The Closer

 The Closer is an inspiring and fun take on women in business, with plenty of ceiling smashing along the way. Shaz Kahng's fast-paced, sports-focused The Closer is timely and refreshing, a novel that exposes the difficulties that women face in industries that are dominated by men. Vivien Lee is a thoroughly likable lead...even faced with manipulation and outright lies, Vivien typically picks the higher road, following her dad's advice: Be great and be good. Still, she isn't a saint; she occasionally loses her temper, plays into the game, or even takes revenge. The story takes some inspiring turns, including Vivien's participation in a Wharton-founded secret club, the Ceiling Smashers, which functions as a place to maintain alliances with other women in business. Anecdotes about women's experiences at those meetings read as realistic and give credence to the bonds of sisterhood highlighted throughout. Sports analogies, jargon, and quotes are used throughout, giving the story a unique, entertaining quality. --Foreword Reviews

"From the first page of The Closer, readers are thrown into Vivien's world and given basic details abouther and the significant people in her life. Shaz writes with a lot offorward movement, providing just enough detail as any given scenerequires. She develops her characters much in the way humans developtheir understanding of the people with whom they interact: with time and patience, but it's worth the investment. There's no extra fluff--justthe essentials to keep the product marching forward...We really don'tsee many female characters like Vivien. It's not until you read Vivien's story that you begin to feel inspired by the type of female role modelshe is: a strong businesswoman who side steps any "stereotypes" placedon women in positions of power...When personal tragedies befall Vivienafter her first year at Smart Sports, she finds that the qualities mostimportant to success in business are the same that help her rebuild herlife outside of work. In the moments when a reader might expect Viviento break down, she shows strength. Shaz's creation of Vivien as a strong character capable of weathering brutal situations speaks volumes--notjust about the person she's loosely based on, but also about the deeplyingrained stereotypes that persist today, both in fictional constructsof female characters and real women."
Women' Running Magazine, Meghan Roos

About the Author:

Shaz Kahng has led teams in a few male-dominated industries. She is a retail/apparel chief executive who has previously worked as a research scientist, a global consulting partner, a builder of e-businesses, and a brand strategist. Shaz was one of a handful of female senior executives at Nike. She also ran Lucy Activewear and made the company profitable for the first time in history. She graduated from Cornell University and has an MBA from the Wharton School. Shaz lives in San Francisco with her husband and twin daughters.