Book 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

Book Description
Shirley was raised by her mother in rural, segregated Georgia just before the national civil rights movement. As an African-American child in a small southern town, she encountered both prejudice and peer pressure that tried to discourage her determination to succeed. Never giving up, she earned a Ph.D. in mathematics--the first African- American to earn a doctorate from the University of Georgia and went on to become Dean of Student Affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ... Read more

Book 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 2 promotics. Although the collection includes historical women, the emphasis is on contemporary mathematicians, many of whom have not been profiled in any previous work. The work also celebrates the contributions of minority women, including 10 African-American, Latina, and Asian mathematicians. Written by practicing mathematicians, teachers and researchers, these profiles give voice to the variety of pathways into mathematics that women have followed and the diversity of areas in which mathematics can work. Many profiles draw on interviews with the subject, and each includes a short list of suggested reading by and about the mathematician. Most mathematicians profiled stress the value, importance, and enjoyment of collaborative research, contradicting the prevailing notion that doing good mathematics requires isolation. This collection provides not only a substantial number of role models for girls interested in a career in mathematics, but also a unique depiction of a field that can offer a lifetime of challenge and enjoyment. ... 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

Book 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 (4)

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

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Higher Education, published by Ohio State University Press on March 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1228 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Women Becoming Mathematicians. (Book Reviews).
Author: Jerilee Grandy
Publication: Journal of Higher Education (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2002
Publisher: Ohio State University Press
Volume: 73Issue: 2Page: 305(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Honorable Mention in the category of History and American Studies, 2000 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by the Association of American Publishers, Inc.

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

Book 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.

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

Book 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.

Book 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

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

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

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

Customer Reviews (2)

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 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