Do an Internet search of Kara Cooney, and up come the words “female Indiana Jones.” The intrepid UCLA professor explores the mysteries of one of the ancient world’s most fascinating cultures, bringing Egyptian society’s intriguing rituals and the power struggles of its rulers to life for millions. Cooney was co-curator of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and hosted the archaeology television series Out of Egypt on the Discovery Channel. Her latest book, The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt, explores the life and times of the ancient world’s longest-reigning female ruler.