Talent development in women who achieve eminence.

Research on women who have achieved eminence in a variety of domains illustrates that no one path results in success. Some eminent women marry and have children while others do not. Some work and live with energy and passion and speed; others move more calmly through the world and achieve at similar or even higher levels. The current chapter draws from two decades of research pertaining to the lives of women who have successfully overcome challenges and obstacles that have been found to interrupt or derail high achievement in women. In this chapter, a new theory of female talent development is offered and other issues are explored, including the spheres in which women express their talents, factors that may promote or inhibit the development of gifts, and gender differences in experiences that contribute to the unique nature of female achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]