As many of you know, I am writing a new book on drastic career change to be published by Random House/Ballantine Books in 2009. I've been scouting out potential interviewees  for a few months now, and I've noticed a very interesting phenomenon.

There is an astounding number of women out there who have taken their careers into their own hands and started their own businesses.  I've heard from dozens of female entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who are doing everything from providing diplomacy coaching to Fortune 500 organizations to creating a new type of infant nursing tool.  There is even a wildly successful online community, Ladies Who Launch, dedicated to women who are boldly pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams.

It's not just that there are lots of women who are leaving the traditional business world to work for themselves...it's that there are way more women than men doing it.  Why?  I think it's because, while gender equality has come a long way, men are still generally expected to be the steady, reliable breadwinners.  Women often bring in what's considered a second income, and therefore, have a bit more freedom to tweak the means by which they contribute to the family pot.

Men, I'd be interested in your perspective.  Would you be more willing to take the risks associated with launching your own venture if you weren't worried about its impact on your family?