THE LOST WOMEN OF SCIENCE

Based on the podcast of the same name, co-founded by co-author Hafner, profiles of significant yet overlooked female scientists.

Writing in trustworthy, matter-of-fact prose, Bellows and Hafner introduce readers to 10 STEM dynamos, among them Eunice Newton Foote, “the Mother of Climate Science,” who identified the greenhouse effect; cryptanalyst Elizabeth Smith Friedman, whose codebreaking efforts helped the U.S. government bring down Mafia bootleggers and infiltrate Nazi spy networks; and Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who deduced the primary makeup of stars. Others were influential in the fields of mycology, modern computer programming, ethnobotany, and mechanical engineering. Also profiled is Leona Zacharias, Hafner’s grandmother, a nearly forgotten member of the team that solved the mystery of why premature infants were going blind in the 1940s. Each chapter opens with a sketched portrait and a quick roundup of high notes before launching into the biographies. Recurring themes of the scientists being denied opportunities, jobs, and credentials due to their gender and (in some cases) their race demonstrate their strength of character, determination, and intellect. The scientific sidebars are particularly strong, explaining concepts to young readers without talking down to them, as well as encouraging curiosity and occasionally providing activities to try out. Black-and-white photographs supplement the text, adding visual interest.

As inspirational as it is informative and—importantly—genuinely enjoyable.