Patently Female: From AZT to TV Dinners, Stories of Women Inventors and Their Breakthrough Ideas Hardcover - 2001

First line

Of necessity, women have long been inventors.

From the jacket flap

It should come as no surprise that a woman invented the disposable diaper, the drip coffeemaker, or even the automatic dishwasher. But did you know that the first computer language, the first effective treatment for smallpox, and the first electric motor were conceived of and developed by women? In virtually every field of human endeavor, female inventors have made significant, sometimes revolutionary, contributions-from Liquid Paper to Scotchgard(TM), from the cotton gin to chemotherapy. Patently Female salutes the ingenuity and imagination, resourcefulness and tenacity, of these women, hundreds of them, who have been too long unsung and too frequently unrewarded.

You'll be fascinated by the laundress who solved a problem that baffled engineers; the twelve-year-old girl who redesigned her radio's tuner-then went on to invent the cordless phone; and the woman who became America's first black millionaire by mixing up hair conditioner in her laundry tub.

You'll be inspired by the housewife who invented the frozen pizza and became the first female vice president of a multinational corporation, the hardworking widow who spent ten years perfecting the marine signal flare, and the real estate developer who created the world's first tract housing.

Patently Female also visits the cutting edge of modern technology and science, introducing you to the women who are developing the virtual film set; the flying car; the cure for all autoimmune diseases; and many other wonders to come.

Whether you're a science and technology buff, a passionate follower of women's achievements, or a budding inventor looking for inspiration, make a great discovery of your own-open Patently Female and meet the true mothers of invention.

Media reviews

Citations

• Booklist, 12/01/2001, Page 619
• Publishers Weekly, 10/29/2001, Page 45