Scan barcode
A review by ghosthermione
Ten Women Who Changed Science, and the World by Catherine Whitlock
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
A great overview of 10 amazing scientists who clearly made some crucial achievements. Perhaps a bit uncritical e.g. regarding nuclear physics for some of the scientists. And perhaps a little Western/White although the authors did include Chien-Shiung Wu, and a number of Jewish women: I wish at least one Black woman had been included.
Overall however it was really good in explaining the complex science (though it lost me at some of the nuclear physics...) and inspiring me to learn more about some of these women. I also really appreciated that they showed women with a diversity of paths in their personal life and career, showjng that you can be a mother/wife and scientist at the same time but you also don't have to. A lot of these women had "lost years" where they weren't able to study or find fitting work, mostly due to sexism, and it's interesting that regardless of those setbacks they managed to have brilliant careers. Perhaps this shows that it doesn't have to be straightforward and we can take a convoluted path towards our goals. That, to me, was inspiring, even though I'm not sure that was the authors' aim.
I also really appreciated the balance of biographical/personal life elements with scientific discoveries in these short biographies, and the time taken to run through the advancements that happened thanks to them - even after their death.
Overall however it was really good in explaining the complex science (though it lost me at some of the nuclear physics...) and inspiring me to learn more about some of these women. I also really appreciated that they showed women with a diversity of paths in their personal life and career, showjng that you can be a mother/wife and scientist at the same time but you also don't have to. A lot of these women had "lost years" where they weren't able to study or find fitting work, mostly due to sexism, and it's interesting that regardless of those setbacks they managed to have brilliant careers. Perhaps this shows that it doesn't have to be straightforward and we can take a convoluted path towards our goals. That, to me, was inspiring, even though I'm not sure that was the authors' aim.
I also really appreciated the balance of biographical/personal life elements with scientific discoveries in these short biographies, and the time taken to run through the advancements that happened thanks to them - even after their death.