With an emphasis on the qualities that have fostered strong nursing leadership, this book provides a unique perspective on the lives and achievements ofthe most revered nurses throughout history. It is comprised of biographies of many of nursing's most important activist agents of change, with a focus on those characteristics that enabled them to accomplish their goals and implement changes that improved nursing, health, health care, and society. These biographies examine the evolution of nursing and society around the globe and underscore the resourcefulness and political savvy these nurses used to meetthe increasingly complex needs of society. Using Kouzes and Posner's five practices of exemplary leadership as a framework, the biographies demonstrate how the nurses used these processes to achieve their goals. Placed within the context and dynamics of each nurse leader's lifetime -- including gender roles, science and technology, religion, politics, and economics -- each biography includes a personal history, timeline, accomplishments, anecdotes, and legacy. The book honors such well-known nurse leaders asFlorence Nightingale, Clara Barton, and Dorothea Dix, along with lesser known nurse leaders. By telling the stories of these luminaries, the book show cases nursing's rich history and its influence on society. Ultimately fostering an understanding of the very nature of leadership, it provides a strong foundation and inspiration for nurses to lead nursing, health care, and society into a better future. --Back of book.