Particular Passions recounts the rich oral histories of forty-two pioneering women of the twentieth century from the arts and sciences, athletics and law, mathematics and politics. We share their journeys as they pursue successful paths with intelligence and determination, changing the world for the millions of women and men who were inspired by them.
These stories will captivate, educate, and inspire you. They are as inspiring today as they were when they were originally published.
It is the combined experience of all these women - how they dealt with the obstacles they encountered, and what enabled them to perceive the golden opportunities within. As a result there are countless nuggets of wisdom laced throughout the book, applicable to all our lives. The richness of these stories, along with their portraits, make the women come alive. How and why these women, of superstar status, or little known outside their individual disciplines, found their 'passion,' and went on to play pivotal roles in America's destiny is what all these stories are about.
The fabric of the women's movement, from the 1920s to the 1980s, holds the book together and provides a historic perspective on an important era in American society. Surprisingly, the variety, range of backgrounds, educated, uneducated, abused, beloved, mentored, rich, poor, makes one aware that starting points are no different than yours or mine.