According to Zweigenhaft (psychology, Guildford Coll.; Diversity in the Power Elite: How It Happened, Why It Matters) and Domhoff (sociology, Univ. of California; Who Rules America? Challenges to Corporate and Class Dominance), there are 74 women and people of color who have been at the helm of Fortune 500 companies. This book seeks not to analyze why, but rather to explore the individuals themselves-their backgrounds as well as their impact on the companies they lead. The first chapter is devoted to women CEOs, and subsequent chapters individually address each of the ethnicities (further divided by CEO and heritage).The book's latter part is a comparison between traditional CEOs and companies led by the 'new CEOs.' Zweigenhaft and Domhoff clearly and concisely profile the CEOs and companies using a combination of biographical and data-driven research. There are no comparable works available. VERDICT This book succeeds at showing the intersection of culture, politics, ethnicity, and feminism through the lens of business diversity studies. An excellent book for scholars interested in data-driven sociology, psychology, and cultural studies relating to business and for readers in the business world.

Library Journal

Recommended reading.

Intel Connected Digest

May be of interest to African-American scholars.

Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

Glass ceilings and unequal compensation continue to be the norm for American businesses, yet as this informative text highlights, women and people of color are growing in number as leaders of Fortune 500 companies and having a significant impact on the future of business.

Uptown Professional

This book is sobering in how to show us what many African-Americans corporate executives routinely say to each other about their corporations: 'Much has changed, but much has stayed the same.'

American Journal of Sociology

Filled with sometimes startling statistics, interviews with this new group of leaders make for compelling reading. These CEOs reveal how they came to power, the insights they gained, and how they differ from male CEOs who historically dominated major companies. They also address ongoing issues, including the current debate over CEO compensation.There is little doubt that this influx of new CEOs is bringing major changes to an increasingly globalized world. The New CEOs should be on the must-read list for leaders and potential leaders in all organizations.

Business Lexington