The article by McGraw-Hill publishers, “A Difficult Balance of Work and Life,” is insightful because it aims to balance between these two important aspects of the human being. Besides the fact, that creating this balance is not a cup of tea, some people tend to lean heavily on one side of the equation and therefore to shift the equilibrium. For many, that aspect tends to be work. This article takes us to the early years and compares it to the present day. The author aims to show us how the world has changed over time and the impacts of the modification. The aspect of gender equality or inequality rather is used to depict this change, and the writer’s thesis is that the olden day woman had a relatively stable balance of work and life as compared to the modern day woman.

According to the author, the twenty-first century presented American women with a chance to explore that which they were not experiencing before. For instance, it is in this century that women started taking education seriously and pursued professional courses that were initially reserved for men. The author says that although the gender ratios were not in their favor, they still had it and did not trail far behind the man as far as income generation was concerned. The same generation of peak performing women would soon quit their top careers and dedicate their life to family. According to them, the women were confident that devoting themselves to the family both physically and emotionally would offer them a deep sense of satisfaction. Looking at the current times, this is not the case anymore, the modern day woman has the career as her priority over family life, and according to the author, this has led to disappointments, failing economy and unhappy marriages.

Personally, the author’s perspective is biased. I resent the fact that the author is trying to pin failed economy, unhappy marriages and disappointments to women. First of all, marriage is a two-way street, and both partners have equal roles to play to make the marriage a success. The fact that a woman wants to pursue her career goals should not be a reason of failed marriages. I know of marriages where the woman is the sole breadwinner, and they are doing just fine. The author has a conservative stand on this issue. The author needs to understand that times are changing and the woman’s roles and contribution to the society are also evolving. The woman’s place is no longer the kitchen, and she is free to explore and pursue whatever goals she wants to. Similarly, when it comes to domestic work and dedication to family, it should be shared responsibility, and the man has a role to play too. 

Secondly, the author compares the modern day woman to the olden day one which is a very wrong comparison. The olden day woman had little to care about since the roles of the husband to fend for her, and the family was hardly neglected. Fast-forward to present day where women are raising their children single-handedly with little support from their fathers if any. If the modern day woman just sits back waiting to be fend for, then she is probably going to have a very hard time surviving. The author needs to understand that with changing times comes adjustments.

In conclusion, the author fails to make a clear argument on the balance between work and life. His opinion is biased to the feminine side and substantially overlooks the men’s perspective on this issue.