The second half of the book, from about the 1800s onwards, improved considerably in this regard, as more historical records are available, Fara is able to give the subjects a more thorough treatment. This is perhaps due to scanty records being available, but it didn't make for very easy or flowing reading. The first two centuries or so of the book's account feel very scattered, without much unifying narrative.

The book takes a roughly chronological approach, beginning in the 1600s or so with brief accounts of women who have been of interest (one way or another) in the history of science. Which is a pity, because the material is there, but Fara does not make the best use of it. If it were an academic dissertation, it would not pass muster as the research questions are mostly ignored in the body of the text. I was quickly disappointed though.įara starts off by asking the question (on p.17): 'Are men really better at maths and physics than women? Why do women outnumber men in the life sciences? Are men and women born with different sorts of brains? Or do they start out equal and get steered apart as they grow up? Do women choose not to apply for high positions, or are they unfairly discriminated against? I believe that history can help to answer some of these questions.' I immediately found myself thinking, 'Oh dear, I know where this is going.' Unfortunately, the rest of the book doesn't really pay too much attention to these initial questions. I was excited when I got hold of this book, anticipating that it would be full of inspirational stories similar to the one told in 'Hidden Figures'. Fara is also a reviewer of books on history of science. She has written and co-authored a number of books for children on science. Her areas of particular academic interest include the role of portraiture and art in the history of science, science in the 18th century England during the Enlightenment and the role of women in science. She began her academic career as a physicist but returned to graduate studies as a mature student to specialise in History and Philosophy of Science, completing her PhD thesis at Imperial College, London in 1993.

Fara is author of numerous popular books on the history of science and has been a guest on BBC Radio 4's science and history discussion series, In Our Time. Fara is also a research associate and lecturer in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science. She is a former Fellow of Darwin College and is currently a Fellow of Clare College where she is Senior Tutor and Tutor for graduate students. She is a graduate of the University of Oxford and did her PhD at the University of London. Patricia Fara is a historian of science at the University of Cambridge.

Science by Patricia Fara