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.
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.
