Book description
From one of the world’s leading planetary scientists, a luminous memoir of exploration on Earth, in space, and within oneself—equal parts ode to the beauty of science, meditation on loss, and roadmap for personal resilience
"Fierce, absorbing, and ultimately inspiring." —ELIZABETH KOLBERT
"[A] riveting book, beautifully written." —Washington Post
Named…
Why read it?
1 author picked A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I enjoyed the arc of Elkins-Tanton’s life because it wasn’t all spent in science. She showed how her few years in business and teaching math at a college after her MSc gave her skills helpful for doing her PhD.
I particularly liked the insights she provided into being a woman in an executive position and the ways in which she had to learn to serve her research community. It is rare for a woman to reach these administrative levels, so it’s highly valuable to get the inside scoop about it.
I was also struck by her innovative techniques in teaching…
From Sarah's list on science memoirs written by women.
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