Emmy Noether

This might be the most important picture book biography I’d never heard of. Why do all of us know Albert Einstein but not Emmy Noether, who sewed up a hole in his theory of relativity and went on to a discovery that transformed physics? Three guesses why. Like every account of the many brilliant women of STEM who were barred from classrooms, denied degrees, refused fair pay, and robbed of credit for accomplishments, Emmy’s story is often enraging. Add a narrow escape from the Nazis followed by a tragically early death, and you might not expect a fun read. But… show more.

Math has been my passion ever since I was a girl. Because of this, I’m always looking for books about mathematicians, especially women. In addition to describing Emmy’s math contributions, this book does more. It gives readers a look into a time when women couldn’t enroll in higher education and often, like Emmy, weren’t always paid for their work.