Sometimes reporters are sent things in hopes that they'll write about it in the paper. Most of the time, it's some insignificant band or book that's much better reviewed by some blogger sitting at his computer at 2 a.m. But every once in a while there's a diamond in the rough.

I got this book called The 10 Women You'll Be Before You're 35, by Alison James. I flipped through it expecting it to be another Sex and the City facsimile, but this one was different, it actually had pragmatic advice. I told my editor that I wanted to review it, but the further I dove into the world of womanhood, the more insecure I felt about myself and my ability to critique a book dealing with a subject I obviously know nothing about.

So I called the author.

James is a 30-year-old power-girl. A graduate from Princeton University and London School of Economics, she now works as the Director of Finance for A&E Television Networks & the History Channel, oh yeah, and she writes books on top of that.

Q: Why did you feel that this book needed to be written?

A: I think a lot of college students graduate thinking life is just going to pan out. But it's just not true, it's really tough for a 20-year-old now. We always get into a situation thinking "Oh geez, what am I doing? What did I get myself into?" I wanted to write a book that said, hey, other women have done this and just help them get through the stages in their own life a little bit easier.

Q: What made you use the cookie-cutter framework?

A: The book could've been written in a lot of ways and called a lot of things. Women face so many different challenges today, but the ten works because it's true.

Q: But how did you settle on the final ten?

A: Maybe as a guy it's not as obvious to you, but these were the clear options. I remember talking with my editor, who was 28 at the time, and it took us maybe ten minutes to rattle off the ten women. I mean, it's not like a progression. Sometimes you feel like the party girl, and sometimes you feel like the body-conscious babe. The only thing we really left out was becoming a mom. But being in your 20's now is like being a teenager for a second time, we wanted the book to be about that.

Q: What do you think defines a woman today?

A: There are a lot of experts trying to define the modern woman. But women are not a consolidated group. There are a lot more options out there now and women have to be more confident. I guess that is what makes the difference today.

Q: Your book is really entertaining and humorous. Has humor helped you though any of the stages?

A: Definitely. Sometimes you'll find yourself, a college graduate with a degree in astrophysics, and your first job is sharpening pencils. You just have to laugh. The real world is not always going to be challenging or intellectually stimulating. Sometimes on your way to the top, it's ten at night and your making copies for your boss at the office. The only way to get through it to see the humor.

Q: What advice can you offer to those with the fear of graduating?

A: You have to do what you love, no matter what. It's such a mistake trying to please other people, like parents. Eventually you're just going to end up where you wanted to be in the first place. Just know it's not going to happen in a week but your end goal should be what you love. No one ever talks about it, but everyone feels like a fish out of water at first.

Q: Any particular advice to the women at Penn State?

A: Yes. Build your own life before a relationship. It doesn't have to be a power career but so many women just follow their boyfriend out of college, or they say "well I'm going to marry him anyway" and that's just a mistake. Make sure you're happy with yourself, before you're happy with someone else.And also, realize that you're going to go through changes, there's no other way around it. But everyone does. I really want this book to show and prepare women for that.