The Achievers: Great Women in the Biological Sciences by Erica Stux

• 01/16/2014
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The Achievers: Great Women in the Biological Sciences
Erica Stux
Avisson Press (2005)
ISBN 9781888105704
Reviewed by Avery Largent (age 9) for Reader Views (6/08)

“The Achievers: Great Women in the Biological Sciences” by Erica Stux is a great book. It is wonderfully interesting, informative, and inspiring. With amazing stories of women that plainly inspire, I think every girl will be encouraged to look further into biology and to know they aren’t just shadows in the background of science.

Author Erica Stux chose exciting stories to share and uses simple, yet interesting, language that makes the book a pleasure to read.  Every chapter begins with a paragraph that introduces the reader to one great woman biologist–in this paragraph, the author offers a few morsels of information about the biologist’ life and discoveries that caught my attention and made me eager for more.  I wasn’t disappointed when the author launched into the story of where and when the woman was born, her life’s discoveries, and the end of her life. This setup always keeps me excited to read the next chapter.  The author uses exciting description to explain the details of each woman’s history.  Why, you could almost believe she had actually known all these great women personally.

I really learned about these women.  The stories are so informative that someone might mention one of these biologists in an offhand tone, and I’ll blurt out a fact (or 20!) about her. My favorite scientist that I learned about in this book was Gerty Cori.  She was a European biologist that moved to the USA and figured out how the human body stores sugar and uses it for energy.  Since the author went into such detail about the experiments that led to her discovery, I felt like I really understood the science behind it.  This book kept my interest running and really stretched my knowledge.

“The Achievers: Great Women in the Biological Sciences” encourages girls and women to know they can do things and they don’t have to leave it all to the men. It’s very inspiring.  In fact, after reading this, I am excited to start studying biology more carefully, and I would like to read other books on this subject. I bet lots of other girls will be inspired too. I want to begin spreading the word about it to my friends, and even to their moms and mine. It’ so encouraging; I am really and truly considering beginning a career studying biology.

“The Achievers: Great Women in the Biological Sciences” by Erica Stux is a very good book. With its inspiration, spirit, and excitement, this book kept me turning its pages and yearning for more.