Great American Businesswomen (Collective Biographies)

Jeffrey, Laura S.

ISBN 10: 0894907069 ISBN 13: 9780894907067

Publisher: Enslow Pub Inc, 1996

Profiles ten American women who stood out from others because they rose to the top of their fields, including Madam C.J. Walker, Katharine Graham, Eileen Ford, Oprah Winfrey, Debi Fields, and others

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From Kirkus Reviews:

The focus of this entry in the Collective Biographies series is on women--ten of them--who rose to the top in business. Three are African-Americans: Maggie L. Walker, the first woman (of any race) bank president; Madam C.J. Walker, an entrepreneur in the hair-care business who urged others as far back as 1914 not to ``sit down and wait for opportunities to come . . . Get up and make them!''); and Oprah Winfrey, media mogul. Four of the women founded companies in which their husbands worked for many years: Olive Ann Beech (aviation), Ruth Handler (toys, including Barbie dolls), Eileen Ford (modeling agency), and Debbie Fields (cookies). Katherine Graham took over The Washington Post when her husband died. Jeffrey (American Inventors of the 20th Century, 1995, etc.) makes eclectic choices; one challenge of including contemporary women is that they are not static and keep moving ahead (Alice Rivlin is profiled as Clinton's budget director, but was recently nominated for the Federal Reserve Board). These ambitious, determined women struggled, persevered, and succeeded. Any one of them is a good role model for young reeaders, but to have all of them covered in one volume has particular impact. (b&w photos, not seen, notes, index) (Nonfiction. 11+) -- Copyright �1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 7-10?Admiring profiles of 10 20th-century American women who have achieved success in the male-dominated world of business. Some are relatively unknown, such as Maggie L. Walker, an African American who was the first female banker, and Ruth Handler, who created the Barbie doll. Others, such as television-personality Oprah Winfrey and cookie-maker Debbie Fields, are well known. The other figures, Olive Ann Beech, Madam C.J. Walker, Katharine Graham, Eileen Ford, Alice Rivlin, and Elaine Garzarelli, excelled in a wide variety of fields. Jeffrey devotes 7 to 10 pages to each person. The portraits are interesting, and the author draws heavily on primary sources to help readers understand both the challenges these women faced and the obstacles they overcame. Illustrations include both full-page black-and-white portraits of each woman and other photos of her or some aspect of her business. This title would be a good choice for reports or for special units on women's history, and it complements numerous recent books about women leaders in other fields.?Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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