In Steenkamp’s latest nonfiction work, the author looks at twenty-five women who changed the world by taking risks. The book is divided into three parts. The first part looks at women in war, such as popular figures like Joan of Arc in the Hundred Years’ War, Clara Barton tending the wounded in the American Civil War, and lesser-known figures such as World War II spy Virginia Hall and eighth-century African Queen Al-Kahina. The book's second part examines women who made great strides in politics, while the last part looks at women who were human rights activists.

Intriguingly, not only are the chapters split into three parts, but the leaders are also identified by three animals—hedgehogs, foxes, and eagles. The animals are used to explain what kind of person each woman was and what she worked towards in society. For example, Eva Peron is in the hedgehog classification because she wanted to help the less fortunate in society. At the end of the book is a test that readers can take to assess their own grit.

Steenkamp brings each woman’s history alive with his writing. Part of what makes the book stand out is the that it doesn’t only include the usual names that most learned about in high school history class but also women who have often been overlooked, such as Wu Zetian or Njinga. In the introduction, Steenkamp reveals that nobody in the book was picked randomly. Overall, the author gives a thoughtful and fascinating look at women leaders from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. This is a book that should be required reading for teens to adults.

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