"There is something special that happens when you get a group of powerful women in a room . . . and shut the door." -- Andrea Wong, President and CEO, Lifetime Networks

"There's such a reservoir of power among us when we pool our resources and uplift each other. We are limitless in our power when we understand that . . . To read this book is to know that change is possible." -- Rosario Dawson, Activist and Co-Founder, Voto Latino

In the summer of 2008, sixteen teenage girls won exclusive access to dozens of the most politically powerful women in America. These congresswomen, journalists, and activists were supposed to talk to the young women about leadership skills and how to impact public policy, but they couldn't help sharing much more. They told funny, sad, and inspiring personal tales of missteps and small braveries, as well as of great leaps; they also talked to the girls about power pitfalls, power surges, powerful beginnings, and power suits.

Now those secrets are available to you. The wisdom imparted in this unforgettable collection of funny, thoughtful, and inspiring true stories will prove invaluable to women of all ages, aspirations, and lifestyles -- in situations from the PTA to a power lunch, from the kitchen table to the corner office.