Profiles are a smart way to go in non fiction. We use brief tales like these to pique the reader's curiosity, to hopefully encourage them to read more detailed books on the same subject. History's "bad girls" is a decent focus. We have a fascination with bad behavior, with people who defy society's taboos. I'm not so sure about the format, though .For one, the profile selection is all over the map. I'd have preferred to see eiother all criminals or all morally "bad" women. The writer's interjecting their opinions on each profile doesn't help matters.

A fun, informative little book that would be a brilliant starting point for anyone interested in women's history. I would have liked a little more detail but that's more personal taste than anything else - for what it is I think it's a great book and would make a very good Birthday present for any women's history fans you may know.