Every day, every woman who heads for the office faces the reality of the communication gap. It exists whenever a man's comment makes a woman defensive, and whenever a woman unconsciously casts herself in a subordinate role to a male colleague. Many men haven't learned to define women in terms of their achievement, pigeonholing them instead as wife, daughter, mother, secretary. Women have their own set of myths: it pays to be a good, quiet little worker; so don't make waves.

Inadequate communication and fear of challenging the status quo hold women back. Kathleen Reardon's mission is to explain what women - and men - can do about it.

1. They Don't Get It, Do They? is incisive and practical, based on the experiences of hundreds of working women and filled with telling real-life examples. It is an essential handbook on the different perceptions, objectives, statements, and body language that open up the chasm between the sexes at work. Women don't have to become men, but they must learn how to respond to the hidden subtext of professional interactions to advance their careers - and claim their rightful place in America's businesses.