Limitless: 24 Remarkable American Women of Vision, Grit and Guts by Leah Tinari is one of those books that I want to give a score of 100 to, but at the same time, a score of zero. There is a lot going on in these handful of pages.
The high score is because Tinari has picked several women that I have never heard of. And, would almost guarantee the “average” person has not either. Yet, each woman has had a powerful impact on the world around them. And of course, there were woman that we all know and (some) love, such as Carrie Fisher. Which, along with 45 white American men called Presidents of the United States, was the inspiration for this book.
The low score is due to Tinari’s approach to showing us these ladies. Their almost caricature images (I thought Julia Child was Eleanor Roosevelt) are graffiti-like at best. The information about each person is jammed onto the page, jumbled up in an unreadable mashup. It looks sloppy and even has a high school art project feel. The lack of color is as annoying as where color was placed.
The books introduction is a self-serving explanation of how the son of Tinari wanted a poster of the US Presidents which created a search that left Tinari unsatisfied and led her to create her own mural. It was here her uber-feminist took over and she was disgusted how all where white and male. This made her want to create something for women. The next day she learned of Carrie Fishers passing (and while I love the Princess L as much as the next geek, do not get me started on the lovefest she has for her) and that started Limitless.
Limitless is an adult art book that each reader will experience differently.