A portrait of one of the business world's most esteemed women executives describes her emotionally impoverished childhood, takeover of The Washington Post after her husband's suicide, and controversial leadership decisions during her publication of the Pentagon Papers and coverage of Watergate. 20,000 first printing. When her husband, Philip, committed suicide in 1963, Katharine Graham was thrust into the position of CEO of the Washington Post Company. Having spent 20 years of her life until then as a wife, mother, and Washington hostess, in the shadow of a powerful and abusive husband, granted control of the company by Graham's father, Graham was profoundly ill-prepared to take over. But she did it to continue her father's legacy and keep the paper in the family, as he had intended. In the course of doing so, Graham went on to shepherd the once-regional paper into becoming one of the most powerful newspapers in America through national and journalistic crises including the Pentagon Papers and Watergate. Gerber draws on interviews with Graham's friends and colleagues, including Ben Bradlee, Sally Quinn, and Gloria Steinem, to present a personal look at Graham's growth into leadership on a very public stage. Gerber also explores Graham's particular journey in the broader context of women overcoming personal and societal limitations to transform themselves into leaders. Vanessa Bush Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Gerber's rendition provides additional insights into the evolution of Graham's management methodology. Calculatingly inspirational while avoiding treacle. -- Kirkus Reviews Robin Gerber, the author of Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way , is an international speaker on leadership, a national commentator, and an opinion writer for USA Today and other major newspapers. She is a senior fellow in executive education at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Robin Gerber is senior faculty for the Gallup Organization and a senior fellow in executive education at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.