Stanley knows otherwise, though, and shows through exhaustive interviews and surveys that successful businesswomen have a great deal in common with their male counterparts in that they are next to impossible to define by qualitative measures alone. They are married and unmarried, mothers and not, formally educated and self-taught. One way they differ sharply from the male millionaires Stanley studied in a previous book is in their greater tendancy to allow family members to become "economic outpatients" - persons whose constant need for money is met by the successful person over whom they exercise emotional control.
One of the greatest gifts that Stanley gives all women in this book is showing in detail and with great care that one need not be born with a silver spoon to be financially successful (in fact, having ample financial resources while growing up may hinder self-directed success). In fact, several of his cases are of women who were neglected and/or abused in the most horrible ways and still managed to look within themselves and create success. It is clear through this work that if a woman truly desires to be free of economic pressure, she can be so regardless of her background and upbringing.
