For six years, as she led HP through drastic changes and a controversial merger, Fiorina was the subject of endless analysis, debate, and speculation. She appeared on the cover of every major magazine, and her every word was scrutinized. Yet in all that time, the public never got to know the person behind the persona.

Tough Choices will finally reveal the real Carly Fiorina, who writes with brutal honesty about her triumphs and failures, her deepest fears and most painful confrontations, including her sudden and very public firing by HP's board of directors.

It's an amazing life story: Fiorina was a liberal-arts major and law-school dropout who didn't even consider a business career until her mid-20s. But soon she was blazing through big jobs at AT&T and then Lucent Technologies, with a growing reputation as a creative, hardworking, visionary leader. Her career path would have been remarkable for anyone, but in an industry dominated by men, it was unprecedented.

Tough Choices shows what it's really like to lead a major corporation in a time of great change while trying to stay true to your values. It's one woman's inspiring story, along with her unique perspectives on leadership, technology, globalization, sexism, and many other issues.