Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History

by Sam Maggs

Ever heard of Allied spy Noor Inayat Khan, a Muslim woman whom the Nazis considered highly dangerous? Or German painter and entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, who planned and embarked on the world s first scientific expedition? How about Huang Daopo, the inventor who fled an abusive child marriage only to revolutionize textile production in China? Women have always been able to change the world, even when they didn t get the credit. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs introduces you to pioneering female scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors each profile a study in passion, smarts, and stick-to-itiveness, complete with portraits by Google doodler Sophia Foster-Dimino, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to present-day women-centric STEM organizations.

• ISBN10: 1594749256
• ISBN13: 9781594749254
• Publish Date: 4 October 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Quirk Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781594749254

Reviews

[clementine]

This was a Christmas gift from my brother's girlfriend, who clearly knows me and my interests well. I thought that this book does a lot of things right: it presents a lot of information in a very accessible and readable way; it features a diverse range of women from all over the world and many cultural and racial backgrounds; it has an anti-colonial undertone running throughout. Sam Maggs does not hold back with her analyses of patriarchy and white supremacy (and the intersection between the two). Though this book isn't necessarily a critique of these institutions as much as a celebration of incredible women who accomplished a lot despite the barriers they faced, it does take a critical approach to them.

Really my only critique is that I feel that a lot of the language used and cultural references will pretty firmly date this book to the mid-2010s. Maggs' writing does, of course, make this book highly accessible and enjoyable, and the book is witty and endlessly interesting. But I do feel that, while the information included is great, the style may unfortunately date this book. However, the conversational, funny style filled with modern-day cultural references and comparisons will make this book very appealing to a younger set (I see it as geared towards a slightly younger demographic than my own) and help teens and even preteens learn about some incredible women who history has all but forgotten.

[inlibrisveritas]

Full review to come eventually

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Source: ARC from Quirk Books

Initial Thoughts: The content is generally really fascinating and enjoyable, but I personally found the writing style irritating. I understand Maggs is going for a relatable, Tumblr-style prose (You know, by saying things like "What even?" or "She scienced her way to the top" or "That's how they do" or whatever people say when they're trying to be cute on the Internet these days.) The tone will probably will a selling point for much of the intended audience, so I'll write it off as a personal pet peeve. There were points, however, where the cutesy language seemed to diminish the accomplishments of some of the women featured by blithely referring to "smartperson talk" or "doing the science." And while I did enjoy most of the featured women, a few have borderline status as heroes or role models, in my opinion. For instance, Maggs features one women who was a spy and forger for personal gain (and was so bad at it she kept getting caught, so we can't even admire her skill). She seemed like a bad person to me and not worth holding up for glory, but Maggs writes her greedy and unethical behavior off as "Well, women were oppressed so whatever." Finally, the book definitely has a feminist agenda (which, again, is a selling point, and I have no issue with it). However, it gets a bit awkward in the interviews that end each section of the book. Maggs consistently asks women currently in STEM what oppression they have faced as if it's a given, and it's a bit awkward (though perhaps heartening) that many of the women's responses are in the vein of "Not much, actually...."

Full review to come.