Notable Women in the Life Sciences: A Biographical Dictionary
By (Author) Benjamin F. Shearer
By (author) Barbara S. Shearer
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Greenwood Press
10th June 1996
United States
Tertiary Education
Non Fiction
Gender studies: women and girls
Biography: philosophy and social sciences
570.922
Hardback
456
This volume features substantive biographical essays on 97 world and American women scientists who have made significant contributions to the life sciences from antiquity to the present, with the emphasis on 20th century women. The essays go beyond the basic facts found in standard biographical dictionaries, however. Developmental influences, obstacles faced and overcome, and the efforts of these women to contribute to their chosen professions in spite of sometimes overwhelming disapproval of the establishment come alive in these portraits. Many of the living scientists profiled contributed interviews and autobiographical statements, which adds a vital and unique element to the their profiles. Entries, written by 63 practising scientists and researchers, explain the scientific work clearly in terms familiar to general readers and high school students. Each entry provides a fact box outlining major life events, including educational and career milestones, and concludes with sources for further reading. Twenty-nine photographs complement the text. Disciplines covered include anatomy, bacteriology, biology, botany, embryology, entomology, genetics, horticulture, medicine, ornithology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology and zoology. Subjects were selected on the basis of historical importance and recognition awards such as Blackwell, Lasker and Watermann prizes, Nobel prizes, MacArthur Foundation "Genius" awards, and the National Medal of Science. Seen across time and disciplines, the lives of these dedicated scientists can serve as role models for young women pursuing careers in science.
.,.".a good one volume reference..."-Catholic Library World
"Readers looking for substantive biographies of women in the life sciences will find 97 well-written essays by 66 contributors in this book....Recommended....[F]or all science libraries or for libraries supporting women's studies programs."-Science and Technology Libraries
"The Shearers have prepared a dictionary to 97 women who have contributed to the life sciences (including medicine) from the ancient to the contemporary world.... [E]ach entry...is readily accessible and contains much more personal information than would be normally found in comparable volumes. Almost all of the entries comment on the particular difficulties associated with being a woman in science: exclusion, isolation, inability to combine a scientific career with marriage and a family, and lack of role models."-Choice
....a good one volume reference...-Catholic Library World
[Recommended for] those with interests in the history of science and to reader who wants to learn more about the role of women in science.-Plant Science Bulletin
Biographical entries of 97 women who have made significant contributions to the life sciences from antiquity to the present... The nature and impact of each woman's work is put in lay terms so readers can understand its importance. Few readers will recognize any names other than Rachel Carson and Elizabeth Blackwell--all the more reason to have this book in one's collection. Although students may use it initially for reports, few will leave it without being hooked into reading about others who catch their interest. There are cancer researchers, physicians, ornithologists, environmentalists, horticulturalists, and more, all in one place, ready to inspire and educate YAs... Once teachers become familiar with this book, many worthwhile and diverse assignments could be based on the information it contains. Gender issues, historical period, and career opportunities are all possibilities not immediately obvious from the title. A little promotion could make this a popular resource.-School Library Journal
Ninety-seven women scientists who have made significant contributions to the life sciences are covered here in substantive essays...No other reference book on women scientists has quite this focus or depth of information...The work notes the struggles these women faced in overcoming sexual discrimination and other problems such as family opposition or poverty and indicates why the reader should be interested in them. Well written and informative, this book will be helpful in high-school, public, and academic libraries where it will bolster collections in women's studies and scientific biography.-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
Readers looking for substantive biographies of women in the life sciences will find 97 well-written essays by 66 contributors in this book....Recommended....[F]or all science libraries or for libraries supporting women's studies programs.-Science and Technology Libraries
Students researching anatomy, biology, botany, cancer, ecology, pharmacology, physiology, zoology, and many other life science fields will find this volume valuable. Teachers encouraging young women to enter the field of science will use this volume as an example. The biographical information found in this volume is unique. Recommended.-The Book Report
The sixty-three practicing scientists and researchers who wrote the entries explain the lives of their subjects in clear prose aimed at a general readership.-Journal of Women's History
The Shearers have prepared a dictionary to 97 women who have contributed to the life sciences (including medicine) from the ancient to the contemporary world.... [E]ach entry...is readily accessible and contains much more personal information than would be normally found in comparable volumes. Almost all of the entries comment on the particular difficulties associated with being a woman in science: exclusion, isolation, inability to combine a scientific career with marriage and a family, and lack of role models.-Choice
....a good one volume reference...Catholic Library World
"Recommended for those with interests in the history of science and to reader who wants to learn more about the role of women in science."-Plant Science Bulletin
...".a good one volume reference..."-Catholic Library World
"[Recommended for] those with interests in the history of science and to reader who wants to learn more about the role of women in science."-Plant Science Bulletin
"Ninety-seven women scientists who have made significant contributions to the life sciences are covered here in substantive essays...No other reference book on women scientists has quite this focus or depth of information...The work notes the struggles these women faced in overcoming sexual discrimination and other problems such as family opposition or poverty and indicates why the reader should be interested in them. Well written and informative, this book will be helpful in high-school, public, and academic libraries where it will bolster collections in women's studies and scientific biography."-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
"Students researching anatomy, biology, botany, cancer, ecology, pharmacology, physiology, zoology, and many other life science fields will find this volume valuable. Teachers encouraging young women to enter the field of science will use this volume as an example. The biographical information found in this volume is unique. Recommended."-The Book Report
"The sixty-three practicing scientists and researchers who wrote the entries explain the lives of their subjects in clear prose aimed at a general readership."-Journal of Women's History
"Biographical entries of 97 women who have made significant contributions to the life sciences from antiquity to the present... The nature and impact of each woman's work is put in lay terms so readers can understand its importance. Few readers will recognize any names other than Rachel Carson and Elizabeth Blackwell--all the more reason to have this book in one's collection. Although students may use it initially for reports, few will leave it without being hooked into reading about others who catch their interest. There are cancer researchers, physicians, ornithologists, environmentalists, horticulturalists, and more, all in one place, ready to inspire and educate YAs... Once teachers become familiar with this book, many worthwhile and diverse assignments could be based on the information it contains. Gender issues, historical period, and career opportunities are all possibilities not immediately obvious from the title. A little promotion could make this a popular resource."-School Library Journal
BENJAMIN F. SHEARER is Vice-President for Student Life at Neumann College in Aston, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Barbara, are the authors of State Names, Seals, Flags, and Symbols (Greenwood, 1987, rev. ed. 1994), as well as several other books published by Greenwood Press. They are currently preparing Notable Women in the Physical Sciences for Greenwood Press (forthcoming 1996). BARBARA S. SHEARER is Director of Public Services and External Relations at the Scott Memorial Library, Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia. She is co-editor (with Geneva Bush) of Finding the Source of Medical Information: A Thesaurus-Index to the Reference Collections (Greenwood, 1985). She has also published several articles on medical database searching and on bibliometrics.