A Guest Post - Nobel Prize Women in Science

Title: Nobel Prize Women in Science: Their Lives, Struggles, and Momentous Discoveries
Author: Sharon Bertsch McGrayne
Publisher: Citadel Press; Rev Sub edition (September 1998)

ISBN-10: 0806520256
ISBN-13: 978-0806520254

Review:
I'm kind of a physics geek.  I love reading about Astronomy and Quantum Physics, and Nuclear Physics and the like, but even though I have this interest in science, I was woefully ignorant that so many of the most revolutionary things in science were discovered by women!  I also had no idea what many of these women were up against, in terms of adversity.  It would be hard enough to make these discoveries in and of themselves, but add onto that elitism, sexism, antisemitism, plagiarism, etc. and you've got some pretty fabulous work.

Before beginning this book there were a few things that I knew prior to reading, such as who Marie Curie was and her daughter Irène Joliot-Curie.  But there was so much that I learned about who these women, the obstacles they had to over come and their contributions to science. I was absolutely amazed!

The author breaks down a dozen or so stories of these women, telling really enjoyable stories of the scientist's upbringing, their personalities, and also the work they contributed to science.  She is able to bring the women to life by writing about their character, and able to make the science interesting and approachable for a layman as well.

I really loved this book, and now I want to learn a lot more about things in which I am ignorant...which is a lot!