Making Inventions: Women Who Led the Way (Super SHEroes of Science)

Book excerpt: This brand-new series highlights some of the major contributions women have made in the world of science. Women have been pioneers of inventions. Some have come up with practical ways to solve problems in their own lives, such as Marie van Brittan Brown, who invented closed-circuit TV because she did not feel safe opening the door in her New York City tenement block in the 1960s. Other women have been trained scientists working in laboratories, such as Stephanie Kwolek, inventor of bullet-proof Kevlar. Few of these women have received full credit, because their inventions are not always spectacular, yet we all use them every day: the windshield wiper, the paper bag, the coffee filter, and the diaper. This book tells their stories and describes their vital contributions. ABOUT THE SERIES: From studying the stars to curing disease, understanding plants and animals, pioneering computer studies, and unraveling the secrets of atoms and molecules, women have played a vital role in scientific advances since the ancient world. Yet their contributions have often gone unrecognized or, worse, have been credited to others. With lively text, photography, and art, Super SHEroes of Science sets out to redress the balance and give credit where it's due. It examines the contributions to various fields of science of individual women from around the world!