WOMEN IN CONGRESS

Lee begins briskly with Bella Abzug, quoting her driving, rapid-fire speech for paragraphs at a clip--but the pace slackens when Lee gives the beautification work, inaugural ball planning, and charity board memberships (not to mention lineage) of her second congresswoman, Louisiana's Lindy Hale Boggs, the same admiring attention. Still, there are several among the 21 interviewed here who make good copy, especially as Lee continues to use their own words extensively. Like Noble's roundup of women scientists (below), this is uncritical and uncreative role-model boosting; but--with the help of Shirley Chisholm, Millicent Fenwick, Barbara Jordan, and a few others--it is somewhat livelier, and of wider interest.