Authors:
- Details the achievements of Mary Somerville and her impact in physics and astronomy
- Documents Somerville's position as the first woman scientist to win an international reputation in her own right
- Written by leading and internationally-respected historian of science and astronomy
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in History of Science and Technology (BRIEFSHIST)
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Table of contents (6 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
Mary Somerville (1780-1872), after whom Somerville College Oxford was named, was the first woman scientist to win an international reputation entirely in her own right, rather than through association with a scientific brother or father.
She was active in astronomy, one of the most demanding areas of science of the day, and flourished in the unique British tradition of Grand Amateurs, who paid their own way and were not affiliated with any academic institution.
Mary Somerville was to science what Jane Austen was to literature and Frances Trollope to travel writing. Allan Chapman’s vivid account brings to light the story of an exceptional woman, whose achievements in a field dominated by men deserve to be very widely known.
Reviews
From the book reviews:
“It could be easily read by all students, starting from approximately eighth grade and up. … As the world still struggles to properly manage its female human resources, this is an important book for people of all genders to read. Somerville can serve as a role model for both genders, as she demonstrated the value of perseverance and dedication in the face of great resistance.” (Charles Ashbacher, MAA Reviews, February, 2015)
Authors and Affiliations
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Wadham College and Faculty of History, Oxford, United Kingdom
Allan Chapman
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Mary Somerville and the World of Science
Authors: Allan Chapman
Series Title: SpringerBriefs in History of Science and Technology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09399-4
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: The Author(s) 2015
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-09398-7Published: 05 September 2014
eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-09399-4Published: 26 August 2014
Series ISSN: 2211-4564
Series E-ISSN: 2211-4572
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 92
Number of Illustrations: 17 b/w illustrations
Topics: History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics, History of Science, Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Philosophy of Science, Societal Aspects of Physics, Outreach and Education