Product Description

What do Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Day O'Connor, Margaret Thatcher, Marie Curie and Sojourner Truth have in common? Not only are they some of the world's most influential women, their life lessons are now revealed in the latest book by Pat Williams.

Williams blends the personal accounts of each influential woman with the contemporary and historical insights of others, what emerges is an intimate portrait of each great person-her motivations, her aspirations, her personal challenges and the qualities that made her so successful at her calling. An added bonus is life lessons at the end of each chapter, which provide remarkable motivation for women who are blazing a new career trail, building a strong family or struggling to "have it all".
This exceptional book highlights a diverse group of women, from activists, businesswomen and humanitarians to athletes, explorers and scientists-it will appeal to any reader regardless of age, occupation or creative pursuits.

Profiles of women of influence include: Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Mary Kay Ash, Helen Keller, Anne Frank, Amelia Earhart and others. This is not a history book-it is a perfect blueprint for creating a successful life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #523827 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 350 pages

From the Back Cover

“Women of Influence will show any woman how to use her innate gifts to make a positive difference in her own life and the world around her.”
—Joan Lunden, television newswoman and mother

“You don’t have to be a soccer player to have goals in mind. This is a handbook on how twenty women of influence achieved theirs. Read it and win.”
—Mia Hamm, U.S. Olympic soccer star

“Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Florence Nightingale . . . all women we are familiar with but this tribute to their life’s work is especially engaging. The well-chosen quotes and anecdotal stories remind us that there is hope to be found in the great efforts of committed, humanitarian women, both in the past and present. A must-read for every young woman.”
—Anjelica Huston, actress, film director

As a twenty-first-century woman, your choices are limitless in how you can make a difference in yourself and the world around you.

Discover how twenty amazing women pressed forward the boundaries of race, religion, culture and business to make their own contributions to the world. By discovering their common character traits and learning their life lessons, you will begin to recognize your own innate gifts and be inspired to use them to their highest potential.

Every woman should dare to achieve what she desires in life. Every woman should embrace life as deeply and fully as she can. Most importantly, every woman should become the unique person she was born to be. The role models in Women of Influence will show you how.

About the Author

Pat Williams is one of the country's top motivational speakers and the senior vice president of the Orlando Magic. Before joining the Central Florida pro basketball effort in 1986, Williams spent twelve seasons as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, taking them to a World Championship title in 1983. Williams has written twenty-one books, including Making Magic, Ahead of the Game, Paradox of Power, Winning with One-Liners, How to Be Like Mike and How to Be Like Jesus.

Michael Mink is a professional writer who lives in Woodland Hills, California.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

When my husband told me he and his collaborator, Michael Mink, were going to write a book about women of influence, I was elated. Then when Pat invited me to share my insights by participating in writing the book, I got even more excited. Pat has written over thirty books, all motivational and inspirational, about leadership, teamwork, sports legends, biblical heroes and world figures. These books have included stories about strong women, but he has never devoted a book entirely to women—until now. And it's about time.

In his 1998 book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, by Michael H. Hart, not a single woman made the list. Why? Because the roles of women during the first one hundred years of our country were very limited. They were either mothering or teaching. There were no real alternatives unless one was a ballerina or opera singer or an actress. However, because of the Industrial Revolution, two world wars, the Civil Rights Act and the women's movement of the 1960s, women gradually moved into the spotlight and began blazing their own trails. Enrollment of women in law school and medical school has jumped substantially as well as in architecture and engineering. There are more and more women with MBAs who are scaling the heights of the corporate ladder successfully. The choices women have today are unlimited. The unique women you will meet in this book were the catalysts who made it possible.

If you're a woman reading this book, and chances are you are—according to statistics, many more women buy books than men—you will be delighted, and you will probably identify with many of these women. You see, we all have influence, particularly if we're women. For example, you have a great deal of influence in your home with your children. It started in the cradle and has continued to the present. In fact, I think one of the things that prompted Pat and me to write this book was a book Pat read called First Mothers. It was about the mothers of our presidents and the impact these women had on the leaders of our nation.

One of my favorite stories about a woman's influence is about a woman who is not famous. Her name was Annie Johnson. In 1903, she found herself alone with two toddling sons. Her husband had left with all the money and ran away to marry another woman. Annie was six feet tall, big-boned and had no education—and she was black. Her only choice was to work as a domestic or starve. Neither option appealed to her and she had to take care of her babies. So she decided to focus on what she was good at—cooking. She wasn't a gourmet, but she could "mix groceries well enough to scare hungry away from a starving man."

She set up a meat pie stand on the dirt road between the cotton gin and the lumber mill in her little town. Each day right before lunchtime, she cooked fresh meat pies, and the rich aroma brought men from the mills flocking to her little stand. She was dependable, dedicated and hardworking. She never disappointed her customers. Over the years, her little stall became a grocery store where customers could buy all kinds of goods. This woman of influence changed not only her life and the lives of her children, but also changed the economy of her town and the world of literature.

Who was Annie Johnson? The great-grandmother of Maya Angelou, the author and playwright. Mrs. Johnson's perseverance, tenacity and focus have certainly impacted our modern literary world. And she started by influencing those closest to her—her children.

We all affect the lives of others. The women profiled here have greatly influenced the world. They have led the way. They have left legacies that benefit all of us. Their achievements leave a blueprint that is open for anyone to follow.

This is not a book of biographies, although you will get glimpses of their history. The book's main focus is centered on the achievements of twenty extraordinary women and the life lessons they learned—principles you can apply in your own life. These are women like you and me who made their lives count for something.

As a consultant and executive coach, I work with many women. They all want to know how to be successful. Here's what I say: "The successful woman is the average woman—focused." The successful women in this book focused their lives on some kind of contribution to society. They were, and are, fearless, dedicated, hardworking, committed and courageous. They come from all walks of life: business, science, medicine, education, entertainment, sports and government. They had a mission and they followed through. They made a mark on the world. All of us can do the same.

I am excited about this book because of the role models it provides for my own daughters. Pat and I have nineteen children. No, that wasn't a misprint. We have nineteen: fourteen adopted from various countries around the world and five birth children between us. Eight of our children are women or girls becoming women. This is a great collection of success stories, which can inspire and challenge young women to live their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt said: "Example is the best lesson there is." That is, in a sentence, what this book is about. Enjoy!
—Ruth Williams
(Mrs. Pat Williams)
Winter Park, Florida
August 2003

Customer Reviews

A Must Read For Everyone
This is a book that not only all young women should read, but anyone who is interested in fullfilling their true potential at any age. Pat & Ruth Williams and Michael Mink have invented a new genre of writing, combining the exciting elements of narrative story telling with biographical sketches, and essential "Life Lessons" to show how these women became ... the women they became. I not only enjoyed reading about the women I was already familiar with (or thought I was until I read this book!) such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Frank, Rosa Parks, and Helen Keller, but especially the ones I was not that familiar with such as Mary Kay Ash, (founder of Mary Kay Inc. 3.2 billion in retail, named Lifetime Television's most influential business woman of the twentieth century in 1999) Harriet Beecher Stowe,("Uncle Tom's Cabin", which President Lincoln credited with eventually starting the Civil War) and Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (who's tireless efforts finally led to the women's vote!). All of the women profiled in this book have unique lessons that can be learned from and profited by no matter where you might be in life. The way this book is written, you can pick and choose the chapters that interest you, or you can read it from beginning to end which I recomend because it is written in a style that starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the last page. Many of the stories of these women are not only inspirational, but extremely moving as well (I shed a tear or two!). Plus, the way it is laid out, you can go back to certain chapters to review the "Life Lessons" that Pat, Ruth ,and Michael have culled from these women in an easy and consice manner. This is a reference book for inspiration and success!

Give him a PAT on the back...
I cant say enough about this book. I, being a woman, have always thought of taking on a project of this nature. However, Pat Williams beat me to the punch. It tickles me to see an idea I often thought about in such a splendid format. Any woman who feels the need to improve on their quality of life must read this book. You can be sure to gain a new perspective on living life as a women. The content of the book provides the reader with twenty life lessons that will continue to guide you throughtout your life. A great read for any female regardless of race or wealth. In addition, any of you fellas out there who are interested in females, if you have ever wanted to learn what makes us tick, read this book.

How to Be Like Women of Influence
This book has been such an inspiration to me. The in-depth way that the author describes each woman featured is incredible. After every reading session, I was more and more anxious to better myself to be like these women. They really have made a huge influence on society and I think this book will also!