Women of steel and stone 22 inspirational architects, engineers, and landscape designers

Anna M. Lewis

Book - 2014

"Reporting on a range of historical and contemporary female builders and designers, this educational book strives to inspire a new generation of girls in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math. With many of the profiles set against the backdrop of such landmark events as the women's suffrage and civil rights movements and the Industrial Revolution, and with original interviews from a number of current architects and engineers, this book provides inspiration and advice directly to young women by highlighting positive examples of how a strong work ethic, perseverance, and creativity can overcome life's obstacles. Each profile focuses on the strengths, passions, and interests each woman had growing up; whe...re those traits took them; and what they achieved. Sidebars on related topics, source notes, and a bibliography make this an invaluable resource for further study"--

Saved in:

2nd Floor Show me where

720.922/Lewis
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 720.922/Lewis Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Published
Chicago : Chicago Review Press 2014.
Language
English
Main Author
Anna M. Lewis (-)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
264 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 231-247) and index.
ISBN
9781613745083
  • Introduction
  • Part 1. Architects
  • Paving the Way
  • Brick by Brick
  • She Built a Castle
  • Frank's Right-Hand Man
  • The Rosa Parks of Architecture
  • Husband-and-Wife Design Team
  • Builder of Buildings
  • Contemporary Architecture Star
  • Building the Future
  • Part 2. Engineers
  • She Built the Bridge
  • The Real Cheaper by the Dozen
  • Concrete Pioneer
  • Ruler of the Slide Rule
  • Making Buildings Safe
  • Engineering Girl
  • Building Towers
  • Part 3. Landscape Architects
  • Planting Seeds
  • Dean of American Landscape Architecture
  • Covered All Grounds
  • The Art of the Possible
  • Nature and Culture
  • Modern Art and Landscape
  • Acknowledgments
  • Resources
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
  • Index
Review by Booklist Review

The 22 women profiled here set their sights on becoming architects or engineers and were not deterred from following their dreams. For those in the early part of the twentieth century, three formidable hurdles had to be jumped: (1) finding universities with an architecture/engineering program, (2) securing seats in male-dominated programs, and (3) making a place for themselves within the field. Indeed, each woman profiled here serves as a champion for women's rights. The book is divided into three sections Architects, Engineers, and Landscape Engineers and each biographical profile includes a photo of the subject and concludes with a list of further resources about her. Some text boxes provide further information about the subject or requirements for the occupation, while others supplying information about an entirely different person can be distracting. This, however, doesn't take away from the book's overall appeal. Following the same basic layout as others in the Women in Action series, this inspiring collection will certainly find a place in a middle- or high-school reference or career section.--Petty, J. B. Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 6-8-These brief portraits provide basic information about the women's backgrounds and their successes. There are many shared features in their stories. Each individual had a passionate interest in building and designing that emerged at an early age, when she was willing to do things most ordinary girls didn't do. They all had strong family support to pursue their interests, but faced resistance in the workplace. Each woman had a firm belief that she could succeed on her own merits and a willingness to work hard to pursue her goals. While these shared features are briefly mentioned in the introduction, and readers can be challenged to find the many parallels among the stories, Lewis does not discuss the impact of race, poverty, and gender on the women's careers. Instead, there is an emphasis on "firsts"-for example, the first woman architect in America (Louise Bethune), the first woman to speak to the American Society of Civil Engineers (Emily Warren Roebling), and the first African American woman architect to be licensed in New York State (Norma Merrick Sklarek). Despite this focus on specifics, readers who are interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math will find a much-needed, clearly presented history of women in these fields.-Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.