Eureka!: 50 Scientists Who Shaped Human History

Gr 7 Up—A collected biography of 50 influential scientists, organized chronologically by year of birth, from Pythagoras of Samos to James Hanson. About four to six pages are dedicated to each figure's body of work and influence. A "But There's More" section lists trivia-style facts and suggestions for further research after each subject. A running theme of the work is the importance of collaboration and reworking old ideas. Grant highlights how scientists are often in dialogue with one another—this conversation is essential to scientific advancement. In his introduction, Grant acknowledges the lack of diversity (in regard to gender) in most representations of scientists and admits that his selection process reflects his personal judgment. There are a fair amount of women scientists covered. However, the focus is squarely on Western achievement (scientists from Asia, Africa, or South America are largely omitted). Attention is brought to those who were dismissed because of prejudice, for example, Lise Meitner, Ignaz Semmelweis, and Émilie du Châtelet. The writing is very approachable, although at times a bit too colloquial (Semmelweis's coworkers are referred to as a "stupid bunch").