Happy pi day! I originally had something different planned for today (which you will be seeing soon), but inspiration struck and I decided to write this instead. After my post last week about memoirs by women, I thought I would stick to a loose women’s history theme this month. And I thought I would combine that with the fact that today is pi day to talk about books both by and about women in math.
I realize that this is a bit of a niche topic that may not be interesting to a lot of people. However, I promise you don’t need a lot of math knowledge to read these books! And it is a topic that I am very passionate about as a woman in math. So I hope you will indulge me to talk about some books which are genuinely very cool.
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky
Women in Science obviously is not only about mathematicians, but there are quite a few mathematicians included. Not to mention the fact that most science is really just applied math, so I feel like it counts! This beautifully illustrated book by Rachel Ignotofsky features short and readable introductions to fifty different women who revolutionized their fields and paved the way for women today. It is very easy to read, and friendly for all ages. If science isn’t your thing, or you want to read about more amazing women, Ignotofsky also has books about women in art and women in sports.
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How to Bake Pi by Eugenia Cheng
You probably do not know this about me, but I am obsessed with Eugenia Cheng. She is a mathematician and a concert pianist, she writes amazing books for both kids and adults, and she is genuinely an incredibly nice person. In How to Bake Pi, she introduces readers to concepts in higher mathematics using baking analogies. I have a full review of the book, but suffice it to say I am a fan. She has also written a host of other books, including one on infinity, and a whole book about gender. How to Bake Pi also offers some insight into her experiences as a female mathematician, which I really related to and appreciated.
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Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics by Talithia Williams
This is the rare book which I have not read, but which I am still going to promote on the blog. Power in Numbers is another anthology about women, this time specifically women mathematicians. It is still on my TBR because I only learned it existed a few months ago, but I am really excited to read it. I have listened to Talithia Williams speak twice now, and she is really amazing (she hosts NOVA!), so I am sure that what she has here is amazing as well.
🕮 StoryGraph | Goodreads 🕮
That is all from me today! One day someone will write a contemporary book where the main character is a woman in math, I just hope I can get one by someone other than Ali Hazelwood. Not to hate, I am just personally not really interested in her writing. There is another book about how data overlooks women, but that is another book I have yet to read, and I thought two in one post was pushing it a little. If you feel like you need more recommendations, consider yourself recommended everything Eugenia Cheng has written.
I hope you enjoyed this post. If you know any other books featuring women in math, I would definitely love to hear about them!
Reading with Delaney 