Book excerpt: A World of Her Own profiles 24 fascinating women from as the 1800s through today who have lived lives of exploration and adventure. These daring women represent various eras, cultures, races, and economic backgrounds but all overcome many obstacles to satisfy their curiosity, passions, and, often, drive to protect nature and cultures. Readers will meet women who face deadly weather conditions and endure leeches, days on end without showers, and questionable cuisine in the pursuit of discovery—women such as Eleanor Creesy, who lived a life at sea as a ship’s navigator in the 1800s; Kate Jackson, an insatiable investigator of venomous snakes whose work has led her to remote Africa and Latin America; and Constanza Ceruti, the world’s only female high-elevation archeologist, who carries out important excavations on some of the Earth’s highest peaks in dangerously thin air and subzero temperatures. These and 21 other remarkable women are introduced through profiles informed by not only historical research but also original interviews with many intriguing modern explorers who provide inspiration to any young woman today interested in nature, animals, science, adventure, the environment, and physical challenge. Michael Elsohn Ross is a naturalist, science educator, and award-winning author of over 40 books for children, including Salvador Dali and the Surrealists, Sandbox Scientist, and Snug As a Bug. He lives and works in Yosemite National Park.