An interesting bit of information about women and math. Some things I never learned in school. Great for any classroom.

A History of Women in Mathematics is a concise, well written, overview of women in mathematics over three millennia written and curated by Dale Debakcsy. Released 30th Dec 2023 by Pen & Sword on their History imprint, it's 216 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The book is arranged in 30 biography chapters, in chronological order, from Theano of Croton (and the Pythagoreans) to, quite poignantly, Maryam Mirzakhani. Each subject is introduced in historical context in surprisingly accessible terms. The author considers them as historical characters and, obviously, scientists, but also renders them realistically. The language is understandable and doesn't require an academic background to read and assimilate the facts of their lives. The mathematics is very briefly touched on but it's not a mathematics text and doesn't require relevant formal scientific background to understand.

There's a surprising amount of warmth and humour in the biographies. Even the ancient subjects with scant historical proof are rendered three-dimensionally and engagingly.

Four stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving. The bibliography is full of good resources and links for further reading. There's also an appendix with a number of archival photos of the subjects which add some context and interest.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This untold history spanning three millennia chronicles overlooked women who expanded mathematical knowledge despite limited opportunities. Discover more than one hundred stories of women who overcame obstacles to achieve renown.

This is an interesting and human account of the lives of these notable women. It can be read cover-to-cover or used as a reference book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

For centuries, women have made significant achievements in the mathematics arena.These include mathematical research, mathematics education, the history and philosophy of mathematics, public outreach, and mathematics contests. These include Hypatia, Maria Gaetana Agnesi,Émilie du Châtelet,Wang Zhenyi,Sophie Germain, Sofia Kovalevskaya,Charlotte Angas Scott,Winifred Edgerton Merrill,Emmy Noether,Mary Cartwright,Cheryl Praeger,Maryam Mirzakhani,Julia Robinson, Hanna Neumann,Olga Taussky-Todd,Tatyana Afanasyeva,Pelageya Polubarinova-Kochina,Hilda Geiringer,Margaret Meyer, Alicia Boole Scott, Ellen Hayes, Christine Ladd-Franklin,Elizaveta Litvinova,Maria Angela Ardinghelli,Grace Chisholm Young,Catherine de Parthenay,Mary Somerville etc.Mathematics is used to explain many of the phenomena which we observe in the world. After all, mathematics forms the basis of many other natural sciences. From the laws of physics to creating models in biology, mathematics enables people to describe various processes in a systematic and rational manner.

For anyone who says women aren't good at math, they need to pull their head out of the dark ages AND read this book ASAP.

Covering the contributions women made to mathematics from Ancient Greece to present day, this book is a who's who of major math megastars who happened to not be men.

The author DeBakcsy goes into great detail about each woman's works. It's told in a fun, casual voice that's not only historically informative. It's encouraging to every numbers loving girl out there. It shows how far women have come and how they've given back to society in ways that weren't noticed and definitely not appreciated.

Great for anyone who loves STEM history or just wants to learn about some amazing women in history.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book isa pleasant surprise. I was half expecting to be bamboozled with difficult mathematical stuff. (I won’t mention that I only got CSE grade 2 in my maths exam). However each short chapter introduces us to women who over the past two millennia have contributed to the study of the subject. Each a trailblazer. At the end of each chapter is information on further reading on the individual. The final chapter is also a run through of other notable women in this field. A well put together and highly informative book.

Unfortunately, I found this book too informative and not informative enough. This is largely due to the fact that, as I quickly realized, I am not the ideal reader for this essay: I am a historian interested in female themes, and I approached this book with the idea of reading about strong women who have achieved great things throughout the centuries (the fact that these achievements revolved around the study of mathematics was, for me, somewhat incidental). However, it is quite clear that the book is primarily aimed at enthusiasts of the history of mathematics, who want to read a collection of biographies about mathematicians of the past - who incidentally were also women.

I found myself having to skip the digressions about this or that mathematical theorem, which I wouldn't have understood and, all in all, did not interest me. On the other hand, I often felt that the biographical data about the women in question were too concise and summarized: surely more could have been said, about these women!

I'm not saying it's a bad book, though. I'm sure a mathematician would enjoy it greatly; it just wasn't the right book for a historian passionate about female themes.

A History of Women in Mathematics by Dale DeBakcsy offers a compelling look into the often-overlooked contributions of women to mathematics. Organized into 30 chapters, it spans centuries, from Theano of Croton to modern mathematicians like Maryam Mirzakhani. The book skillfully blends history, mathematics, and personal narratives, making it accessible to all readers. Each chapter ends with valuable references for further study. This scholarly work challenges gender stereotypes and underscores the pivotal role women played in shaping mathematics. "A History of Women in Mathematics" is an enlightening and inspiring read that celebrates the resilience and achievements of these remarkable women.

Dale DeBakcsy does a great job in keeping this book engaging and informative. I was never bored when reading this and glad there were some women that I had never heard of.

Whilst the range of women included is inclusive enough and the author gives a credible explanation for why some names were omitted, I found that the accounts of the women included were too short and rather incomprehensibly presented at times, especially when maths formulas were discussed. It's not a very accessible book for the average reader, as it includes discussion of mathematics that most won't grasp, but it could be a good introductory text for people interested in the field or for young girls looking for role models in STEM in general and maths in particular.