The Usborne Book of Famous Women

This installment in the Famous Lives Series is about famous women throughout history. Divided up into about twenty categories (such as Reformers, Caregivers, and Scientific minds) are short biographies of over one hundred women. The reader can read each biography on its own, read them by categories, or pick and choose which ones to read. This book is perfect for a quick overview of a famous woman's life. Anyone needing material in greater detail would do better to look elsewhere.The book is teeming with illustrations. Almost everyone has her likeness included alongside her biography. Modern women have photographs; less recent women have color sketches.The accompanying text is somewhat dry reading, redeemed only by its brevity and frequent subject changes. One interesting aspect of the book is the explanatory text beginning the part on Notorious Women, calling for the reader to look past the surface of the life story. "Some women are deservedly notorious for their crimes; in other cases their evil deeds have been exaggerated."This is not exclusively a collection of great, admirable women. While the book does share the lives of many highly regarded females, it also includes several women who would make distinctly poor role models. I find this inclusion interesting, and humanizing - showing some flaws makes being a "famous woman" seem like less of an unattainable goal.

If you are familiar with the Usbourne books, you'll know the format of this book without ever seeing it. It has 21 two page chapters. Each chapter has 3 to 6 women in it, with two or three paragraphs on each woman and lots of photos and illustrations. Perfect for the short attention span of middle schoolers and even appropriate for upper elementary children although they may have some trouble with the vocabulary. (Strong readers will do fine.) Exasperating to adults who would like more information on each person and who would like to see longer chapters on scientists, reformers and leaders instead of the chapters on notorious women and robbers and rogues. Lots of good information at an unbeatable price.