Contemporary Women Scientists

by Lisa Yount

Recounts the lives and accomplishments of Helen Brooke Taussig, Maria Goeppert Mayer, Grace Murray Hopper, Chien-shiung Wu, Gertrude Belle Elion, Eugenie Clark, Jewel Plummer Cobb, Vera Cooper Rubin,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816028958
• ISBN13: 9780816028955
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Facts on File
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 10 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 12

Customer Reviews

Good information about female scientists

After supper in my house, my children always ask if we can "do questions." This is a time where I ask them questions about geography, mathematics, history, science and other aspects of the universe. They repeatedly ask for more, and I often have to tell them that it is time to do other things. Their curiosity is very refreshing and makes this parent proud. For curiosity is one of the most valuable traits that a human can have, and is essential for success in science. With two pre-teen daughters, my focus is often on showing them different possibilities that they could pursue when it comes time to choose a career. Therefore, I am often looking for books that will demonstrate women who have been successful in specific careers. This is a book that I consulted when I needed information about women scientists, and the descriptions of ten of the top women scientists of the past fifty years is good material for young girls to read. My only concern was that the chronologies of the lives of these scientists included their marriages and divorces right beside their scientific achievements, including in some cases, Nobel prizes. In my opinion, this information was unnecessary, and I do not recall ever seeing such events being listed in the chronologies of male scientists. The focus should have been on their career achievements, rather than their marital conditions. I used the book as a resource for information about woman of high achievement in the sciences, but did not give it to my girls to read. While success often has a price, I want them to learn to aspire before they begin to consider the consequences. The not-so-subtle message is that a woman cannot have a career and a husband, and that is not the case.

Great, hard-to-find information

I like this book very much. It could be read by a bright 6th grader and is definitely readable by middle-schoolers but there is no talking down in it and I would recommend it to adults. It talks about 10 women scientists, all of whom are (or were) US citizens. Three are Asian American, one is African American and the rest are white. Naturally, I would have liked to have seen at least one Native American and Latina included. Perhaps the author will write a sequel. Within those limitations though, its a good and useful book. Each bio has at least one portrait-type photo and at least one additional illustration or photo. The illustrations are informative and enlightening. The bios are interesting and each has a life chronology of important events and suggestions for further reading at the end. A great reference.