Status
Call number
Genres
Publication
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Reference. Science. Young Adult Nonfiction. The New York Times bestseller Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. This fascinating collection contains information about relevant topics such as lab equipment and rates of women currently working in STEM fields. The trailblazing women profiled include well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African-American physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Women in Science celebrates the achievements of the intrepid women who have paved the way for the next generation of female engineers, biologists, mathematicians, doctors, astronauts, physicists, and more!.… (more)
User reviews
In fact, you will probably not recognize the names of most of these women, even though they made great discoveries. Rather, the men who worked with them or came after them got the credit. Fortunately, as the book moves forward in time, that trend changed, but not hugely; we are still more familiar with male scientists than females. This book seeks to change that pattern.
Fifty women get double-page spreads in this book, with clever illustrations by the author accompanying each profile. (At the end of the book there is an “addendum” with short blurbs on “More Women In Science.”) They are arranged chronologically by date of birth, beginning with the ancient astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher Hypatia in the fourth century and ending with Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, born in 1977. Each history includes background, achievements, quotes, reputation at the time, and legacy.
For example, in the sketch on Maria Goeppert-Mayer, Theoretical Physicist, we learn:
“[She] worked most of her life for little or no pay. Despite this, she solved one of the great mysteries of the universe.”
Born in Germany, Goeppert-Mayer was one of the “physics superstars” at the University of Göttingen, but when she and her husband immigrated to the U.S., only he was offered a position. Johns Hopkins did, however, let her set up a lab in an abandoned attic, where she worked for nine years without pay and did research resulting in ten publications on physics, quantum mechanics, and chemistry.
Because of the need for her intellectual skills during the race to create an atomic bomb, she finally got a job. She went on to prove the nuclear shell model explaining how isotopes behave that is now taught to every student. In 1963 she was awarded the Nobel prize in physics. But does anyone outside of physics know her name?
There are side graphics by each story also, featuring interesting facts and trivia about each person. To return to Goeppert-Mayer, she love smoking so much she often smoked two cigarettes at once! Grace Hopper, Navy Admiral and computer scientist, had a Jolly Roger pirate flag on her desk, we learn, because she was relentless in getting what her team needed. She also appeared on the David Letterman show. Gertrude Elion, a pharmacologist who created drugs for gout, singles, and herpes, started out as chemist testing pickles for grocery stores.
The women profiled represent a wide range of interests and accomplishments, and come from a variety of nationalities.
The book is enhanced by not only the marvelous illustrations by Ignotofsky, but a timeline, statistics in STEM (acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), a glossary of scientific terms, and a list of additional sources.
Evaluation: This terrific book will provide inspiration and enlightenment for all ages.
The majority of the book is comprised of two page spreads on different women who made
I loved all the fun facts shown on the pages and I enjoyed the illustration style and how fun and colorful it was.
My only small complaint is that I wish that instead of a characterized sketch there had been an actual photo of the woman in question included. I just feel like this would have showed the variety of types of women who work in science and emphasized the fact that it’s not how you look, it’s what you do that’s important.
Overall I really enjoyed this! This would be a great read for anyone; especially good for girls and women who are interested in science. This is one of the best books I have seen about women in science. It does a great job of highlighting these women’s lives in a brief page space.
Book Copy Gratis Ten Speed Press via Blogging for Books
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.