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, Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazi  

In Make Work Fair, WAPPP Co-Director Iris Bohnet and senior researcher Siri Chilazi explain that while many organizations invest their time and resources in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, these programs often fall short because unfairness is built into the structures, processes, and environments of our workplaces. As a result, well-meaning efforts often become burdens passed off to the individuals they are meant to help. The book offers data-backed, actionable solutions that build fairness into the very fabric of the workplace. Bohnet and Chilazi lay out a three-part framework, tested in real organizations, that helps employees at all levels make fairer, better decisions. Make Work Fair is an evidence-based blueprint for turning the belief in equal opportunity into everyday practice—no matter your role, seniority, or location.

, Jacinda Ardern  

What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? In her memoir, former New Zealand Prime Minister and WAPPP Senior Fellow Jacinda Ardern exemplifies a new kind of leadership—proving that leaders can be caring and empathetic while being effective. Rising from a small-town upbringing and early self-doubt, she became known for her decisive and humane responses to national crises, including the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic. While navigating major challenges, she also advanced bold policies on climate change, child poverty, and international trade—all while becoming a mother. In A Different Kind of Power, Ardern shares the personal journey behind her leadership and the reasons for her unexpected resignation. Her story challenges traditional notions of power and inspires others to lead with compassion, conviction, and courage. 

, Catherine D'Ignazio 

Counting Feminicide addresses how mainstream institutions fail to account for gender-related killings of women and girls, including both cisgender and transgender individuals. In response, data activists across the Americas are documenting such murders—and challenging the reigning logic of data science by centering care, memory, and justice in their work. Drawing on the Data Against Feminicide project, Catherine D’Ignazio highlights the emotional and political labor behind building grassroots databases to honor victims and demand change. These activists show how data can be a tool for healing and for envisioning a world free from gender-based violence. The book offers a powerful model of restorative data science—where every life counted becomes part of a collective call for justice and transformation. D’Ignazio is the Associate Professor of Urban Science and Planning at MIT and Director of the Data + Feminism Lab. She was featured as a panelist at the , co-sponsored by the Radcliffe Institute and WAPPP, as well as the Technology for Public Good panel at WAPPP's Women’s Leadership Board. 

, Kimberly Heckler 

Margaret Heckler’s remarkable career spanned five presidencies from the 1960s to the 1980s, breaking barriers as a congresswoman, cabinet secretary, and ambassador. As the only newly elected woman in Congress in 1966, she championed women’s rights, including the landmark Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Heckler played a key role in convincing Ronald Reagan to appoint the first woman Supreme Court Justice and led major initiatives as Health and Human Services Secretary, addressing the AIDS crisis and racial health disparities. Later, she became the first female U.S. ambassador to Ireland. A Woman of Firsts, a biography by her daughter in law Kimberly Heckler, honors Margaret’s trailblazing fight for equality and justice. This spring, WAPPP and the Harvard College Women’s Center co-hosted a book talk which was with author Kimberly Heckler and ����vlog���� professor Linda Bilmes, offering reflections on the legacy of Margaret Heckler and her impact on American political life. 

, Amanda Nguyen 

Amanda Nguyen (BA ‘13) was an accomplished student at Harvard, studying goernment and astrophysics, with aspirations of joining NASA. During her final semester, she was sexually assaulted on campus. Determined to continue pursuing her career goals, she chose to file her rape kit anonymously, only to discover this limited her time to press charges to six months before the evidence would be destroyed. Faced with this injustice, Nguyen decided to fight for change, leading to the 2016 passage of the Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act. Saving Five is a powerful memoir that blends Nguyen’s activism with a moving portrayal of her healing journey, serving as a testament to resilience, hope, and the fight for justice for survivors everywhere. 

Forthcoming Releases

Keep an eye out: these highly anticipated books by our WAPPP faculty and fellows on race and gender equity will be released this Fall.  

, Robert Livingston (September 2025) 

Harvard psychologist and WAPPP faculty affiliate Robert Livingston argues that current efforts to fight racism are failing—and that it's time to rethink the approach. In Play the Game. Change the Game. Leave the Game., he explores how Black people can thrive despite the persistence of White supremacy. Drawing on research, personal insight, and interviews with Black leaders, Livingston outlines three strategies: working within existing systems, challenging the status quo, or creating independent spaces for success. He contends that racism operates like an addiction for so many White people: hard to admit, and even harder to quit, prompting the need for new paths forward. This provocative book offers a powerful roadmap for Black empowerment and resilience. 

, Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman (September 2025)

The “pink tax” has gained widespread recognition in recent years, but what happens when you look at the costs that define a woman’s entire life, especially across racial lines? In The Double Tax, former WAPPP fellow Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman uncovers the hidden costs women face throughout their lives—costs that grow even steeper for women of color. She defines the “double tax” as the compounded burden of racism and sexism, revealed through disparities in wages, housing, childcare, and generational wealth. Backed by data and personal stories, the book highlights how Black and white women experience life’s milestones in vastly different ways. Despite the stark findings, Opoku-Agyeman offers practical solutions to help dismantle these systemic inequalities. The Double Tax is a powerful call to recognize and eliminate the financial and social penalties women of color continue to pay.