REVIEW: Women in Mathematics (Lynn Osen)
Author: Lynn Osen
My rating: 5/5
Premise: The colorful lives of these women, who often travelled 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.
I LOVE THIS BOOK! Over the last year, I've been involved with representing women in maths at my university and so have become more of a feminist. This book introduces 8 amazing female mathematicians from history. Whilst the biographies are short and don't go into too much detail, it's gives a flavour of their lives and the impact they've had on the mathematical community. This book is 45 years old, so some parts in the introduction and conclusion are outdated, but, sadly, some of the issues surrounding women in maths still haven't been resolved. What was nice was finding out which of the big name make mathematicians were all for educating women and helped these women in their careers. If you want an interesting, historical, feminist-y book about strong women in maths that'll leave you feeling empowered, then this is for you!