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Reckless: The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women
Reckless recounts the stories of nine women who made choices that sent their lives on unique paths. Gloria Mattioni was so entranced by these women that she moved from Italy to the U.S. to explore their lives, getting to know each one individually over more than a decade. Her subjects include:
•Julia Butterfly Hill who lived alone for 738 days atop an ancient 200-foot-tall redwood tree
•Wilma Mankiller was chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma for more than 10 years
•Gevin Fax left a promising career in Ohio to ride a motorcycle across country to California, where she became the ambassador of women bikers
•Annie Duke is the queen of professional poker, who won $2 million and the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions in 2004
•Libby Riddles is the first woman to win the legendary Iditarod
•Angelika Castaneda and Barbara Warren are twin 61-year-old Ironman, X-Treme Games, and Triathlon multi-champions who continue to compete
•Lisa Distefano is a former Playboy model who captains a pirate vessel in order to protect sea life
•Polly Matzinger returned to school in her late thirties to become a world renowned biologist with theories that could revolutionize the way we treat disease
•Julia Butterfly Hill who lived alone for 738 days atop an ancient 200-foot-tall redwood tree
•Wilma Mankiller was chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma for more than 10 years
•Gevin Fax left a promising career in Ohio to ride a motorcycle across country to California, where she became the ambassador of women bikers
•Annie Duke is the queen of professional poker, who won $2 million and the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions in 2004
•Libby Riddles is the first woman to win the legendary Iditarod
•Angelika Castaneda and Barbara Warren are twin 61-year-old Ironman, X-Treme Games, and Triathlon multi-champions who continue to compete
•Lisa Distefano is a former Playboy model who captains a pirate vessel in order to protect sea life
•Polly Matzinger returned to school in her late thirties to become a world renowned biologist with theories that could revolutionize the way we treat disease
225 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2005
22 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Mattioni
8 books74 followersGloria Mattioni is an award-winning writer, speaker and documentary producer. She was born in Milan, Italy, and dreamed of being a pirate, an astronaut and an explorer. She has been an investigative journalist, reporter, editor and magazine writer. She's also a globe-trotter, surfer and martial arts practitioner. In 1992, she moved to Los Angeles--a place she loves for its unique geography in the middle of ocean, desert and mountains.
Mattioni is the author of "California Sister", published September 15, 2022, (Atmosphere Press), "Reckless-The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women" (Seal Press) and the indie "Dakota Warrior-The Story of James R. Weddell." She previously published in Italy a novel, "Con Altri Occhi", and three non-fiction books , "Guerriero Dakota", "Wild Women", and "La Tribù dei Mangiatori di Sogni."
She's a member of the Authors' Guild, Women's Fiction Writers Association, Women Writing the West.
Mattioni is the author of "California Sister", published September 15, 2022, (Atmosphere Press), "Reckless-The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women" (Seal Press) and the indie "Dakota Warrior-The Story of James R. Weddell." She previously published in Italy a novel, "Con Altri Occhi", and three non-fiction books , "Guerriero Dakota", "Wild Women", and "La Tribù dei Mangiatori di Sogni."
She's a member of the Authors' Guild, Women's Fiction Writers Association, Women Writing the West.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 29, 2021
Nonfiction at its best
“I’m a storyteller through and through and telling the stories of people committed to living their truth is what I’m here to do,” says Gloria Mattioni, author of Reckless: The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women.
Mattioni traveled for her stories. Reckless begins in northwest Alaska, where Mattioni is dropped from a small plane to meet Libby Riddles, the Alaskan woman who became the first female to mush through sub-zero temperatures, whiteout conditions and gale-force winds win the 938 mile Iditarod dog race after more than fifty years of male victories.
Mattioni introduces us to ambassador of women bikers Gevin Fax, letting us know Gevin wears a low-cut, black leather strapless corset and snakeskin leather cowboy boots, and telling us “She’s a biker. She’s a rock star. She’s a woman of color. She’s kick-ass. She’s a babe.”
We live Mattioni’s adventures through her first-hand accounts, and in Reckless you’ll meet “warrior of the sea,” “professional poker queen” and compassionate environmentalist Julia Hill, who lives on a wooden platform installed in a redwood’s branches 180 feet up and works up a daily sweat climbing from one branch to another.
I call this a must read.
“I’m a storyteller through and through and telling the stories of people committed to living their truth is what I’m here to do,” says Gloria Mattioni, author of Reckless: The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women.
Mattioni traveled for her stories. Reckless begins in northwest Alaska, where Mattioni is dropped from a small plane to meet Libby Riddles, the Alaskan woman who became the first female to mush through sub-zero temperatures, whiteout conditions and gale-force winds win the 938 mile Iditarod dog race after more than fifty years of male victories.
Mattioni introduces us to ambassador of women bikers Gevin Fax, letting us know Gevin wears a low-cut, black leather strapless corset and snakeskin leather cowboy boots, and telling us “She’s a biker. She’s a rock star. She’s a woman of color. She’s kick-ass. She’s a babe.”
We live Mattioni’s adventures through her first-hand accounts, and in Reckless you’ll meet “warrior of the sea,” “professional poker queen” and compassionate environmentalist Julia Hill, who lives on a wooden platform installed in a redwood’s branches 180 feet up and works up a daily sweat climbing from one branch to another.
I call this a must read.
January 29, 2008
Not quite as inspiring or exciting as I had imagined it would be, but it was a fun read. Of course the women are kick-ass, but maybe I just expect most women to be that way by default. Perhaps it would have been more inspiring if there had been more than 8-9 to read about? I dont know.
May 29, 2009
This book has 9 different short stories about different woman that have lived an adventurous life in one way or another. I only wished that the stories for each woman was a bit longer and gave you more.
May 6, 2008
A quick read. Reminds you to just get out there and do what you love!
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January 15, 2010women's studies
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews