Underneath the sprayed bouffants and unvarnished locks of this state, there's much more. Texas women are not only witty, like former Gov. Ann Richards skewering a hapless opponent, or bold, like veteran White House reporter Sarah McClendon peppering a president with questions at a press conference. They're smart.

Author PJ Pierce has assembled a diverse collection of 25 of them, notable achievers in many fields, that makes the point - "'Let Me Tell You What I've Learned': Texas Wisewomen Speak" (University of Texas Press, $39.95).

These are women over 50 - ages 53 to 92, actually - people who have tasted life's failures and successes, joy and sadness, confusion and clarity, and learned a thing or two along the way. They have more than knowledge. They have, Pierce says, wisdom. "Wisdom is an understanding that comes from experience and seasoning. Wisdom is something we learn from our grandmothers. It takes a lifetime to ripen."

Pierce, an Austin-based writer, compares them to tribal elders of the past. In our youth-enamored society, few listen to tribal elders anymore, but referring to statistics that one in three American women has passed her 50th birthday, the author argues the experience and wisdom of so many can't be ignored. Her target readers are baby boomers in their 40s who want to know how older women pulled it off despite formidable barriers - how they lived their lives, what has given them meaning and purpose.

Jordan's spirit of limitless possibilities has inspired countless women. Freelance writer PJ Pierce captures this amazing spirit in her collection of interviews with Texas women, Texas Wisewomen Speak. Pierce interviews twenty-five Texas women ranging in age from 53 to 92. They share the wisdom they've acquired through living unconventional lives.

Some of the interviewees I knew, and some I did not. I found them all interesting people who I would like to know better. Pierce makes it a point to highlight their achievements, however the interviews themselves bring out more universal topics such as leadership, principles in life, influence of upbringing and the future.

Barbara Jordan reflects upon being the state's first black female senator in the Texas Legislature. Linda Ellerbee broke ground in the national broadcasting arena. Juliet Garcia and Diana Natalicio became two of only a handful of female university presidents in the United States. They speak proudly in their interviews on their model programs for minority students in higher education.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is today a leading figure in the United States Senate. She discusses her federal legislation to prosecute stalkers. Sarah Weddington, attorney, argued and won the Roe v. Wade case before the United States Supreme Court. Liz Carpenter organized and operated networks to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, after performing a distinguished career in the Presidential administration of Lyndon Johnson.

Pierce asks questions such as "what have you learned from your successes and mistakes?" and "has your Texas upbringing influenced your life?"

Find this review online at: Lone Star Book Review.