Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Stone Pine Press (2008), Paperback, 188 pages
Description
Recounts the participation of women in the field of astronomy from ancient history to the present day.
User reviews
LibraryThing member 530nm330hz
This is a well-written book aimed at the young adult market. It's a series of biographies of women throughout history who have been astronomers. The production level of the book is high and the editing is consistently accurate. (Something that shouldn't have to be said, but too often is these
Armstrong mostly manages to avoid the trap of making the book feel like a polemic. The achievements of these women are remarkable not because they were made by women, but because they are remarkable achievements. It is only after they start accumulating that one realizes how indebted modern astronomy is to these pioneering women.
There are a few exceptions to the mostly balanced feel of the text, where the reader wonders if a particular achievement is being overemphasized or whether someone's lack of professional advancement might have been caused by something other than sexism. For example, in the chapter on Vera Rubin, Armstrong writes:
"When Rubin presented her research at the American Astronomical Society meeting in 1950, the audience scoffed at her findings. They said she had too little data to support her conclusions." One wonders, though -- perhaps the data were actually insufficient; Rubin was only 22 at the time.
Later, about a different paper of Rubin's, Armstrong writes "Again, her data was controversial." But Armstrong never said that the data on the first paper was *controversial*, just insufficient. The implication is that Rubin's findings were actually valid, and the only reason they weren't universally accepted was sexism. That assertion is not backed up by Armstrong's data, as it were.
The good news is that exceptions like this are made more noticeable by virtue of the fact that they are so rare. I feel churlish spending so much of this review on one example, when it is atypical of the book. But it does leave one wondering how many other cases in the book are overstated.
The occasional flaw aside, this is a well-written book and it covers important material. I look forward to sharing these biographies with my children.
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days.)Armstrong mostly manages to avoid the trap of making the book feel like a polemic. The achievements of these women are remarkable not because they were made by women, but because they are remarkable achievements. It is only after they start accumulating that one realizes how indebted modern astronomy is to these pioneering women.
There are a few exceptions to the mostly balanced feel of the text, where the reader wonders if a particular achievement is being overemphasized or whether someone's lack of professional advancement might have been caused by something other than sexism. For example, in the chapter on Vera Rubin, Armstrong writes:
"When Rubin presented her research at the American Astronomical Society meeting in 1950, the audience scoffed at her findings. They said she had too little data to support her conclusions." One wonders, though -- perhaps the data were actually insufficient; Rubin was only 22 at the time.
Later, about a different paper of Rubin's, Armstrong writes "Again, her data was controversial." But Armstrong never said that the data on the first paper was *controversial*, just insufficient. The implication is that Rubin's findings were actually valid, and the only reason they weren't universally accepted was sexism. That assertion is not backed up by Armstrong's data, as it were.
The good news is that exceptions like this are made more noticeable by virtue of the fact that they are so rare. I feel churlish spending so much of this review on one example, when it is atypical of the book. But it does leave one wondering how many other cases in the book are overstated.
The occasional flaw aside, this is a well-written book and it covers important material. I look forward to sharing these biographies with my children.
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LibraryThing member cmbohn
'Women Astronomers: Reaching for the Stars' is a new book about female pioneers in the fields of astronomy, cosmology and astrophysics. The book is geared towards young readers, but even adults will find much that they don't know in this easy to read book.
All right, my one main quarrel with the
But that being said, this is a really good book. Don't let the cover or the title discourage you. Once you start reading, the format, the writing, the pictures, it's all well done and a lot of fun.
The main section is brief autobiographical sketches of some important women in the field of astronomy. These are well done, interesting, conversational, easy to read. Then there is a little timeline at the bottom of the pages to help readers fit it all together. The book also contains sidebars on everything from the Hubble Space Telescope to redshift to chronometers. The black and white pictures and illustrations really help to enhance the text. The whole book was so well done it was a pleasure to read. I couldn't put it down.
Bottom line: Look past the cover and flip through the book. Once you do, you'll be eager to read more.
CMB
All right, my one main quarrel with the
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book - the cover. What a boring picture! And the title is kind of blah too. Why not something catchy, like 'Far Out Women' or 'Real Space Cadets' or even 'The True Stars of Astronomy'? Anything, just something that catches the attention more than what's on there now.But that being said, this is a really good book. Don't let the cover or the title discourage you. Once you start reading, the format, the writing, the pictures, it's all well done and a lot of fun.
The main section is brief autobiographical sketches of some important women in the field of astronomy. These are well done, interesting, conversational, easy to read. Then there is a little timeline at the bottom of the pages to help readers fit it all together. The book also contains sidebars on everything from the Hubble Space Telescope to redshift to chronometers. The black and white pictures and illustrations really help to enhance the text. The whole book was so well done it was a pleasure to read. I couldn't put it down.
Bottom line: Look past the cover and flip through the book. Once you do, you'll be eager to read more.
CMB
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LibraryThing member fledchen
I think this book would be a wonderful textbook for progressive homeschoolers (as well as general readers of all ages and genders). It presents biographical information on dozens of female astronomers, as well as sidebars explaining historical context and astronomy basics. I think that the prose
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sometimes strays too far into the realm of creating a narrative rather than simply stating the facts, but I understand that younger readers will probably better understand the information when it's given in that manner. The layout of the pages is engaging without being cluttered. There are monochrome photographs, illustrations, and diagrams that add to the text instead of just being eye candy (as some children's books tend to do). The title and cover illustration are underwhelming, but don't let that lead you into thinking that this is a boring book. Show Less
LibraryThing member MSLMC
Interesting, well written text is combined with illustrations and photographs to bring women astronomers to life. Beginning with early civilizations, then highlighting astronomers right through to the present, Mabel Armstrong gives us enough biography to lure in the non-science readers. At the same
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time Armstrong does a great job of illustrating both the significant achievements made by these women, but the substantial hardships many of them made for their discipline. While reading, I keep thinking in many ways, these were ordinary women made extraordinary by their determination and hard work, and what an important lesson that is for all our students to learn. Show Less
LibraryThing member tehipite
One of the things that I have most wanted to do with my library is to offer books that get students to think about careers that they otherwise might not have. One of those areas is girls and math & science. This book shows that women can be astronomers. While it seems simple enough in theory, in
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actually practice convincing middle school girls in the inner-city that that career is possible is a struggle. Thanks to Mabel Armstrong for championing these girls with a great book. Show Less
LibraryThing member andreablythe
This book presents short biographies of women astronomers from ancient times through to the modern era. Aimed at young adults (fifth grade through junior high, perhaps), this book presents the advancements of women in the astronomical sciences. It is well details with a lot of interesting sidebars
My one complaint is that the book seems to be very western centric with fe references to women astronomers outside of the United States and Europe. That may be because women astronomers outside the west are few and not as well known, but I would have liked to have seen more multicultural faces.
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and data, and is well suited to its aim of inspiring other young women to see what they can achieve in the field. My one complaint is that the book seems to be very western centric with fe references to women astronomers outside of the United States and Europe. That may be because women astronomers outside the west are few and not as well known, but I would have liked to have seen more multicultural faces.
Show Less
Awards
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2009)
Physical description
188 p.
ISBN
0972892958 / 9780972892957
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