School of Business and Public Administration Associate Professor, Dr. Cristina Wildermuth, just released her new book Against All Odds, Leadership and the Handmaid’s Tale. 

Against All Odds explores leadership through the lens of the characters from HULU’s TV adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale and the original novel by Margaret Atwood, alongside Atwood’s more recent sequel The Testaments (2019), analyzing the ethical dimensions of leadership. In particular, Wildermuth highlights the roles and responsibilities of leaders without authority during times of change and uncertainty. Each chapter of the book uses characters and storylines from the world of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments to help the reader connect theories, practices, and consequences of leaders’ actions.

Against All Odds reinforces the key message that leadership is not the job of a few but the responsibility of all, prompting all leaders to reflect on and improve their own approaches. 

“Everyone, regardless of official authority or positional power, has the responsibility to lead. You should grab leadership, wherever you are, influencing people around you. That is the message I want to deliver,” said Wildermuth.  

Against All Odds aims to bring examples, theory and methodology of leadership to life by analyzing academic concepts through familiar examples that will appeal to a broad range of readers.