51 black-and-white photographs. Index. Subject indexes. Bibliography. Cross-references. Further reading lists. 272 Pages. 7 3/8 x 9 1/4.

From colonial tavern keepers and antebellum plantation owners to the financiers and CEOs of modern companies, American women have succeeded in business, despite legal barriers, demanding domestic duties, and attitudes about "proper" gender roles. Today, more than forty percent of small businesses are owned by women, according to the Small Business Administration. A to Z of Women Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs profiles some of the most influential and innovative women in the history of American business. Regionally, chronologically, and culturally inclusive, this single-volume reference features almost 140 biographical essays, each highlighting a woman’s achievements and contributions to the world of business and describing how the subject developed her particular skills and talents. A list of suggested readings is included at the end of each entry to encourage readers to conduct further research.

Profiles include:

Elizabeth Arden: entrepreneur, executive, business owner
Mary Musgrove Bosomworth: trading post operator, landowner
Elizabeth Murray Inman: business owner, business operator
Rebecca Pennock Lukens: executive, manager, owner
Lydia Estes Pinkham: entrepreneur, herbalist, author
Ellen Louise Curtis Demorest: entrepreneur, business owner
Rose Markward Knox: entrepreneur, business executive
Katherine Gibbs: entrepreneur, business school founder
Madam C. J. Walker: entrepreneur, executive, philanthropist
Annie Turnbo Malone: business owner, executive
Helena Rubinstein: entrepreneur, executive, philanthropist
Liz Claiborne: entrepreneur, designer, executive
Muriel F. Siebert: financier, entrepreneur, executive
Tere Zubizarreta: executive, entrepreneur
Norma Kamali: designer, entrepreneur, business owner
Vera Wang: entrepreneur, fashion designer
Carly Fiorina: executive
Oprah Winfrey: executive, actress, talk-show host, publisher, film producer
Debbi Fields: entrepreneur, executive.