Ignotofsky, Rachel. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2016
Of the 50 women scientists featured in this delightfully illustrated book, I recognized the names of only 9. Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood actress of old, also invented the "frequency-hopping spread spectrum" still in use in today's GPS systems. Marjorie Stoneham Douglas I knew only because of the tragic events that occurred in the school that bears her name, and Katherine Johnson, who helped John Glenn return safely to earth, is known today because of the movie Hidden Figures. Thanks to books such as this, the names of the women it portrays will no longer be so "hidden." The detailed profile of each of the women describes their backgrounds, including the difficulty they had in gaining recognition for their discoveries. For some, that recognition came only after their deaths. We can hope that today's budding inventors, both male and female, will not suffer the same fate.
