Even in the third decade of the twenty-first century, it is still more difficult for women to pursue a career in science than men. Two centuries ago, however, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when science as we know it was just emerging, the situation was much worse. Back then, the very idea of a female scientist would have been seen as an oxymoron.

Authored by bestselling and award-winning science writers John and Mary Gribbin, Against the Odds highlights the achievements of women who overcame obstacles and achieved scientific success (although not always as much as they deserved) despite male prejudice, as society evolved over approximately 150 years, from the mid-1800s to the end of the 1900s.

It features figures such as Eunice Newton Foote, who discovered the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide; Chien-Shiung Wu, who discovered the law that allows matter to exist in the universe today; and Barbara McClintock, who uncovered how genes turn on and off.

With a foreword by astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, this book is not only a warning about the suppressive effects of prejudice against women in science, but also a celebration of those who achieved success against the odds—and an inspiration for future generations.

Pages: 240, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm