Headstrong

“Headstrong” is a joy to read, celebrating the triumph of human accomplishment, in the lives of 52 amazing women scientists. Despite the history of inequalities, which still persist, these women defined hard work and dedication, and made the world a better place. A collection rather than a continuous timeline, there are some overlaps and connections, such as in genetics and developmental biology, and in the physics department as well – after all, it is a small world we live in. The books is well organized in this sense, well written, and refreshingly positive.

We go as far back as Maria Sibylla Merian, the German entomologist born in 1647, up to Sally Ride (hopefully you’ve at least heard of her!) and most recent to pass, chemist and inventor Stephanie Kwolek. Partly a result of the author’s decision to only include women who are no longer living, many of these women began their careers in the Great Depression, when resources were especially hard to come by. Also, many Jewish scientists, including some of these women, were forced into exile during World War II. Some were more assertive, some were more humble; all overcame great obstacles to see their work through. They knew the importance of the work they were doing – one reason the book is titled as is.

The author did an outstanding job of boiling down the biographies, telling good stories, and giving the essence of the science involved. As a good historian, Swaby shows through context how people got to be where they were, not like simply reading off a list of career highlights. For example, I did not know paleoneurology was a discipline. That area of research was founded singlehandedly by Tilly Edinger, and broke new ground in evolutionary biology. I already knew and admired the work of Rachel Carson and Lynn Margulis, and now I have many more heroines to look to. Swaby often puts in a question to remind the reader of a previously mentioned accomplishment, to return to it and explain what the scientist did to advance scientific knowledge.

This book is one I know I will be re-reading again and again. Like “Microbe Hunters,” there is adventure, ingenious experimental design, and perseverance through mountainous challenges. While the biographies may be shorter, and more numerous, the subjects are just as significant. Swaby’s book is like an extension of the Ada Lovelace Day and “Edit-a-thon.” There is so much more out there that isn’t common (enough) knowledge. Rachel Swaby has done a great service, quite long-overdue, of bringing more attention to the outstanding contributions by what is really only a handful of scientists who happened to be women. In their time, unequal pay was even worse than it is now – many weren't paid at all, with universities reluctant to take them on as professors. To add insult to injury, they were often cheated out of publication credit, Rosalind Franklin being the most famous example. Yet, in addition to their scientific breakthroughs, they fought for equal representation and opportunities for future generations of women. These are scientists, not “whole binders full of women.” As an aspiring scientist myself, I found “Headstrong” a very inspiring and enjoyable read. Highly recommended!

Note: I received a free physical copy of this title through BloggingForBooks in exchange for an honest review.