The Book of Gutsy Women

Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea Clinton | 4.43 | 3,024 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Samantha Power, Joy Reid, Laurel M. Davila, and 4 others. See all reviews

Ranked #99 in Business Motivation

Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, share the stories of the gutsy women who have inspired them—women with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done.

She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. “Go ahead, ask your question,” her father urged, nudging her forward. She smiled shyly and said, “You’re my hero. Who’s yours?”

Many people—especially girls—have asked us that same question over the years. It’s one of our favorite topics.

HILLARY: Growing up, I knew hardly any women who worked outside the home. So I looked to my mother, my teachers, and the pages of Life magazine for inspiration. After learning that Amelia Earhart kept a scrapbook with newspaper articles about successful women in male-dominated jobs, I started a scrapbook of my own. Long after I stopped clipping articles, I continued to seek out stories of women who seemed to be redefining what was possible.

CHELSEA: This book is the continuation of a conversation the two of us have been having since I was little. For me, too, my mom was a hero; so were my grandmothers. My early teachers were also women. But I grew up in a world very different from theirs. My pediatrician was a woman, and so was the first mayor of Little Rock who I remember from my childhood. Most of my close friends’ moms worked outside the home as nurses, doctors, teachers, professors, and in business. And women were going into space and breaking records here on Earth.

Ensuring the rights and opportunities of women and girls remains a big piece of the unfinished business of the twenty-first century. While there’s a lot of work to do, we know that throughout history and around the globe women have overcome the toughest resistance imaginable to win victories that have made progress possible for all of us. That is the achievement of each of the women in this book.

So how did they do it? The answers are as unique as the women themselves. Civil rights activist Dorothy Height, LGBTQ trailblazer Edie Windsor, and swimmer Diana Nyad kept pushing forward, no matter what. Writers like Rachel Carson and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named something no one had dared talk about before. Historian Mary Beard used wit to open doors that were once closed, and Wangari Maathai, who sparked a movement to plant trees, understood the power of role modeling. Harriet Tubman and Malala Yousafzai looked fear in the face and persevered. Nearly every single one of these women was fiercely optimistic—they had faith that their actions could make a difference. And they were right.

To us, they are all gutsy women—leaders with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. So in the moments when the long haul seems awfully long, we hope you will draw strength from these stories. We do. Because if history shows one thing, it’s that the world needs gutsy women. less

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Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Book of Gutsy Women from the world's leading experts.

Samantha Power Wonderful to hear @HillaryClinton and @ChelseaClinton talk about their inspiring & essential “Book of Gutsy Women” & to introduce my 10 year old to the gutsiest of them all. https://t.co/VQfga9QsbK (Source)

Joy Reid Thank you hillaryclinton and chelseaclinton for a great conversation about their new book: The Book of Gutsy Women, and thank you @constitutionctr in Philly tor hosting us! Now is a great time to remember the power… https://t.co/CD1zvUkTew (Source)

Laurel M. Davila My favorite “Gusty Woman” ⁦@HillaryClinton⁩, the first woman nominated for president by a major Political Party! I cannot wait to get her book! 💋💋💋💋💋💋 (Not to mention the fact that she won the popular vote!) https://t.co/LyCHfYKvnb (Source)

Rob Mcdowall @TomSwarbrick1 It is no surprise that the book is about not only about the character and qualities of the women listed but Clinton's view of the women and their respective contributions in inspiring other women. The book is subtitled "Favourite Stories of Courage and Resilience". (Source)

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