Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History

By Sam Maggs

A fun and feminist celebration of the forgotten women in science, technology, and beyond—from the bestselling author of The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy.

You may think you know women’s history pretty well. But have you ever heard of:
 
• Alice Ball, the chemist who developed an effective treatment for leprosy—only to have the credit taken by a man?
• Mary Sherman Morgan, the rocket scientist whose liquid fuel compounds blasted the first U.S. satellite into orbit?
• Huang Daopo, the inventor whose weaving technology revolutionized textile production in China—centuries before the cotton gin?
 
Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were stacked against them. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs tells the stories of the brilliant, brainy, and totally rad women in history who broke barriers as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors. Plus, interviews with real-life women in STEM careers, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to women-centric science and technology organizations—all to show the many ways the geeky girls of today can help to build the future.
 
Table of Contents:
Women of Science
Women of Medicine
Women of Espionage
Women of Innovation
Women of Adventure

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781594749261

Sam Maggs

Sam Maggs is a best-selling author of books, comics, and video games. She’s the author of many YA and middle-grade books like The Unstoppable Wasp: Built on Hope, Con Quest!, Tell No Tales, and The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy; a senior games writer, including work on Marvel’s Spider-Man; and a comics writer for titles like Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, My Little Pony, and Transformers. She is also an on-air host for networks like Nerdist. A Canadian in Los Angeles, she misses Coffee Crisp and bagged milk. Visit her online at sammaggs.com or @SamMaggs!

Reviews for Wonder Women

[devil_llama · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Periodically I find myself wondering if the non-fiction genre will survive the assault of the millennials. This book is no exception; it is rather superficial, which is okay, since the author wants to cover a lot of women, and isn't writing full biographies of any (though they could have fleshed out more. This isn't a terribly long book). The author's continual parenthetical comments begin to grate quickly, especially since they appear to be what she perceives as wit, and some of them actually are witty. Most, however, are just repetitions of things that weren't particularly amusing or enlightening the first time she said them. The main complaint with this book is that every entry reads more like a blog post than a part of a book. So this book essentially was written for people who don't read books (especially non-fiction) and so would never pick up the book to begin with. That said, I did find the collection interesting, and while I was familiar with many of these women, there were others I had not heard of, and it was interesting to hear about these women. The interviews with current "wonder women" were not particularly interesting or enlightening, and either should have been left out (which would have allowed more room to cover the various women that got shortchanged or left out), or they should have been conducted by a more skilled interviewer. Overall, a mixed bag, but still recommended, especially if you like millennial type humor and prefer reading blogs to books.

[aliceap-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Back in August, Quirk Books reached out to ask if I'd be interested in reviewing a nonfiction book about extraordinary women from history. Of course I said yes. (Who wouldn't have their interest piqued by that pitch?) So they sent over an advanced reader's copy (ARC) for me to check out. XDWonder Women by Sam Maggs includes stories about 25 women who looked convention in the face and laughed at it. When one looks at STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers, it is easy to believe that women have had little to no impact. (The historical record has a few flaws.) Maggs completely turns this notion onto its head by showcasing women who not only braved these disciplines but completely rocked them (many times before men even had a clue). She doesn't just discuss women scientists and inventors but also women adventurers. Those that dared to dream big and push themselves forward to attain those dreams despite all the odds being stacked against them. It's the same struggle that women the world over are still fighting against except for these women lived in times that were even more daunting (I'm talking B.C.E. through the 1940s, ya'll.). These women were not given equal opportunities for education much less employment. Their families, spouses, and society were dead set that they would stay exactly as they always had...in the shadow of men. The biographies are broken up into subsections and at the end of each section are bite size bios and a Q&A with a woman who is currently working in that discipline. Oh and did I mention the art at the start of each biography? An artist's rendering of each of the ladies in the ARC are depicted in black and white but I believe in the on-sale version color has been added. They make a great addition to the book as well as the informal jargon (if you've been on Tumblr and enjoyed it then you'll feel right at home). It was a fun, quick read that showcased some truly kick butt ladies doing some really kick butt things. 9/10You can pre-order Wonder Women today (it comes out on October 4, 2016!) and as an added bonus receive downloadable wallpapers by Jen Bartel and Paulina Ganucheau. O_O

[libstaff2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great mini-encyclopedia of important women from STEM fields throughout history and their impact. Many of the women in this book I had never heard of or only heard of in passing. The book is entertaining, informative, and long overdue. There are also brief interviews included at the end of each section (I especially enjoyed the one that introduced Mika McKinnon). For young adults and new adults.Net Galley Feedback

[nbmars · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In Wonder Women, readers (presumably in the tween-teenage age range) are introduced to twenty-five female scientists, engineers, adventurers, and inventors in chapters divided into five parts: Women of Science, Women of Medicine, Women of Espionage, Women of Innovation and Women of Adventure.This book has some great information in it, but I was kind of turned off by the “hipster” tone of it. The author kept referring to “dudes” instead of males or men, and “butt-kicking chicks” or “bad-as-heck babes.” Then there was the “Valley Speak,” as in “Zhenyi . .. would totally be hosting Cosmos were she alive today,” (although, admittedly, I doubt any Valley Speaker would be familiar with the subjunctive mood), and interjections like “What even?” I did like the choice of women to highlight, and I thought the author did a good job at winnowing down the biographical information to present the most interesting or relevant pieces of these women's lives. Maybe the tone is geared toward winning over “reluctant readers,” but I would like to think that we can expect kids to learn to communicate by using all the breadth and beauty of the English language instead of what sounds “cool.”The book also includes illustrations by Google doodler Sophia Foster-Dimino, a bibliography, and interviews with present-day woman working in STEM fields.Evaluation: While this book is not without some merit, I think there are better choices for kids to learn about women in science, such as Women In Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky.

[smorton11 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’m a sucker for nonfiction compendiums that chronicle the lives of interesting people in short digestible vignettes, which is not only evident here with Wonder Women, but with the forthcoming review for Rejected Princesses.

In March of my sophomore year of high school, my stepfather was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was given months to live, but through a cutting edge surgery that summer, we were able to have another four years with him before he passed away in the spring of my sophomore year of college. His diagnosis led me to consider a future in biomedical engineering – specifically the artificial organ project, being pioneered at Boston University. I made it my life goal to become a medical researcher and was a founding member of my high school’s STEM Savvy group. Lady researchers and mathematicians have always held a special place in my heart, and while I did not fully pursue a career in STEM, I will always look at ladies like Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, and Ada Lovelace as role models and inspiration.

Sam Maggs obviously cares for and respects not only the 25 women she profiles, but also the women whom she interviews regarding contemporary issues with women’s roles in the STEM world. She handles the discussion of feminism and sexism in primarily male roles of engineering, science, technology and mathematics with an understanding of someone who has experienced some of the issues her foremothers did.