the main idea of the book is to show that Women are not creature that don’t have equal intellectual as men would have it. This is the true story of Olimpia Maidalchini, she was the secret pope! “Olimpia became the unofficial ruler of the most powerful institution in the world: the Roman Catholic Church” (Herman), she did that because she dose not want to be so vulnerable to men ever again, after her father. “Olimpia vowed never to be poor, powerless, or beholden to any man again”(Herman), I would say that the authors main point/ idea is to show even against all odds epically during this time, he wanted to show that all humans are equal in the state of mind or anything else. He wanted to projected that men and women are equal. Even though Olimpia was not an official, she might as well as become one, she was the one taking care of the business, not the man.