It has been said that when it comes to success, it isn't what you know, but who you know. In this intriguing series, readers get the best of both worlds. Concise but information-packed biographies grace these pages, detailing the lives and lifes work of hundreds of leading individuals from an assortment of disciplines. Readers will get to know the foremost minds within science, art, writing, music, invention, and philosophy. Eminent women and world leaders are also reviewed. Each valuable compendium offers a comprehensive index, complementary visuals, and behind-the-scenes details that reveal the very human nature behind famous personalities.