Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics by Talithia Williams

This book doves into a field that I have little interest but still holds amazing forgotten women that basically helped create theories that provide the basis for so many things we have now. Curtained into three neat chapters of The Pioneers, From Code-Breaking to Rocket Science and Modern Math Mavens, it has a nice diverse spread of women in many mathmatical areas. It also introduced several that I never heard of before like Mary Golda Ross, a Cherokee women that helped shape the space program and launch ballistic missles, and Shakuntala Devi, arguably the smartest women ever (I think). Besides covering the now well-known figures like Grace Hopper and the West Computers, Mary Winston Jackson, Katherine G. Johnson and Dorothy Vaughen, the biggest chapter is dedicated to modern mathmeticians. I thought this was a nice choice to show how there are many breaking boundaries and making history today, providing current role models.

Also this book is definately for high schoolers looking for math sheros because it does not explain the concepts. It expects you to know the terms. Like when the author writes of Winifred Merrill’s thesis showed new results in “obtaining relations between Cartesian and oblique systems and the oblique and triplanar systems to obtain the needed equation arrays for the Cartesian and triplanar systems (Williams 34).” I guess that’s impressive, I just have no idea how.

America’s First Ladies by Kathleen Krull

This is a good kids book providing brief yet comprehensively informative bios of the past 53 First Ladies with fun illustrations and interesting facts while providing context and history to how they helped shaped/pushed or encouraged their husband/the president’s agendas.

Women of the Pine Tree State by Andrea Murphy

This kids book centers around 25 inspiring women from Maine, from atheletes to herbalists to Pulitzer Prize authors. I found it a nice book for anyone who is fond of the state of Maine and want to find famous (or at least should be famous) figures to look up to.

in Praise for Difficult Women by Karen Karbo

This book is a mix of informality and research as Karbo provides entertaining albeit opionated footnotes on each of the women she chose to highlight. This can make it feel a bit light as it gives you a taste of who these women are but don’t go into much detail. Additionally some of the women chosen may be difficult to swallow since their history has come to light like Lena Dunham and J.K. Rowling. Furthermore, essays range from well done like hers on Vita Sackville-West to short and unnecessary like Edie Segdwick. It’s not consistant nor diverse but it’s an entertaining beach read at least.

Black Girls Rock by Beverely Bond

Much like Because I was a Girl, this book (made by founder of Black Girls Rock! organization) features a series of essays from black women detailing the triumphs, struggles and work in breaking down systematic racism, sexism, and loving themselves and their bodies, and hope for the future. It also features spotlights on historical women like Nina Simone, Sojourner Truth and Audre Lord. Overall, a powerful book that shows the variety, strength and beauty of the black community.

The Book of Gutsy Women by Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton

A very comprehensive book of women from the past and present. I especially enjoyed the choices of modern women who are working to combat such issues like child marriages in America to Taliban resistance. But they also introduced some other underrated historical women like Rosa May Billingurst, a suffregette, and polio survivor who fought for the right to vote, giving a wider scope that suffregettes weren’t just white, able-bodied women. Additionally, I enjoyed how they added why they personally chose each women.