African Americans in Science, Math, and Invention (To Z of African Americans) |  | Authors: Ray Spangenburg, Kit Moser, Diane Moser
Publisher: Facts on File
List Price: $45.00
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Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 2062010
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 254
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.7 x 7.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0816048061
Dewey Decimal Number: 509.2273
EAN: 9780816048069
ASIN: 0816048061
Publication Date: March 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The astronauts, physicists, chemists, biologists, agriculture specialists, and others who have dedicated their lives to improving humankind's knowledge and understanding of the universe through science, math, and invention are profiled in this volume in the new A to Z of African Americans series. In research labs, university classrooms, NASA training facilities, and the administrative boardrooms of major institutions African Americans have been important innovators, from early times to the present day. Each enlightening entry provides an exciting biographical profile, surveying Significant events in that person's life related to his or her accomplishments in science, math, or invention, followed by an up-to-date further reading list on that individual. A general introduction presents an overview of African American contributions to science, math, and invention; subject indexes list individuals by date of birth and by fields of activity; and a general bibliography lists resources relevant to the topic. With easy-to-access information, for general readers and students alike, this book offers fascinating insight into the lives of many important African Americans.
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| Customer Reviews:
African Americans in Science, Math, and Invention February 25, 2007
H. V. Amavilah (Phoenix, AZ USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This biographical profile deals with the lives and scientific pursuits of 160 African-American scientists, mathematicians, and their inventions. It is a very well-done piece of work, and an excellent fact book for libraries both public and private. Individual entries can be read independently, which makes it an easy and suitable source of inspiration for young students seeking role models. Individuals covered go back to the 18th century when Benjamin Banneker was the only recognized African-American scientist/inventor.
What I particularly like about the book is its insightful introductory chapter. From it two things stand out. First, the insights of that chapter and the individual entries I read together paint vividly the difficult path many of those included in the book followed. The path was difficult not only because any scientific activity is a difficult pursuit, but also because these people faced very high artificial barriers-to-entry. Second, denied formal education and training, the scientific endeavors of African Americans progressed in a unique way; they began with invention, then science, and math. This is almost the opposite of what happened elsewhere, where the language of math advanced science and led to inventions.
It is quite clear that success in science, as elsewhere, was a function of political freedom. Many of the early African-American scientists, mathematicians, and inventors were people who somehow gained their freedom from slavery. As political freedom increased so too did the number of scientists, mathematicians, and inventors.
I like this book, I like it very much.
Amavilah, Author
Modeling Determinants of Income in Embedded Economies
ISBN: 1600210465
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