Having ovaries: unabashed, gutsy, feisty, playful, challenging, full of chutzpah, mettlesome, naughty, victorious, straight from the hip, full-flavored, outrageous, righteous, loving, inspiring, bold as brass, self-assured, self-confident, self-possessed, daring, heroic, wild, wanton, crazy, optimistic, unflappable, pushy, unstoppable, impressive, rebellious, kick-ass, carefree, having moxie, having heart, having no fear . . .

“That takes balls” are words of praise usually reserved for a man who has done something tough, fearless, and maybe a little crazy—someone who pushes the boundaries or breaks a few rules. But when it comes to hotheaded courage, impassioned activism, quirky wisdom, or bold confrontation, women have got what it takes—and then some! That Takes Ovaries! is a lively, fun, and often touching celebration of women and girls doing their thing their way:

* Kathleen, who reduced a would-be burglar to tears by lecturing him about black pride (all while standing in her underwear)

* Elaine, a sky surfer who plunges from airplanes on a 30-inch surfboard

* Rachel, a high school junior who organized 100 high school girls to take on the boys who harassed them

* Denise, a teenage cashier who faced down an irate, gun-wielding gangbanger in an inner-city fast-food joint

* Joani, a public health educator who opened the country’s first women-oriented sex-toys store

* Eva, who made the dangerous, illegal journey from Central America to the United States in order to give her children a better life

Now that takes ovaries!