Product Description
Women Becoming Mathematicians looks at the lives and careers of thirty-six of the approximately two hundred women who earned Ph.D.s in mathematics from American institutions from 1940 to 1959. During this period, American mathematical research enjoyed an unprecedented expansion, fueled by the technological successes of World War II and the postwar boom in federal funding for education in the basic sciences. Yet women's share of doctorates earned in mathematics in the United States reached an all-time low. This book explores the complex interplay between the personal and professional lives of those women who embarked on mathematical careers during this period, with a view to understanding how changes in American society during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s affected their career development and identities as mathematicians.The book is based on extensive interviews with thirty-six women mathematicians of the postwar generation, as well as primary and secondary historical and sociological research. Taking a life-course approach, the book examines the development of mathematical identity across the life span, from childhood through adulthood and into retirement. It focuses on the process by which women who are actively involved in the mathematical community come to "know themselves" as mathematicians. The women's stories are instructive precisely because they do not conform to a set pattern; compelled to improvise, the women mathematicians of the 1940s and 1950s followed diverse paths in their struggle to construct a professional identity in postwar America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

No limit to women's success in math
The reason I ordered this book was because my mother's cousin, Kenneth Wolfson, is mentioned in it several times.His support of his female students is well known and remembered by all who knew him.The book itself encourages me to pursue my own degree in mathematics.I owe my future career to my cousin and all of the women in this book.Thank you for being strong and proving to the academic world that women have a place in mathematics.

a good book
I first saw this book in the UT Math Library. I sat down and didn't stop reading it for 45 minutes (too bad I had class). It's really interesting and a quick read. ... Read more

Product Description
Observes the lives of nine women mathematicians and their particular contributions in the areas of number theory, calculus, topography, and abstract algebra. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

short and sweet
This was assigned as part of a 'women in math' class at my uni.I love hearing about these women's lives.I also love the exercises at the end of each biography.They are very simple so that even non-math majors can grasp the fundamental concepts of each chapter.As a math major, it's kind of relaxing to do these exercises.I do believe this book encourages an interest in mathematics.

Great Book
This book is very well written.It has wonderful information about the lives of these women and the activities are very creative and really promote a fun understanding of math.They require only a basic understanding of math concepts, yet can be taken to higher levels too.

Could have been better
This book could be a good starting place for those interested in reading about women mathematicians, but Perl places too much emphasis on these women as wives as mothers.For instance, the greater part of Grace Chisholm Young's biography was dedicated to her role as mother and wife. Only a short amount of Young's biography was dedicated to her math research and publications. I found this very disturbing,and, honestly quite an insult to these outstanding and courageous women. I also think it sends the wrong message to those women aspiring to be career mathematicians, that no matter how much you accomplish as a mathematician, you will always be thought of first as a wife and mother.

More on this needs to be written.
The book contains fascinating details of the lives of the very few womenin history with careers in Mathematics. It should be updated or extended totwo volumes to include the work of more recent women mathematicians.Woulddo well to include interviews with living women now working in thisfield.The end of each chapter includes examples of the type of work eachwoman was interested in, with exercises and activities. Good resource book

More on this needs to be written.
The book contains fascinating details of the lives of the very few womenin history with careers in Mathematics. It should be updated or extended totwo volumes to include the work of more recent women mathematicians.Woulddo well to include interviews with living women now working in thisfield.The end of each chapter includes examples of the type of work eachwoman was interested in, with exercises and activities. Good resource book ... Read more

Product Description
More than 14 percent of the PhD's awarded in the United States during the first four decades of the twentieth century went to women, a proportion not achieved again until the 1980s. This book is the result of a study in which the authors identified all of the American women who earned PhD's in mathematics before 1940, and collected extensive biographical and bibliographical information about each of them. By reconstructing as complete a picture as possible of this group of women, Green and LaDuke reveal insights into the larger scientific and cultural communities in which they lived and worked. The book contains an extended introductory essay, as well as biographical entries for each of the 228 women in the study. The authors examine family backgrounds, education, careers, and other professional activities. They show that there were many more women earning PhD's in mathematics before 1940 than is commonly thought. The material will be of interest to researchers, teachers, and students in mathematics, history of mathematics, history of science, women's studies, and sociology. The data presented about each of the 228 individual members of the group will support additional study and analysis by scholars in a large number of disciplines. Co-published with the London Mathematical Society beginning with Volume 4. Members of the LMS may order directly from the AMS at the AMS member price. The LMS is registered with the Charity Commissioners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fascinating History of Women Mathematicians
Meticulously researched, this book offers an in-depth look at a particular group of interesting women:those who obtained the Ph.D. in mathematics before 1940. The brief biographical entry for each of the 228 women is more a well-written and appreciative "portrait" than a mere listing of historical facts.As a whole, the entries provide the rich background from which the authors draw historical overviews and conclusions about the accomplishments (both great and mundane) of these women.Some of the women became famous; many did not.The surprisingly readable and accessible essay by LaDuke and Green puts these women into historical perspective. It is great fun to refer to the individual entries that augment and reinforce the authors' conclusions.The work (and the accompanying free website that gives even more biographical and bibliographical detail) is a brilliant piece of research and scholarship. ... Read more

Product Description

"... a wonderful addition to any mathematics teacher's professional bookshelf." -- The Mathematics Teacher

"The individual biographies themselves make for enthralling, often inspiring, reading... this volume should be compelling reading for women mathematics students and professionals. A fine addition to the literature on women in science... Highly recommended." -- Choice

"... it makes an important contribution to scholarship on the interrelations of gender, mathematics, and culture in the U.S. in the second half of the twentieth century." -- Notices of the AMS

"Who is the audience for this book? Certainly women who are interested in studying mathematics and women already in mathematics who have become discouraged will find much to interest and help them. Faculty who teach such women would put it to good use. But it would be a loss to relegate the book to a shelf for occasional reference to an interested student or beginning mathematician. Everyone in the mathematics community in which each of Henrion's subjects struggled so hard to find a place could benefit by a thoughtful reading." -- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) News

Mathematics is often described as the purest of the sciences, the least tainted by subjective or cultural influences. Theoretically, the only requirement for a life of mathematics is mathematical ability. And yet we see very few women mathematicians. Why?

Based upon a series of ten intensive interviews with prominent women mathematicians throughout the United States, this book investigates the role of gender in the complex relationship between mathematician, the mathematical community, and mathematics itself.

Product Description
The colorful lives of these women, who often traveled in the most avant-garde circles of their day, are presented in fascinating detail. The obstacles and censures that were also a part of their lives are a sobering reminder of the bias against women still present in this and other fields of academic endeavor. Mathematicians, science historians, and general readers will find this book a lively history; women will find it a reminder of a proud tradition and a challenge to take their rightful place in academic life today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A perfect learning tool
A compelling story of the development of mathematics.If students were taught from Osen's book, they would have greater appreciation and interest in this mportant subject.Teachers, especially, couldn make the subject of mathematics considerably more interestin.

Fantastic.A "must read" for any aspiring mathematician.
This book examines the lives of women mathematicians from antiquity to the present.Osen describes the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of some of history's most fascinating people with a perspective no male could bring tothe subject.I'd love to discuss the matter with the author.

Profiles women mathemeticians, lives and contributions
Traces the lives of notable women whose work in mathematics is best appreciated through an under standing of the societies that shaped their lives. Traces the impact of their work; reinforces women's participation in enduring intellectual achievements and discounts the popular notion that we value mathematical ignorance as a social grace.Explains the power full satisfactions and aesthetic values which equal any other branch of knowledge. ... Read more

Product Description
Sophie Germain taught herself mathematics by candlelight, huddled in her bedclothes. Ada Byron Lovelace anticipated aspects of general-purpose digital computing by more than a century. Cora Ratto de Sadosky advanced messages of tolerance and equality while sharing her mathematical talents with generations of students.

This captivating book gives voice to women mathematicians from the late eighteenth century through to the present day. It documents the complex nature of the conditions women around the world have faced--and continue to face--while pursuing their careers in mathematics. The stories of the three women above and those of many more appear here, each one enlightening and inspiring. The earlier parts of the book provide historical context and perspective, beginning with excursions into the lives of fifteen women born before 1920. Included are histories of collective efforts to improve women's opportunities in research mathematics. In addition, a photo essay puts a human face on the subject as it illustrates women's contributions in professional associations.

More than eighty women from academe, government, and the private sector provide a rich mélange of insights and strategies for creating workable career paths while maintaining rewarding personal lives. The book discusses related social and cultural issues, and includes a summary of recent comparative data relating to women and men in mathematics and women from other sciences. First-person accounts provide explicit how-tos; many narratives demonstrate great determination and perseverance. Talented women vividly portray their pleasure in discovering new mathematics. The senior among them speak out candidly, interweaving their mathematics with autobiographical detail. At the beginning of a new century, women at all stages of their careers share their outlooks and experiences.

Clear, engaging, and meticulously researched, Complexities will inspire young women who are contemplating careers in mathematics and will speak to women in many fields of endeavor and walks of life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The recent accounts demonstrate how much progress women have made in the last half-century
While the opportunities for women still lag behind men in some areas, in general there are equal opportunities between the sexes. Most of the women under forty today have no idea how different it was for women thirty years ago. Before the twentieth century, it was even worse. Women such as Sophie Germain had to study mathematics in secret or publish their results under a male byline. This book starts with the biographies of fifteen female mathematicians born before 1920 and chronicles their struggles and achievements. While these biographies are interesting, they are probably too distant to be considered relevant by the modern student. In their other studies, they will have encountered facts such as women lacking the right to vote, so the fifteen women will simply be additional examples of women held in check by the prevailing social and legal norms.
The real power of the book is in the accounts that are much more recent. Less than fifty years ago, women were rare in mathematics and those who managed to succeed were often considered oddities. Many graduate programs had either formal or informal policies against admitting women and those accepted generally were given little encouragement. Nevertheless, determined women managed to succeed and provide inspiration to future generations of mathematicians. This is their story and they are all to be commended for their success and their willingness to encourage the next generation to succeed. It is largely due to their hard work and occasional suffering that there are now so many opportunities for women in all areas of mathematics. I strongly recommend this book as required reading in any history of mathematics class. It is also suitable as supplemental material for courses in women's studies and the history of education.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.
... Read more

Product Description
"A unique resource. Each of the 43 articles contains a biography, a summary of achievements, and a bibliography of works by and about the woman mathematician. . . . The articles are well written and the bibliographies appear to include all the major works by or about the biographees. Numerous appendixes and indexes enhance the value of this bibliography. This very thorough reference is highly recommended for all libraries." Choice "...a valuable collection, with most of the biographies proving entertaining as well as educational." Library Journal ... Read more

Product Description
Shirley was raised by her mother in rural, segregatedGeorgia just before the national civil rights movement. As anAfrican-American child in a small southern town, she encountered bothprejudice and peer pressure that tried to discourage her determinationto succeed. Never giving up, she earned a Ph.D. in mathematics--thefirst African- American to earn a doctorate from the University ofGeorgia and went on to become Dean of Student Affairs at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology. ... Read more

Product Description
Each book features 15 profiles of outstanding contributors to art with a one-page biography and a black and white line-drawn portrait of each artist.Grades 6+ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

For both community and college library collections dedicated to the history of mathematics and extraordinary women
Throughout history, women have advanced and broken many barriers in different fields. "A Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnesi: An Eighteenth-Century Woman Mathematician" is a look at the life of a major contributor to the field of math in a time where women were still viewed as vastly inferior to men in intellectual fields. Agnesi spited this claim and did much work on the field, and slowly earned some degree of respect from history for her work. Containing not only a biography, but a translation of some of her more essential work from the original Italian into English, Cupillari does much to demonstrate the vital purpose of Agnesi's contribution. With thirteen black and white photographs of the documents of her time, indexes, and explanations of her work, "A Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnesi" is an enthusiastically recommended piece for both community and college library collections dedicated to the history of mathematics and extraordinary women.
... Read more

Product Description
This is the true story of a little girl, Caryn Navy, who, after she became blind at age 10, began to find mathematics fascinating. An independent girl, she learned to travel the subways of New York by herself, trained with a seeing-eye dog, went to college in another state, and earned a Ph.D. in mathematics and computer science. Caryn married an electrical engineer and together they started their own successful computer company. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent biography for visually impaired students to read!
I work with visually impaired students & this book is the best way to show that anyone with a visual impairment can be successful.I purchased it so I can braille it.Thank you! ... Read more

Product Description
Presents biographies of women from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries who pursued their interests in mathematics. Each chapter includes different mathematical activities. ... Read more

Product Description
In the late fourth and early fifth centuries of our era, Hypatia of Alexandria was the world's greatest living mathematician and astronomer. A strikingly beautiful woman and a devoted celibate, she lived in a city as turbulent and troubled as Baghdad or Beirut is today. She achieved fame not only in her special field, but also as a philosopher, religious thinker, and teacher who attracted a large popular following. Her life ended tragically in violence at the hands of a rampaging mob of Christian fanatics, who killed her for her "pagan" beliefs, some say at the instigation of St. Cyril of Alexandria.

This is the first biography of Hypatia to integrate all aspects of her life. Mathematician Michael Deakin emphasizes that, though she was a philosopher, she was first and foremost a mathematician and astronomer of great accomplishment. In a fascinating narrative that brings to life a richly diverse ancient society, he describes her work so that the mathematics, presented in straightforward terms, finds its true place in the context of her life as a whole. Deakin supplies full detail on the historical, intellectual, and religious context of Hypatia's times. He also analyzes the pattern of her life and thought, and finally gives an account of the events leading up to her lynch-mob execution.

Although this outrageous crime has made Hypatia a powerful symbol of intellectual freedom and feminist aspiration to this day, Deakin makes clear that the important intellectual contributions of her life's work should not be overshadowed by her tragic death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Lost World of Hypatia
The disappointing thing about this book is the lack of a good narrative. The problem is that there is so little known about Hypatia and her world that not a lot can be said. Try to imagine a colony in Egypt of mostly Greek ethnicity, where pagans and Christians both fought and coexisted and interacted, if not always well, with a Jewish minority. The culture was in decline and the science, such as it was, died with Hypatia. This resembles the contemporary USA more than Egypt or any place in North Africa or the Middle East today. The academic mathematics community has become utterly moribund and it is being followed by theoretical physics (see Lee Smolin's book "The Trouble with Physics"). Who is our version of Hypatia? Perhaps Lynn Margulis, a biologist whe dares to be different.

Very good
This book is very good. The historical context about Hypatia's time and life is very interesting. Read this book, you'll learn much more about the christian's church in the first times.

A specialist's view
This is a difficult book to evaluate. Deakin is a mathematician, not a classical historian, and apart from his discussion of Hypatia's place in Alexandrian mathematics, this biography contains little that is not already to be found elsewhere, most notably in Maria Dzielska's study. Deakin does a reasonable job of putting Hypatia in a cultural context, but his understanding of late antiquity is superficial and admittedly garnered largely from encyclopedias. On the other hand, he has closely studied the sources for Hypatia's life (which he includes in an appendix) and the meagre evidence for her influence on philosophy and science. His introduction to astrolabes and conic sections is of some intrinsic interest and helps illuminate the state of knowledge in the fifth century, but since we have not one shred of writing that is inarguably Hypatia's work, the connection is rather tenuous. Nonetheless Deakin's conclusions give a valuable new perspective on this best-known of female Hellenists: one of a teacher with a wide range of interests, if not an original thinker. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume features substantive biographical essays on 59 women from around the world who have made significant contributions to mathematics from antiquity to the present. Designed for secondary school students and the general public, each profile describes major life events, obstacles faced and overcome, educational and career milestones--including a discussion of mathematical research in non-technical terms--and interests outside of mathematics. Although the collection includes historical women, the emphasis is on contemporary mathematicians, many of whom have not been profiled in any previous work. Also included are the contributions of minority women, including 10 African-American, Latina, and Asian mathematicians. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Well worth reading!
This is a very good book, not only informative, but it kept me interestedwhere so many other books on the subjects of math or women mathematicianscould be real yawners.It includes lots of information, the biographiesare short and don't drag on, and books like this could be veryinspirational to young women interested in pursuing careers in math.Thebook introduces all sorts of women in math, most of whom I was not familiarwith before reading it.I highly recommend this book to anyone who wantsto know more about math-related careers, the growing importance of women inthe field, or is just looking for some good non-fiction to read.It'sworth it! ... Read more

Product Description
This volume offers a unique collection of outstanding contributions from renowned women mathematicians who met in Cambridge for a conference under the auspices of European Women in Mathematics (EWM). These contributions serve as excellent surveys of their subject areas, including symplectic topology, combinatorics and number theory. The volume moreover sheds light on prominent women mathematicians who worked in Cambridge in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by providing an insightful historical introduction at the beginning of the volume. The volume concludes with short contributions from women mathematicians from across Europe working in various areas of mathematics ranging from group theory to magnetic fields. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume can be divided into two parts: a purely mathematical part with contributions on finance mathematics, interactions between geometry and physics and different areas of mathematics; another part on the popularization of mathematics and the situation of women in mathematics. ... Read more

Product Description

She is best known for her curve, the witch of Agnesi, which appears in almost all high school and undergraduate math books. She was a child prodigy who frequented the salon circuit, discussing mathematics, philosophy, history, and music in multiple languages. She wrote one of the first vernacular textbooks on calculus and was appointed chair of mathematics at the university in Bologna. In later years, however, she became a prominent figure within the Catholic Enlightenment, gave up the academic world, and devoted herself to the poor, the sick, the hungry, and the homeless. Indeed, the life of Maria Agnesi reveals a complex and enigmatic figure -- one of the most fascinating characters in the history of mathematics.

Using newly discovered archival documents, Massimo Mazzotti reconstructs the wide spectrum of Agnesi's social experience and examines her relationships to various traditions -- religious, political, social, and mathematical. This meticulous study shows how she and her fellow Enlightenment Catholics modified tradition in an effort to reconcile aspects of modern philosophy and science with traditional morality and theology.

Mazzotti's original and provocative investigation is also the first targeted study of the Catholic Enlightenment and its influence on modern science. He argues that Agnesi's life is the perfect lens through which we can gain a greater understanding of mid-eighteenth-century cultural trends in continental Europe.