Drachman, Virginia G. Enterprising women; 250 years of American business

Kliatt, May, 2005 by Mary Ellen Snodgrass

DRACHMAN, Virginia G Enterprising women; 250 years of American business. Univ. of North Carolina Press. 184p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. c2002. 0-8078-5429-8. $25.00. SA

Drachman's well-ordered summary of major female accomplishments in the realm of business is a valuable addition to the reference shelf. Without over-dramatizing women's struggle for rights to education, inheritance, and ownership, Drachman states the facts in a number of stirring examples of entrepreneurship, such as Brownie Wise's invention of the Tupperware party and Lydia Pinkham's natural compounds for women. The text notes that Polly Bemis, a Chinese-American innkeeper, was a slave who acquired citizenship and property. Midwife and investor Juana Briones overcame marriage to an alcoholic and operated an impressive California ranch, all without benefit of literacy. Widow Rose Knox turned gelatin into a culinary staple while liberalizing the manager-employee relationship.

Enhancing appreciation of female zeal for business are line drawings of indigo production, fashion plates, ads for Maiden-form bras, and a color photo of Julia Morgan's architectural accomplishment at the Hearst Castle. The narrative honors women from a range of cultural backgrounds, including Native American potter Maria Martinez, Jewish entrepreneurs Ida Rosenthal and Jennie Grossinger, and cosmetics inventor Madame C. J. Walker, an African American. Librarians and teachers will find multiple uses for this volume. Mary Ellen Snodgrass, Hickory, NC

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.