The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science

Dava Sobel's book "The Elements of Marie Curie" chronicles the life and work of the most famous woman in the history of science and the untold story of the young women who trained in her laboratory. Marie Curie was the only woman in the room at international scientific gatherings and won a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. She was also a devoted mother, wife, and friend to Albert Einstein. Sobel navigates her remarkable discoveries and fame alongside the women who became her legacy, from Norway's Ellen Gleditsch and Frances Marguerite Perry to her own daughter, Irene, a Nobel Prize winner in her own right. The book is a celebration of science and women and is hard to put down.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 24 October 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Dava Sobel, the acclaimed and bestselling author of "Longitude," delves into the life and work of the most famous woman in the history of science and the untold story of the young women who trained in her laboratory. Marie Curie, a trailblazing figure in the field of radioactivity, made significant contributions to the scientific world despite facing constant illness. She was the only woman in the room at international scientific gatherings and traveled far and wide to share her knowledge. Her ingenuity extended beyond the laboratory walls, as she took her husband's place as a professor of physics at the Sorbonne, raised two daughters, drove a van equipped with x-ray equipment to the front lines of World War I, befriended Albert Einstein, and inspired generations of young women to pursue science as a way of life. Sobel's book, "The Elements of Marie Curie," offers a unique perspective on Curie's life and fame, highlighting the women who became her legacy. From Ellen Gleditsch and Frances Marguerite Perry, who discovered the element francium, to her own daughter, Irene, a Nobel Prize winner in her own right, Sobel's book illuminates the trailblazing life and enduring influence of one of the most consequential figures of our time. Sir Paul Nurse, a geneticist and Nobel Prize winner, describes the book as "a book for our times celebrating both science and women." Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, an astrophysicist, praises the book as "a lucid, literate biography, celebrating a scientific exemplar who, for all her fame, deserves to be better known." Kirkus Reviews calls it "hard to put down" and a "wonderfully written biography."

Weight: 564g
Dimension: 161 x 242 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008536916