Elisa Boxer is an Emmy award-winning journalist and columnist whose work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, Inc. magazine, and Fast Company. Her children’s books include The Voice That Won the Vote: How One Woman’s Words Made History and the picture-book biography A Seat at the Table: The Nancy Pelosi Story. To learn more, visit elisaboxer.com.

Each clearly written brief biography opens with a black-and-white portrait photograph, includes several pages in which the subject’s impressive achievements are recounted, and concludes with a few lines of advice and reassurance by the interviewee to her younger self. Manal al Sharif, a Saudi woman who defied the law against women drivers, helped bring about a change in legislation, and wrote a bestselling book, writes, “Question the system, never yourself.” Harvard-trained psychoneuroimmunologist Joan Borysenko, who’s done groundbreaking work in integrative medicine, urges her younger self to be kind, grateful, and curious. Journalist and author Boxer pushes back against the societal emphasis on “doing rather than being” and reminds readers to be themselves, “authentically and unapologetically.” The profiles highlight the subjects’ admirable values and display a multitude of visions of success across a variety of fields, including neuroscience, entrepreneurship, climate-change activism, health care, disability rights, racial justice, and wildlife conservation. Some of the subjects are famous—like Temple Grandin, S.E. Hinton, Gabby Giffords, Nancy Pelosi, and Sheryl Sandberg—but most will be new to readers and are worth learning about. There is some diversity in race, nationality, physical ability, and sexual orientation among the subjects. Presents many inspiring, resilient role models along with encouraging advice to take away.

• Foreword, by Gabby GiffordsIntroductionManal al-Sharif, Women’s Rights ActivistDr. Katrin Amunts, NeuroscientistRenae Bluitt, Storyteller and Advocate for Black Women EntrepreneursMay Boeve, Climate Change ActivistDr. Joan Borysenko, PsychoneuroimmunologistGail Koziara Boudreaux, Healthcare ExecutiveDr. Tara Brach, Psychologist and Mindfulness ExpertDr. Krystyna Chiger, Holocaust Survivor Dr. Dianne Chong, Aerospace Engineer Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Anthropologist Ertharin Cousin, Lawyer and Anti-Hunger Advocate Melinda Emerson, Entrepreneur Mackenzie Feldman, Environmental Activist Dr. Christine Figgener, Marine Conservation Biologist Beth Ford, Business Executive Gabby Giffords, Former Congresswoman and Gun-Safety AdvocateJulia Gillard, Lawyer and Politician Dr. Temple Grandin, Autism Advocate and Animal BehavioristMaura Healey, Lawyer and Politician S.E. Hinton, Author Janice Bryant Howroyd, Entrepreneur Dr. Laurie Marker, Zoologist and Conservation Biologist Midori, Violinist Julia Parsons, WWII Codebreaker Nancy Pelosi, Former House Speaker Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis, Educator Sheryl Sandberg, Business Executive and Philanthropist Dr. Maya Shankar, Cognitive Behavioral Scientist Lateefah Simon, Racial Justice Activist Erna Solberg, Politician Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Lawyer and Disability Rights Advocate Buffy Sainte-Marie, Musician and Activist Dr. Sara Seager, Astrophysicist Kathrine Switzer, Athlete and AdvocateTina Wells, EntrepreneurAfterwordAbout the Author

Elisa Boxer is an Emmy award-winning journalist and columnist whose work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, Inc. magazine, and Fast Company. Her children’s books include The Voice That Won the Vote: How One Woman’s Words Made History and the picture-book biography A Seat at the Table: The Nancy Pelosi Story. To learn more, visit elisaboxer.com.

Each clearly written brief biography opens with a black-and-white portrait photograph, includes several pages in which the subject’s impressive achievements are recounted, and concludes with a few lines of advice and reassurance by the interviewee to her younger self. Manal al Sharif, a Saudi woman who defied the law against women drivers, helped bring about a change in legislation, and wrote a bestselling book, writes, “Question the system, never yourself.” Harvard-trained psychoneuroimmunologist Joan Borysenko, who’s done groundbreaking work in integrative medicine, urges her younger self to be kind, grateful, and curious. Journalist and author Boxer pushes back against the societal emphasis on “doing rather than being” and reminds readers to be themselves, “authentically and unapologetically.” The profiles highlight the subjects’ admirable values and display a multitude of visions of success across a variety of fields, including neuroscience, entrepreneurship, climate-change activism, health care, disability rights, racial justice, and wildlife conservation. Some of the subjects are famous—like Temple Grandin, S.E. Hinton, Gabby Giffords, Nancy Pelosi, and Sheryl Sandberg—but most will be new to readers and are worth learning about. There is some diversity in race, nationality, physical ability, and sexual orientation among the subjects. Presents many inspiring, resilient role models along with encouraging advice to take away.

• Foreword, by Gabby GiffordsIntroductionManal al-Sharif, Women’s Rights ActivistDr. Katrin Amunts, NeuroscientistRenae Bluitt, Storyteller and Advocate for Black Women EntrepreneursMay Boeve, Climate Change ActivistDr. Joan Borysenko, PsychoneuroimmunologistGail Koziara Boudreaux, Healthcare ExecutiveDr. Tara Brach, Psychologist and Mindfulness ExpertDr. Krystyna Chiger, Holocaust Survivor Dr. Dianne Chong, Aerospace Engineer Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Anthropologist Ertharin Cousin, Lawyer and Anti-Hunger Advocate Melinda Emerson, Entrepreneur Mackenzie Feldman, Environmental Activist Dr. Christine Figgener, Marine Conservation Biologist Beth Ford, Business Executive Gabby Giffords, Former Congresswoman and Gun-Safety AdvocateJulia Gillard, Lawyer and Politician Dr. Temple Grandin, Autism Advocate and Animal BehavioristMaura Healey, Lawyer and Politician S.E. Hinton, Author Janice Bryant Howroyd, Entrepreneur Dr. Laurie Marker, Zoologist and Conservation Biologist Midori, Violinist Julia Parsons, WWII Codebreaker Nancy Pelosi, Former House Speaker Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis, Educator Sheryl Sandberg, Business Executive and Philanthropist Dr. Maya Shankar, Cognitive Behavioral Scientist Lateefah Simon, Racial Justice Activist Erna Solberg, Politician Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes, Lawyer and Disability Rights Advocate Buffy Sainte-Marie, Musician and Activist Dr. Sara Seager, Astrophysicist Kathrine Switzer, Athlete and AdvocateTina Wells, EntrepreneurAfterwordAbout the Author