Customer Reviews

A to Z of Women in Science and Math

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Review of `A to Z of Women in Science and Math' (A biographical dictionary) by Lisa Yount published by Facts-on-File, New York in 1999.

Reviewer: W. P. Palmer

This is a scholarly reference work providing brief biographies of more than 160 women scientists from a wide variety of countries from all periods and in all branches of science. How many famous female scientists are there altogether? Wikipedia provides a list of about 400, though whatever number is considered be a full listing varies dependent on the criteria decided upon. Lisa Yount is up-front about the criteria she used and mentions these in her Author's Note. In general she looks at the importance of their contribution to science, favouring direct contributions through research rather than those through teaching and writing. Fame was a second criterion followed by diversity. I think Yount has also favoured those about more is known as for example, the research based woman chemist, Elizabeth Fulhame is omitted from the listing, perhaps because of the uncertainties of her biographical details.

Most entries have one to two pages of information about the female scientist under review. The dictionary is well illustrated with photographs of some scientists. Suggestions for further reading are made for most entries. Several different search formats are provided to search for the female scientists by field, by country of birth and by year of birth. This is a useful and scholarly reference work.

BILL PALMER