Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Most Influential Women

The stories of the many women who excel in STEM fields, despite real obstacles, need to be told. This book assembles profiles of Nobel Laureates, as well as those who were overlooked. It introduces the reader to women who received encouragement from their families, and of those who had to fight for an education. It tells of the successes of women held in high regard by male colleagues, and of those scorned. Their stories will embolden the next generation of female leaders in STEM and enlighten the males who will be there working alongside them.

Women writers have historically been marginalized. This timely book offers an introduction to influential women writers spanning the globe and time periods with entries from antiquity to the present. The book addresses how history, race, class, and other social categories complicate any single defining category of the woman writer. Presenting a spectrum of diverse women writers and situating them within cultural and critical contexts, readers will understand what defines a successful woman writer, as well as a critical or subversive one.

The citizens of the world deserve to thrive, to be free, and to lead healthy lives without fear, discrimination, or violence. Where injustices exist, female activists stand up and speak out to right the wrongs. They come in all shapes and sizes, and they represent every generation from every corner of the planet. Each has a story to tell, a plan of action, and a community to help. This book introduces the reader to women from all over who have strived to make the world equal for all.

Women in today's business world have come a long way from the days when a female CEO or company president was almost unthinkable. While women still strive for equality in business, female entrepreneurs and executives are now visible in every area of the business world. Readers will meet dozens of women from all over the world, who are making a difference at every level of business today, from computer science to large corporations to entertainment. Their stories and achievements take place in the boardroom and the corner office, inspiring readers to consider the possibilities for their own futures.

In this beautiful book, readers will learn about female painters, photographers, composers, sculptors, and performers who have made significant contributions to the history of art. This historical journey starts in antiquity and ends in the twenty-first century. Each chapter begins with a discussion of the historical period, the schools of art that were characteristic of that period, and how the work of women both emerged from and influenced that era. Sidebars and vivid photographs of artists as well as their works add interest and visual appeal.

Silk, the windshield wiper, and the paper grocery bag all have something in common: each had a female inventor. This informative resource discusses innovations that women from all cultures, ethnicities, and time periods have made, and are continuing to make. Their invaluable contributions span all industries, including medicine, science, technology, the home, the food industry, fashion, safety, business, and commerce. With high-interest photographs, a timeline, and engaging sidebars, this timely guide reveals the spirit of female ingenuity in times past and into the 21st century.

Women have played an essential, although not always equal role in world history. Many women who rose to political leadership ruled over citizens that continued to limit women's rights, including the right to vote. When given a voice and opportunity, numerous female politicians have transformed legislation and caused a ripple effect across the world. We often strive for a dream or goal when we see that someone like us has reached a similar place. This compilation of women in politics is for all the future female leaders sitting in classrooms and dreaming of change today.