Parents' Guide to

Girls Who Run the World: 31 CEOs Who Mean Business

By Regan McMahon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Inspiring profiles of women who started their own companies.

Book Diana Kapp Biography 2019
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

GIRLS WHO RUN THE WORD: 31 CEOS WHO MEAN BUSINESS offers lively, brief profiles of successful women who had a fresh, creative idea and through hard work, determination, and belief in themselves made it a money-making reality. Each profile features a dynamic, stylized color portrait of the woman and starts with easily digested notes on the woman, her business, and her background, highlighted with headings "Her Business," "Very First Job," "As a Kid, What I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up." Then there's another quirky category or two that differ from bio to bio, such as, "Worst Subject in School," "Favorite Childhood Book," or "My Bedtime." At the top of each profile is "Business 101," a bit of advice from that CEO. For example, Katrina Lake, founder and CEO of Stitch Fix, the mail-order personal shopper business, advises, "Re-imagine something outdated and uninspired." And each profile has a couple of tips highlighted in the text, such as Spanx Founder and CEO Sara Blakely's advice: "Carry a pocket-sized notebook to log ideas on the go!"

Is It Any Good?

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Kids say: Not yet rated

This lively, thorough collection of CEO profiles offers heaps of inspiration and many practical tips about how to succeed in business. Its clear, attractive design highlights ideas, advice, and insider secrets that kids can can take to heart, whether they're thinking of starting their own business, organizing a movement, or running for student council. The information in Girls Who Run the World: 31 CEOs Who Mean Business is so solid, it would be valuable for adult entrepreneurs, too! Discussions of a business plan, market size, competitive advantage, economies of scale, angel investors, venture capital, cash flow, interest and principal on a loan, and information on how to file a patent may seem more geared to college-level readers than middle schoolers and teens. And the Science section includes sophisticated concepts like DNA mutations, genetic code, and gene-editing.

Middle schoolers and high schoolers may be particularly interested in products or businesses they've heard of, such as Pop Sugar, Spanx, Stich Fix, and Bare Minerals. But most of the women and businesses here don't have brand-name recognition. Still, all of the success stories are interesting.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the different businesses described in Girls Who Run the World: 31 CEOs Who Mean Business. Had you heard of any of them? Can you see yourself going into any of the industries described here?

  • What's the most important idea you found in Girls Who Run the World? How can you use that idea in your daily life and the things you aim to get done? What surprised you the most in the CEOs' stories?

  • Do you have a dream of running your own business some day? What would it be?

Book Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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