I've heard all the stories about Carly Fiorina from friends in HP - no doubt mangled, misquoted and somewhat misogynistic. All the ills of the company were by her hand of course.

Always found that a bit much to swallow, so when I saw her autobiography Touch Choices on the shelf I picked it up for a read.

I came away from the book with a much greater respect for the hard yards she has done to reach the top, although her rise to the top is a somewhat charmed path within a few large corporates. Which may explain why - although we get only one side of the story of course - she seems to have been so blindsided in the political maneuvers that got her ousted from HP.

The book ends soon after her departure from HP, contemplating where to go next and what she really values in life. And by then she had me won over; I think in truth a sincere, talented and hardworking person who really cares for the people she leads.