Lessons in Chemistry

by Bonnie Garmus

Like so many undesirable men, Mr. Sloane truly believed other women found him attractive.

They required coddling, they had fragile egos, they couldn’t allow a woman intelligence or skill if it exceeded their own.

“Men and women are both human beings. And as humans, we’re by-products of our upbringings, victims of our lackluster educational systems, and choosers of our behaviors. In short, the reduction of women to something less than men, and the elevation of men to something more than women, is not biological: it’s cultural. And it starts with two words: pink and blue. Everything skyrockets out of control from there.”

“But Madeline is the tallest one in your class.” “Which is another problem,” Mudford said. “Her height is making the boys feel bad.”

“I think we both know,” Walter said through gritted teeth, “that God is just a bit different from Yahtzee.” “Agreed,” Elizabeth said. “Yahtzee is fun.”

Imagine if all men took women seriously.

Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others’ opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what you will change.