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap

Tori Dunlop may have grown up financially aware, but she soon discovered that few of her female peers did. The founder of Her First $100K shares her knowledge, from paying off debt, to figuring out what matters to you when it comes to money, to investing for the future.

7. Making a Scene by Constance Wu

Crazy Rich Asians and Fresh off the Boat star Constance Wu’s Making a Scene is a collection of essays on growing up as an Asian-American woman in the entertainment industry. In this memoir, she shares how she faced discrimination, harassment and sexual assault. It's a powerful, poignant portrait of the young actress.

8. Black Women Will Save the World by April Ryan

Black women endure many challenges. In this impressive tome, journalist April D. Ryan explores the journeys of some of the most resilient and influential, including politicians Maxine Waters and Valerie Jarrett, America's first Black woman Vice President Kamala Harris, and activist LaTosha Brown, all of whom she interviews for the book, and looks at the myriad ways they are changing the world.

9. How To Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa

The renowned journalist behind the innovative Philippines online news site Rappler and the recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Ressa has released an inspiring memoir that narrates a courageous career of holding power to account and why, particularly today, it is so important to protect the freedoms we enjoy.

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