However, upon closer examination and further reading, a fundamental flaw present in this volume becomes obivious. Put simply, somehow it seems that some women in this book are simply not worthy of being named "most important." Before I go any further, I think it necessary to say that I understand that it's impossible to satisfy everyone when creating a book like this, but I still feel that selections could have been better. For example, why is Mary Quant included? I know that the mini skirt created quite a stir in the fashion world, but fashion is only so important. Sonja Heine? Revolutionizing the sport of figure skating is can hardly be considered a fundamental accomplishment of the century, at least by my book. Dorothy Parker? Maybe I'm missing something here, but when reading this book, it appeared that she basically drank, smoked, and told witty jokes. Madonna? I won't even go there. I suppose when I think of criteria for inclusion in a book like this, I would only consider truly intelligent women who changed society in a serious, unselfish way and affected large numbers of people. To be fair, I must say that many extremely deserving women also made it into this book-Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosalind Franklin, Rachel Carson, Carrie Chapman Catt, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Mary McLeod Bethune are all women I look up to. The final word? This is an attractive book and an enlightening read, yet a book whose "admittance criteria" seems sketchy and sometimes ineffective. However, if you can refrain from becoming indignant as you are reading if you find that you disagree with the author/editors' choices, you will find yourself enjoying the unique perspectives and opinions found in this book.
