Journeys of Women by Susan A. Ambrose, Barbara B. Lazarus, Indira Nair

From the Publisher

Today the image of the scientist is still that of a white man in a white lab coat. This book questions this stereotype and the assumption that the practitioners of science and engineering have a uniform look and follow one particular path through life. The scientists and engineers featured in this book are all women. They come from different races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. They have different sexual orientations. Some have disabilities. The core of this book is 88 profiles with photographs of women scientists and engineers whose diversity is stunning. Journeys of Women in Science and Engineering includes research scientists and engineers in areas from biochemistry to mathematics, from neuroscience to computer science, from animal science to civil engineering.

KLIATT

Any high school girl who is contemplating a career in science would enjoy and benefit from reading some of the 88 personal profiles of women in the sciences and engineering contained in this book. Most readers will only recognize one or two names and photos—such as that of Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General. One aspect that makes this book such a rich resource is that it covers a wide array of fields. The field index, itself, is instructive for those who are unaware of the wealth of career choices open to women in science. Depending on their interest, readers can use the field index to learn about the lives of women who have gone into animal science, ecology, genetics, physiology, astrophysics—or any of over 70 other fields! Of course, it is the stories themselves that make the book so fascinating. In each profile, the reader is given practical and helpful information—such as the subject's present position, research areas, and where she got her education—plus a firsthand account of each woman's life. Each case offers a window into a life—how the woman's interest in science developed, who helped her, problems she encountered, and choices she made along the way. The photographs reveal a rich diversity of women—women of various ethnicities, some married and some not; some with children and some without; some who dance or sing or dive or raise Jack Russell terriers. In other words, these are windows into the sometimes fascinating and sometimes quite ordinary lives of an extraordinary group of women. Unlike many other books on women in science, this one does not focus on an attempt to explain why women's participation in science lags behind men's.Instead, it portrays through each of 88 voices the enjoyment of their field that drives—and sustains—these women. Each story tells a similar tale in a unique way, demonstrating that loving something and working hard at it—even when you do not enjoy every aspect—has its reward. In science as with other areas, that reward can be both a fulfilling career and a rich social and family life. In other words, this an honest book that does not attempt to portray women scientists as superwomen and their stories are all the more compelling because of that. KLIATT Codes: JSA—Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 1997, Temple Univ. Press, 461p, 25cm, 96-50415, $27.95. Ages 13 to adult. Reviewer: Gloria Levine; Freelance Education Writer, Potomac, MD, July 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 4)

Booknews

Features short bios of 88 research scientists and engineers in areas from biochemistry to mathematics, from neuroscience to computer science, and from animal science to civil engineering. Includes those who have made careers in public service, such as Dr. Jocelyn Elders and Rhea L. Graham, as well as Nobel Prize winners, beginning assistant professors, division directors of corporations, and an engineering school dean. Each woman talks candidly about how she got into science or engineering, her work environment, and discrimination she may have encountered. Annotation c. byBook News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents