Persuasive Acts
Happy Women's History Month! This week we hear from women on a myriad of issues particular to them, which, in turn, impact us all
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Posted on February 22, 2021 in Review of the Week
The sirens of Mars: searching for life on another world
Johnson, Sarah Stewart. Crown, 2020
271p index, 9781101904817 $28.99, 9781101904824
Johnson (Georgetown Univ.) is a female planetary scientist who has been a member of the science teams for several recent spacecraft missions to Mars. In this book, she not only shares the rich history of Mars science, providing plenty of stories about the important people in that history, notably Carl Sagan, but also unfolds her own biography. While Johnson focuses mostly on the successes and insights from the study of Mars as pursued in recent decades, she also devotes space to personal recollections about being mentored and inspired by one of the few senior female planetary scientists involved in these missions. She openly shares details about meeting her spouse and having her children while studying Mars, providing important background for readers who wish to learn and teach about the human side of doing science, and not just the science itself. Science is done by scientists—an idea this reviewer has stressed in his courses for years, often in order to call attention to important work that may not have received the attention it deserved. Books like this one make exemplary sources for teaching about the people behind the science.
Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.
Reviewer: C. Palma, Pennsylvania State University
Subject: Science & Technology – Earth Science
Choice Issue: May 2021
Happy Women's History Month! This week we hear from women on a myriad of issues particular to them, which, in turn, impact us all
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This Presidents' Day we take a look at political runs of women, examining the challenges and opportunities of female political candidacy
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As Valentine's Day fast approaches, this week's review examines romantic love and how it transforms with time
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To celebrate Black History Month, this week's review centers Black women in its retelling of US history.
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