The Power to Persuade
Six Women Who Shaped Their Worlds Without Governing Them

Power does not always come with a crown.

The Power to Persuade explores the lives of six women who influenced the worlds around them through learning, ideas, wealth, writing, and conviction. Working within societies that placed limits on women’s authority, they found ways to make themselves heard and put their influence to work.

Their stories reveal both the possibilities and the limits of persuasion: whose knowledge was trusted, whose arguments gained a hearing, and what it took to challenge accepted beliefs.

Blending engaging historical storytelling with a thoughtful look at influence, this forthcoming companion to The Right to Rule asks how women could shape decisions and change lives without governing.

Part of the Power, Legitimacy, and Control series.

Coming October 30, 2026