Unforgettable Women of the Century

Although you most likely will argue that some very worthy women have been left out, after all 100 is a natural and arbitrary limit, you cannot oppose the idea that the women profiled in this book were unforgettable. Most of the women earned their status via their activity in entertainment; the majority are actresses or singers. There are a few political activists who made their way without a political powerful husband, athletes, artists and painters. In my opinion, the most significant woman left out is Golda Meir, who was prime minister of Israel during some very tough times. It is absurd to take the position that she was less unforgettable and influential than some entertainers such as Joan Rivers, Sandra Bernhard or Isabella Rossellini. To me, the most interesting fact is how most of these women rose through and overcame very difficult times. Very few of these women led the idyllic home life when growing up. Few knew both parents well; some were raised in or near brothels, many were physically or sexually abused, yet their great desire to succeed overpowered their confining and stifling environments. This is the lesson that comes from this book and it is a valuable one that all should learn. My hope is that readers will see that and not just a collection of photos of beautiful women who made news.

Short on text, but long on photographs, this book suprisingly covers a century of women who have made contributions in many fields. I find the subheadings such as icons,divas, and notorious women intersting and was educated as well on some household names of which I knew not the history.