A Matter of Choices: Memoirs of a Female Physicist (Lives of Women in Science) (Paperback)

by Fay Ajzenberg-Selove (Author)
Key Phrases: nuclear spectroscopy, light nuclei, United States, New York, Los Alamos (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
The author, a professor of physics at the University of Pennsylvania who is married to the physicist Walter Selove, wrote this book to understand why she became who she is. Born in Berlin in 1926, she escaped the Nazi invasion of Europe with her parents in 1940 and came to the United States. After a brief stay in Cuba, she attended school in New York and, later, the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Columbia University, and the University of Wisconsin, where she obtained her Ph.D. in physics. She gained tenure at the University of Pennsylvania via a discrimination suit in 1973, developed breast cancer at the age of 44, and again ten years later. Unfortunately, many of the professional problems she has faced still plague women today. But thanks to the efforts of women like her, some progress is being made. A heartfelt look at a difficult life. Recommended.
- Hilary D. Burton, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Livermore, Cal.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews
Exhilarating account of a persevering and undaunted life in science. Ajzenberg-Selove was born in Berlin in 1926 of Polish-Russian parents who later settled in France. Father Misha had a degree as a mining engineer from St. Petersburg--a rare distinction for a poor Jew from Warsaw. He was also something of a genius at landing on his feet--becoming a banker in Berlin, running a sugar-beet factory outside Paris, and later, through good luck and connections, escaping from France and landing the family in America, where he achieved further entrepreneurial successes--all this being important, since, without Misha's encouragement, Faye's life would undoubtedly have been different. (By contrast, her mother was a mezzo-soprano, rather spoiled and pampered.) Misha wanted Faye to become an engineer, and, indeed, she became the only woman enrolled in Michigan's school of engineering. But engineering was not her cup of tea. Physics appealed, however. And this is perhaps the oddest feature of her career: she was absolutely terrible at it. ``My academic work was extremely poor,'' she notes, ``but I loved physics, and I was determined to succeed.'' And succeed she did, carving a name for herself in the nuclear spectroscopy of light elements and marrying another successful physicist: Walter Selove--a choice made for her by Marietta Bohr, Niels' daughter-in-law. Compellingly of interest here are the stories of the couple's wooing, of Faye's zeal for teaching, her hard-fought victory in getting tenure in the physics department of the University of Pennsylvania (where Wally also teaches), and not least her battle against recurrent breast cancer. Inspiring examples of one woman's intelligence, commitment, courage, and endurance. And while she may have wobbled once in physics, she clearly knows how to write. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813520355
• ISBN-13: 978-0813520353
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,374,244 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extraordinary holocaust survivor and scientist, June 16, 2002

By	Anne B. "anneb" (Tarrytown, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Fay Ajzenberg-Selove first proves herself extraordinary in her ability to talk her way past a Nazi in her escape from Germany. The remarkable force of her personality carried her past bad physics grades and blatant sexism into a successful academic & scientific career.

The book is well-written and enjoyable.

4.0 out of 5 stars Short and Sweet., August 14, 2006

By	A. F. Naromu (USA) - See all my reviews

Selove's memoir is short and sweet. I especially liked the style of writing, which seems to match and convey her nonchalant but passionate outlook on life. The book is short and to-the-point. It's honest and thought-provoking.

The obstacles that she faced as a physicist may not be as pertinent today, but they still do exist. The book would provide an excellent read for male and female students and faculty members at major science institutions, especially physics departmental personnel.

I recommend the book to anyone who has the chance to read it!