Curie
Published on 14. March 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-1-904341-29-1 (ISBN)
Description
Marie Curie's drive and intellect led her to remarkable scientific success. She became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person ever to win Nobel Prizes in two scientific disciplines. Curie is most famous for her pioneering work in the field of radioactivity and for discovering two new elements, polonium and radium. However, she not only broke scientific barriers but defied the gender expectations of her time, excelling within male-dominated scientific communities.
This striking biography reframes our understanding of Curie, rejecting the iconic image of her as a solitary, saint-like figure. It recasts her as a dynamic and engaged person, simultaneously a scientist, mother, wife, and advocate for the benefits of radioactivity for research and medical treatment. Sarah Dry illuminates Curie's personal and professional struggles: the demands of motherhood, the grief she suffered after the loss of her husband, the public scrutiny she faced, and the damaging effects of her exposure to radiation.
The Curie that emerges is a remarkably resilient figure whose fortitude and scientific accomplishments make her an enduring source of inspiration.
This striking biography reframes our understanding of Curie, rejecting the iconic image of her as a solitary, saint-like figure. It recasts her as a dynamic and engaged person, simultaneously a scientist, mother, wife, and advocate for the benefits of radioactivity for research and medical treatment. Sarah Dry illuminates Curie's personal and professional struggles: the demands of motherhood, the grief she suffered after the loss of her husband, the public scrutiny she faced, and the damaging effects of her exposure to radiation.
The Curie that emerges is a remarkably resilient figure whose fortitude and scientific accomplishments make her an enduring source of inspiration.
Reviews / Votes
Voted 'Outstanding Academic Title' by CHOICE'A brisk but inviting text that invites the reader into the cultural context in which the Curies lived ... scholarly scrupulousness combined with a graceful style.' -- American Library Association
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
40 illustrations, chronology, further reading, index
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
271 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-904341-29-1 (9781904341291)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Sarah Dry is a writer and historian of science. She studied history and literature at Harvard University before completing an MSc at Imperial College and a PhD in history of science at the University of Cambridge. Her research has been supported by the Leverhulme Trust, the US National Endowment for the Humanities, the UK Economic and Social Research Council and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. She is the author of Waters of the World: The Story of the Scientists Who Unraveled the Mysteries of Our Oceans, Atmosphere, and Ice Sheets and Made the Planet Whole (2019) and The Newton Papers: The Strange and True Odyssey of Isaac Newton's Manuscripts (2013).
Content
Introduction // 1
Early Years // 7
Paris // 21
Discovering Radium // 41
Theorizing radioactivity // 75
Death and laboratory life // 97
Scandal // 113
War // 131
Final Years // 143
Notes // 167
Index // 177
Early Years // 7
Paris // 21
Discovering Radium // 41
Theorizing radioactivity // 75
Death and laboratory life // 97
Scandal // 113
War // 131
Final Years // 143
Notes // 167
Index // 177