The Hidden Giants

By Sethanne Howard

Discusses the history of women in science, which dates back 4,000 years. Includes biographical information on women involved in science.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615732674
• ISBN13: 9780615732671
• Release Date: December 2012
• Publisher: Washington Academy of Sciences
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

4000 Years of Women in Science

In the interest of full disclosure I must state that I am a personal friend of the author. On the other hand, I have known her and her work for many years and have found her research on the history of women in science and technology to be valuable on a regular basis. The author is a retired astronomer who therefore has a deep understanding of science and technology issues. She and a colleague have maintained a web site entitled 4000 Years of Women in Science for many years, and this book is derived from that effort. Whereas the website is more of a reference source, Dr. Howard has taken these biographies and woven them into a narrative that is quite easy and engaging to read. In this book you will find many stories and nuggets of knowledge that you do not readily find in the usual history of science textbooks. This is a very fun book to read, as well as a valuable reference source. The author has put a lot of effort into her scholarly research to locate all of these sometimes references, in sometimes obscure documents. The earliest record is that of Aganice, a natural philosopher in the court of Sesotris in about 1878 BCE. The text is full of facts, but also contains interesting notes about the context of the era the women scientist lived in. I think that this book will appeal to both people with an interest in science and those with an interest in history. It could serve as supplementary reading in a history of science course or women's studies course.