What Would Cleopatra Do?

Life Lessons from 50 of History's Most Extraordinary Women

Elizabeth Foley, Beth Coates

• Publisher: Scribner
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781501199073
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Women in History
• Index: History

“Fun, cheeky” (Booklist), and a visual delight, What Would Cleopatra Do? shares the wisdom and advice passed down from Cleopatra, Queen Victoria, Dorothy Parker, and forty-seven other heroines from past eras on how to handle common problems women have encountered throughout history and still face today.

What Would Cleopatra Do? tackles issues by reminding us of inspiring feminists from the past, telling their stories with warmth, humor, and verve. From sticking up for yourself, improving body image, deciding whether to have children, finding a mentor, getting dumped, feeling like an imposter, being unattractive, and dealing with gossip, we can learn a lot by reading motivational stories of heroic women who, living in much tougher times through history, took control of their own destinies and made life work for them.

Here are Cleopatra’s thoughts on sibling rivalry, Mae West on positive body image, Frida Kahlo on finding your style, Catherine the Great on dealing with gossip, Agatha Christie on getting dumped, Hedy Lamarr on being underestimated—to list only a few—as well as others who address dilemmas including career-planning, female friendship, loneliness, financial management, and political engagement.

Featuring whimsical illustrations by L.A.-based artist Bijou Karman, What Would Cleopatra Do? is a distinctive, witty, and gift-worthy tribute to history’s outstanding women.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Dedication
• Introduction
• Boudicca and Sticking Up for Yourself
• Mary Wollstonecraft and Calling Yourself a Feminist
• Mae West and Being Body Positive
• Rosa Parks and Taking a Stand
• Wilhelmina Wylie, Fanny Durack, and the Art of Female Friendship
• Akiko Yosano and Loving Your Boobs
• Chevalier d’Éon and Bending the Gender Rules
• Gráinne ní Mháille and Striking a Work-Life Balance
• Hypatia and Being a Geek and Proud
• Edith Head and Winging It
• Fe del Mundo and Inspiring Sisters
• Sappho and Backing Yourself
• Madam C. J. Walker and Building Your Personal Brand
• Frida Kahlo and Finding Your Style
• Ada Lovelace and Surviving a Broken Home
• Mekatilili wa Menza and Getting Your Groove Back
• Wang Zhenyi and Slamming It as a Scientista
• Emily Dickinson and Defying FOMO
• Phoolan Devi and Not Being a Lady
• Cleopatra and Keeping Your Family in Line
• Dorothy Parker and Handling Jerks
• Annie Oakley and Being a Professional
• Fanny Cochrane Smith and Owning Your Voice
• Betty Ford and Knowing When to Stop
• Isabella Beeton and Beating Impostor Syndrome
• George Eliot and Not Being Hot
• Odette Sansom and Playing It Off
• Ann Richards and Shooting from the Hip
• Althea Gibson and Finding Your Mentor
• Elizabeth I and Punchy Public Speaking
• Agatha Christie and Getting Over Heartbreak
• Grace Hopper and Facing Up to Failure
• Sheila Michaels and Calling Yourself Ms.
• Soraya Tarzi and Closing the Domestic Divide
• Catherine the Great and Dealing with Gossip
• Hedy Lamarr and Knowing Your Worth
• Eleanor of Aquitaine and Managing Infidelity
• Coco Chanel and Killing It at Work
• Nell Gwyn and Being Shameless
• Rosalind Franklin and Being Difficult
• Empress Dowager Cixi and Bossing It
• Caroline Haslett and Giving Up Housework
• Amelia Earhart and Keeping Your Own Name
• Sacagawea and Not Letting Anything Hold You Back
• Clara Schumann and Savvy Spending
• Masako Katsura and Leaning In
• Enheduanna and Sparking Your Creativity
• Josephine Baker and Having It All
• Queen Victoria and Getting Over Loss
• Pauline Kael and Having an Opinion
• Afterword
• Sources
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors and Illustrator
• Copyright