Dignifying Science

by Jim Ottaviani, Donna Barr, Marie Severin (Illustrator)

Dignifying Science is the newest book from G.T. Labs that tells true stories about scientists in comics form. This 144 page trade paperback features famous women scientists including Marie Curie, Emmy Noether, Lise Meitner, Rosalind Franklin, Barbara McClintock, Birute Galdikas, and (believe it or not) Hedy Lamarr. Scientists and non-scientists alike will appreciate the human context this award-winning anthology gives to some of the most famous names in the history of discovery. With stories written by Jim Ottaviani and art by notable illustrators such as Donna Barr, Mary Fleener, Stephanie Gladden, Roberta Gregory, Lea Hernandez, Carla Speed McNeil, Linda Medley, Jen Sorensen, Anne Timmons and comics legends Ramona Fradon and Marie Severin, this handsome trade paperback, complete with a full-color dust jacket, will please readers of all ages. Notes and references at the end lead them to discover even more on their own! An Eisner nominee (like its companion volume Two-Fisted Science) and Lulu of the Year nominee for 1999, Dignifying Science has earned praise from the toughest critics of the scientists themselves. Discover Magazine (February, 2000) says "In Ottaviani's hands, cartooning becomes exciting education. It's a tribute to Ottaviani's breezy style that one wants to dig into [the] references and learn a little nuclear physics. Now that is a superheroic achievement." Simon Singh, award-winning author of The Code Book and Fermat's Enigma "When it comes to popularising science, Jim Ottaviani's comic books do an excellent job of telling scientific stories in a fun and absorbing way. His latest, Dignifying Science, is a beautifully drawn series of stories about women who made major contributions to science and technology, but who have been largely forgotten..." (The Independent - London, 12 December 1999)

Genres: Science, Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Feminism

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1999

About the author

I've worked at news agencies and golf courses in the Chicagoland area, nuclear reactors in the U.S. and Japan, and libraries in Michigan. When I'm not staying up late writing comics about scientists, I'm spraining my ankles and flattening my feet by running on trails. Or I'm reading. I read a lot.

Reviews

[Dov Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book focuses on six female scientist and while the text is written by Jim Ottaviani, the comics are drawn by female artists. The stories/mini-bios are all quite good and as always I appreciate Ottaviani's careful research, and I love all the art. But there is something that feels unfinished about the book. Perhaps a few more sections or lengthening of each section would make it feel more substantial. I would be happy to read a full-length graphic work about any of the folks in here. Especially Lise Meitner and Barbara McClintock, but truly any of them. I think, despite its flaws, I would have given the book a four if I could deal with the title. I find it to be condescending and beside the point. I tried to come up with other titles just for fun and the best I could think of: "The Other Big Bang" (with Meitner in mind),

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't aware this was an anthology by multiple artists when I first picked it up. The mix of styles was a bit off-putting at times and probably knocked it down from the 5-star mark for me.

If you've already read Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science-and the World or really any other collection of unfairly-forgotten scientists, you'll already know these stories, possibly in more detail. Marie Curie, Hedy Lamarr, Lise Meitner, Rosalind Franklin, Barbara McClintock, and Birutė Galdikas each get a few pages in comic form.

Unfortunately, I can't put it in my classroom because of 2 pages of Hedy Lamarr's story and admin would flip its lid. ...Any other school.

Definitely read Primates (also by Jim Ottaviani, but with a different artist) and Headstrong if you like this book, or even the concept of this.

And as a side note, why the Hollywood dress and blatant disregard of physics and lab safety on the cover? The book didn't have enough depth for me to buy the "it's ironic" argument, or even the "reference to the trivialization of Hedy Lamarr" crap.

[Angela Penrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of stories of women scientists and inventors. I particularly liked the section on Hedy Lamarr; I'd never before heard that she was an inventor. Imagining what she could possibly have done if her studio had released her to work with the National Inventor's Council, instead of sending her around selling kisses to raise money for the war effort. Granted she raised a lot of money, but still. [sigh]

Barbara McClintock's steady work and perseverence, for decades, before anyone would listen to her about her research on corn and how its genes jump around to let the organism adapt more rapidly than standard mutation can explain, was inspiring, but also a bit frustrating. The point was made that McClintock was working in an un-sexy area of the field -- working with a larger organism when most were working with tinier, simpler organisms, and ignoring DNA analysis when that was the new hot thing. But at the same time, one has to wonder whether a man doing the same work might not have attracted some interest and acknowledgement sooner?

If you're interested in the history of science, the lists (broken down by individual) of references at the end are worth the cost of the book by themselves. Lots of great reading in there, with annotations that are worth reading on their own, as well as helpful for sifting through the stacks.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to a 3.5 star rating. As I am coming to expect from Jim Ottaviani, this was a meticulously researched book with great notes and a comprehensive annotated reference list which. His style of popular science writing is very engaging, and the all the art was nice. I picked this up mostly because it had a chapter on Barbara McClintock, who was a total badass, but was pleasantly surprised to see the breadth of fields covered, and the range of well known to less-well-known women scientists portrayed. My only real complaint was how short each of the stories was. After reading , they just seemed too brief to really get across the massive importance of the work these incredible scientists did.

[Michael Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This well-meant companion volume to the author’s Two-Fisted Science is, unfortunately, not nearly as successful as graphic fiction. This time, five women artists tell the stories of five women scientists. While trying to focus on lesser-known people, Ottaviani finally broke down and included a fore-and-aft pair of shorts on Marie Curie. If you’ve read Watson’s The Double Helix, you may already have heard of Rosalind Franklin, who came very close to discovering the essential shape of DNA before Crick and Watson -- had she only not moved in the wrong direction on a couple of minor points (and possessed a less abrasive personality). Barbara McClintock picked up a Nobel for her work on the corn genome, you’d really never know what her field was from the badly written story (though the art is okay). Biruté Galdikas has become the world’s leading authority on orangutans (yes, she’s still out there in the jungles of Borneo) and you’ll learn a lot about them -- and her -- from Anne Timmons’s nicely done piece. But the story of mathematician Lise Meitner is also pretty indistinct. The best of the collection, actually, is Carl Speed McNeil’s very well told and drawn story of the scientific side of Hedy Lamarr, of all people. Hedy (not Heddy) actually held some wartime patents in electronics (which became a crucial part of cell phone technology), but still was treated like a bimbo both by her first husband and by Louis B. Mayer after she escaped to the U.S. This book could have been much, much better.

[Nurul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku yg ini lebih mendingan dibanding yg 'Di balik penemuan besar' dari segi cerita. My favorite adalah kisahnya Hedy Lamarr. Dikenal sbg aktris film heboh 'Ecstasy' thn 1933, tapi nih cewek juga berotak dan pencetus ide pendahulu sistem komunikasi wireless yg baru dipakai US military tahun 1962.

Cerita paling tidak menarik justru kisahnya Birute Galdikas. Sama bosannya dengan mengikuti kelompok siamang dari pagi sampai sore (Birute mengikuti kelompok orangutan tentunya). Keluhan pengarangnya, sulit mempersingkat studi puluhan tahunnya Birute di Tanjung Puting menjadi beberapa halaman saja.

Katanya Hedy Lamarr, “ Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.”

hahahaha..................

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so badly. And while I did find some stories better written and more enjoyable, overall I just couldn't engage. Especially compared to more recent biographical collections, Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World in particular, this one falls short. A shame.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 2 out of 5]

Second Edition = April 2003 = Second Printing

What a shame. Such a great idea but done so poorly. The first edition must be even worse. I was lost throughout all but Hedy Lamarr.

For the majority of understanding you need to know about that particular science going in. And speaking of going in- you aren't even told what the woman is know for! So you have to try to understand what she is working towards on your own the whole time.

This book demands a level of intelligence that I do not have and I consider myself pretty bright- so how could this possibly appeal to the masses? Was it only intended for the science crowd? What a poor scope!

There IS a notes and references section that helps you understand but that's not the point of having it in graphic form in the first place. If you cannot get me to understand you sequentially then you have failed!

They should have ditched the historical fiction that they used to spice it up and stuck to teaching because people buy this sort of thing to learn something. I learned nearly nothing without the notes and references section and even then I actually absorbed very little.

The only one that I liked, in terms of storytelling, was Hedy Lamarr because I understood what was going on. That said, I STILL didn't get the whole picture! Just as I was getting savvy to the communications avenues that she had discovered it ended with her giving kisses for war bonds.

Stick to "Graphic Library" and "Graphic Planet" if you want to learn about female scientists. Each one I've read has taught be a lot in thirty-some pages while employing the same historical fiction additions. I can't wait until I can affordably possess them all!

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much as I would love to give this work 5 stars, I just can’t. I have a huge problem with the cover art work, which implies that Hedy Lamarr was a chemist. That makes no sense. I also feel that some of the stories were very vaguely told and would require previous knowledge of the subjects to understand them. Of course there are wordy timelines in the appendix, so that helps, but I’m not sure that the intended audience will take the time to read them.

Nevertheless, the art is wonderful, compelling and interesting, and I enjoyed having a different artist for each story. It is hoped this book will shed light on women who have been overlooked in science, and will encourage teens to do further investigation.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories about women scientists, mostly all well done. The story Sorensen drew lacked focus, rambling somewhat, but the rest were good. McNeil's Hedy Lamarr tale and the multi-artist, variable POV look at Rosalind Franklin are highlights. Ottaviani's true science books have all been good.

[Terry Mulcahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is interesting. Unfortunately, the stories are quite short. They are meant to intrigue, and also to display the scientific findings of some female scientists. Fortunately, there are extensive notes and references included in the last 23 pages.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the chapter on Hedy Lamarr!

[Catina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as a kid- was obsessed w hedy lamarr’s story

[Katherine Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features different comic artists, and different writing styles for telling important stories about different women doing various kinds of scientific work. It definitely focuses on the obstacles each woman faced, and doesn't shirk from the ubiquitous sexism common to all, nor the individual quirks that may not have helped some of these women achieve their goals. Very human stories old fairly.

[Christy Rosso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christy Rosso
Genre: Short Story
Ottaviani, J. (2003). Dignifying science : stories about women scientists.
Ann Arbor, MI : G.T. Labs.
Format: Print
Selection process: NoveList
http://web.ebscohost.com

The women scientists depicted in this graphic novel of short stories were renowned in their fields. Hedy Lamarr was known as a glamorous Hollywood star, but few knew that she had a gift for engineering and would file a patent for the invention of a future device in 1942: cellular phone technology (Ottaviani, 2003). Lamarr also had other ideas for inventions to help soldiers during World War II, according to Ottaviani (2003).
Lise Meitner was a contemporary of Niels Bohr and Otto Frisch in her work to create fission. As a physicist, Meitner researched the theory of bombarding uranium with neutrons, as well as the idea of “heavy water” needed to create fission (Ottaviani, 2003).
Rosalind Franklin was a researcher in the field of DNA, according to Ottaviani (2003). Her brilliant work began in the area of coal holes and the tobacco mosaic virus, before she began mapping dry DNA (Ottaviani, 2003).
Barbara McClintock was a research scientist in corn genetics and winner of the Nobel Prize in 1983 for her work in the area of “jumping genes” (Ottaviani, 2003). McClintock discovered the pieces of DNA, which jumped or traveled in genomes, and were also called transposable elements, as explained by Ottaviani (2003).
The life work of field researcher Biruté Galdikas has been spent studying orangutans in Borneo. Her methodology was chronicled in this book, with the section resembling field notes. In 2003 Galdikas had been observing orangutans for more than 26 years, Ottaviani (2003) noted.
In the Epilogue and the Prologue, the author used letters from Marie Curie depicted in graphic novel style (Ottaviani, 2003). The author stated that although he did not want to include the renowned Curie as a scientist, he wanted to include quotations by the Nobel Prize winner to reveal her life before and after fame (Ottaviani, 2003).
There was some outstanding graphic work in the book, such as the singular illustrative abilities of Carla Speed McNeil, who brought Hedy Lamarr to life with skillful, classic cartoon imagery. Anne Timmons drew a masterful Biruté Galdikas story, creating bold graphics of both animals and people in jungle settings. Marie Curie was drawn with a delicate pen and ink style and enlivened with brilliance by Marie Severin. The four artists showed superior examples of sequential narrative.
Recommend.

References
Ottaviani, J. (2003). Dignifying science : stories about women scientists.
Ann Arbor, MI : G.T. Labs.

[Lis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an excellent work of scholarship - and I hope that that won't strike too many people as a contradiction for a comic book - and these stories deserve to be told. But don't read it all at once - I have a big fine at the library because I could only read it in small chunks. The stories of women scientists starting from Marie Curie are interesting, fascinating, and occasionally witty, but the ridiculous pressures that they faced to give it up and go back to the kitchen (or some more suitable career) and the way that they were taken advantage of makes for depressing reading. Starting with Hedy LaMarre is a brilliant move, especially since it justifies that mildly cheesecake cover, but if ever there was a story to make you sad about how women are judged by their chromosomes and their secondary sexual characteristics, it's LaMarre's.

Don't miss the extensive and informative notes in the back, but I'd recommend reading each story all the way through and then going back to the notes. Flipping back and forth and counting panels to see which one is meant screws with the flow of the story and makes for a less enjoyable, if more informed, reading experience.

[Ed Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the sections on Heddy Lamar and Rosalind Franklin. I thought I already knew these stories, but I learned a good bit more here. I like the fact that the stories were not reduced to some simplistic variant on "This woman was smart but the man was keeping her down." Instead, they are shown as real, complicated people with their own issues to deal with.

They made the wise decision not to focus too much on Marie Curie, because her story is relatively well-known.

I'd love to see more work like this. There are plenty more scientists, male and female, whose stories are worth telling.

To others who liked this, I would also recommend Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, first of all, this was fascinating because, apart from Marie Curie (who's actually only the prologue and epilogue) and Emmy Noether (who's only the backcover), I didn't know any of those female scientists.

This book provides a glimpse at the work of those amazing ladies, as well as the atmosphere in which they had to work (e.g. how some of them had to endure sexism in particular). And for those interested in discovering a lot more about those ladies, it provides a great number of references.

Also, being a female student in a science major dominated by males, this is particularly inspiring.

[Anoush · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explores the lives and scientific contributions of several women within the format of a graphic novel. I enjoyed the notes at this the end (I wish I'd known about them from the beginning; then I would have read them as I read each story). One of my favorite parts of scientific discovery is the history and context of that knowledge, so I especially enjoyed reading just a bit about the lives these scientists led and how it affected their research.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories about a variety of lady scientists done in graphic novel form. I loved how much back matter there was explaining what was behind each of the stories, but I don't think you should have to read the back matter first in order to be able to understand the story. LOVED the variety of women artists who illustrated each story.

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched and well written, but too short to really cover the amazing achievements of these women. More background was needed to help explain the situations and the lives of these women, background that is only covered in the end notes. After reading Feynman and Logicomix, I expected more.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost gave this three stars because the printing is really awful, but that wouldn't be very fair to what is otherwise an enjoyable book. I had no idea that Hedy Lamarr had such brilliant ideas!

[Kristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Graphic novels are the new thing in our school library...seeing what all the hype is about...

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking awesome! Brilliant, compelling snippets about women scientists. Each story made me run for my computer so that I could find biographies about these women and learn more.

[Matt Heavner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great presentation of an important topic in a good way -- I felt that it was a little too "scratching the surface" though..

[Desti Utami · Rating 2 out of 5]

agak membingungkan. Perlu dibaca ulang.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and loved the variety of drawing styles.
Not much more to say then that.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambitious but a bit too abbreviated.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different artists illustrating each story means some of them are not as enjoyable/interesting as others.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing that could make me like this more would be to make it longer!