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212 reviews for:
Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History
Sophia Foster-Dimino, Sam Maggs
4.04 AVERAGE
212 reviews for:
Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History
Sophia Foster-Dimino, Sam Maggs
4.04 AVERAGE
informative
lighthearted
This book was an impulsively bought souvenir from my day-trip to Stockholm last month, and although my history of buying books judging by their covers has not been great, this one was a true gem.
Sam Maggs is truly doing God's work in this tiny, lovable and wonderfully illustrated (by Sophia Foster-Dimino) book telling the stories of over 25 remarkable women who left a mark in the world. There are five chapters for women of science, medicine, espionage, innovation and adventure. Each chapter contains the stories of 5 women, and in the end seven or eight smaller but certainly nowhere less great mentions of other incredible women in the particular field.
Sam Maggs's writing in all of its witty glory made me chuckle out loud multiple times. ("just gals bein' pals!") On top of that, there was something for me to take for myself from each chapter, regardless of how interested I was in the field at hand. Working towards your dream, your goals in life can sometimes get really hard and at times frustrating and for me, just reading about these women pursuing their aspirations and genuinely just working hard, is something to make me push forward and not give up.
The fact that this book exists and is out there available for anyone to pick up makes me so glad, especially for girls younger than me, or really just any girl or woman looking for inspiration or a role model, because this book is all of that in a tremendously neat and cute package.
Sam Maggs is truly doing God's work in this tiny, lovable and wonderfully illustrated (by Sophia Foster-Dimino) book telling the stories of over 25 remarkable women who left a mark in the world. There are five chapters for women of science, medicine, espionage, innovation and adventure. Each chapter contains the stories of 5 women, and in the end seven or eight smaller but certainly nowhere less great mentions of other incredible women in the particular field.
Sam Maggs's writing in all of its witty glory made me chuckle out loud multiple times. ("just gals bein' pals!") On top of that, there was something for me to take for myself from each chapter, regardless of how interested I was in the field at hand. Working towards your dream, your goals in life can sometimes get really hard and at times frustrating and for me, just reading about these women pursuing their aspirations and genuinely just working hard, is something to make me push forward and not give up.
The fact that this book exists and is out there available for anyone to pick up makes me so glad, especially for girls younger than me, or really just any girl or woman looking for inspiration or a role model, because this book is all of that in a tremendously neat and cute package.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Excellent little book about women (many who've been forgotten by the history) who accomplished AMAZING things in the face of adversity and just couldn't stop being Awesome! ;)
Definitely worth a read!
Definitely worth a read!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Loved it! My daughter and I have gotten into reading about badass women and this did not disappoint. Well, I should say I was disappointed in myself for only having previous knowledge of about three of the women but that's the point.
I wanted to love this book - I really, really did. I will probably still recommend it for my 6th-grade daughter. You could make an argument for four stars: a wide range of women are represented and their stories are fascinating, but two things contributed to my down-grading. First, the book self-limits its chances to become a classic by taking a very informal tone. The pages are filled with current slang, probably intended to be engaging to young girls, but comes across rather silly and made me feel like while writing about strong, brilliant women that the reader would not be interested on straight narrative, but could only hold interest if it taken as seriously as an emoji at the end of a tweet. Secondly, I have read many biographies of male academics and very few of them focus on the male's sexuality, but more on their accomplishments. You would think in a book championing the accomplishments of intellectual women, the author would focus on achievements without making a TON of parenthetical comments on the subjects sexuality, especially for lesbian women. In the first two chapters of the book, no less than 8 snarky comments are made about women who lived with other women whether sexual or not and even explains the term "Boston Marriage" to readers; yet without any relevance to the success of the woman being spot-lighted. I can not understand how elevating the accomplishments of women throughout history is helped by reducing the women to their sexual preferences - especially when the audience of the book is pre-adolescent females. I would have much preferred focusing on the achievements of these amazing women than trying to peek into their bedrooms, no matter how subtle. It just reeks of a different form of sexism.
Wonder Women was so enjoyable to read! I loved the way it was written - it made it easy to take in the information without feeling like it was too much as once. I also loved how the book was split into chapters, which made it easy to read about one industry at a time. I had only heard of one of the women before, so it was great to learn about new women who were really inspiring! I also felt that there was a really good mix of women from different cultures and backgrounds, meaning that I got to learn about them as well and not just what the women did.
Please note: I received an ARC copy of this book from Quirk Books in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
What we have here is a short, smart, well-researched introduction to the ladies who have started to break down barriers for women in the STEM fields! Sam Maggs introduced me to women in many different STEM fields throughout history including inventors, scientists, doctors and many more. Maggs selected a group of women diverse in nationality, race, class, and sexuality. Their accomplishments are highlighted and stories told in a simple but effective fashion.The format and illustrations are lovely and easy to follow. At the end of each chapter a modern woman working in STEM is featured in an interview which I enjoyed immensely. Overall this book must have needed an immense amount of research and Maggs did an excellent job.
I do think some people will be put off by the interjections from the author. At times I did find them mildly disruptive to my reading, but overall I think they add a lighthearted commentary to the book. That lightheartedness I found helpful since some of these women met tragic ends or passed away without recognition in their lifetime. I didn't expect to be emotional during this book. I expected stories of exceptional women. I got both. This book filled me with strength and hope for the future, but also brought tears to my eyes and sometimes anger into my heart. Maggs strikes a fabulous balance between humor and seriousness though to relieve that tension and replace it with amusement.
As someone who went to college and earned a BA in History, it was disheartening for me to realize I knew next to none of these women and their stories had been excluded from my (and everyone else's) education. Though, like I mentioned this book made me feel hopeful rather than discouraged. This would be great for young people to help them see what possibilities are open to them. The ladies featured are absolutely incredible. The things they accomplished are astounding and the odds they overcame awe me.
If you are looking for a hero, I have over 25 examples in this collection for you to choose from.
What we have here is a short, smart, well-researched introduction to the ladies who have started to break down barriers for women in the STEM fields! Sam Maggs introduced me to women in many different STEM fields throughout history including inventors, scientists, doctors and many more. Maggs selected a group of women diverse in nationality, race, class, and sexuality. Their accomplishments are highlighted and stories told in a simple but effective fashion.The format and illustrations are lovely and easy to follow. At the end of each chapter a modern woman working in STEM is featured in an interview which I enjoyed immensely. Overall this book must have needed an immense amount of research and Maggs did an excellent job.
I do think some people will be put off by the interjections from the author. At times I did find them mildly disruptive to my reading, but overall I think they add a lighthearted commentary to the book. That lightheartedness I found helpful since some of these women met tragic ends or passed away without recognition in their lifetime. I didn't expect to be emotional during this book. I expected stories of exceptional women. I got both. This book filled me with strength and hope for the future, but also brought tears to my eyes and sometimes anger into my heart. Maggs strikes a fabulous balance between humor and seriousness though to relieve that tension and replace it with amusement.
As someone who went to college and earned a BA in History, it was disheartening for me to realize I knew next to none of these women and their stories had been excluded from my (and everyone else's) education. Though, like I mentioned this book made me feel hopeful rather than discouraged. This would be great for young people to help them see what possibilities are open to them. The ladies featured are absolutely incredible. The things they accomplished are astounding and the odds they overcame awe me.
If you are looking for a hero, I have over 25 examples in this collection for you to choose from.