Customer Reviews

Women Changing Science

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When I first stumbled across this title, I was a little skeptical. So many such books are just glorified *itch sessions in which those who are struggling complain about being opressed. NOT SO! Mary Morse uses her perspective as both scientist and writer to turn anicdote into a balanced and inclusive discussion of the issues facing scientific women today. Morse doesn't claim to have done scientific surveys or comprehensive research, but she does talk to people who are struggling with the spectrum of issues facing women who have chosen science as a career. She looks at all of the major issues that affect us--how we are trained, scientific culture, work vs. family--and using the words of women and men who do science, she lays out the multi-wavelength spectrum of thought on where women are and where they want to be. There is a lot of discussion in the fields today about "women's issues" in science. This book will do well to inform the discussion that we, as professionals, need to have. It will also help scientists in training see what lays ahead. I plan to use it as discussion fodder in the classroom, and I hope more people do! --Nan Crystal Arens, Assistant Professor, Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley

I only recently discovered this book when I found that my past National Science Foundation grant was mentioned in the book. My grant was about women in math and science because those are not areas in which girls are encouraged to pursue careers. I am glad that Ms. Morse's book is here to make both women and men, boys and girls, aware of the need to bring women into the world of math and science. Her book informs the reader of the status of women in an important career area and gives insight into the experiences of women who have followed that path. Perhaps Ms. Morse will revise her book and bring us a new edition.