Eduardo Santiago
Infuriating. Also humbling and inspiring and powerfully moving. Ghose profiles twenty(ish) twentieth-century(ish) women who made astonishing groundbreaking discoveries despite relentless—and senseless—obstacles at every level. Some of the women we all know: Henrietta Leavitt, Vera Rubin, Lise Meitner. Most of the rest were unknown to me, and that's tragic because without their work and especially their insights we would be decades behind in astronomy, physics, and chemistry. (The obvious next question is too depressing to contemplate: how much farther would we be today if countless women hadn't been stifled? Weren't <i>still</i> being stifled?)
The writing is often simple, perhaps in hopes of attracting middle schoolers? (I'd be in favor of gifting this to a middle or high schooler, though I doubt they'd read it.) Reading level notwithstanding, the content shines. Ghose beautifully illustrates these women's lives and work; their challenges, their grit, and their impact. She complements many chapters with parallels from her experiences as a physicist and educator: things are better today, but not yet better enough. Her passion for learning is palpable and inspiring.
Infuriating. Also humbling and inspiring and powerfully moving. Ghose profiles twenty(ish) twentieth-century(ish) women who made astonishing groundbreaking discoveries despite relentless—and senseless—obstacles at every level. Some of the women we all know: Henrietta Leavitt, Vera Rubin, Lise Meitner. Most of the rest were unknown to me, and that's tragic because without their work and especially their insights we would be decades behind in astronomy, physics, and chemistry. (The obvious next question is too depressing to contemplate: how much farther would we be today if countless women hadn't been stifled? Weren't <i>still</i> being stifled?)
The writing is often simple, perhaps in hopes of attracting middle schoolers? (I'd be in favor of gifting this to a middle or high schooler, though I doubt they'd read it.) Reading level notwithstanding, the content shines. Ghose beautifully illustrates these women's lives and work; their challenges, their grit, and their impact. She complements many chapters with parallels from her experiences as a physicist and educator: things are better today, but not yet better enough. Her passion for learning is palpable and inspiring.