Lindy Elkins-Tanton has led a fascinating life, full of wonder and discovery and also pain and loss. Her memoir, A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman, is fierce, absorbing, and ultimately inspiring.” — Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sixth Extinction
“A riveting book, beautifully written...With a brave candor, Elkins-Tanton examines all aspects of her experiences—personal and professional, the good and the bad—to plumb the very meaning of her life...[Provides] a ringside seat to the discomforts and thrills of a geological expedition.” — Washington Post
"A deeply personal and enlightening book of one amazing woman’s leadership and teachings in science and self-discovery." — Col. Chris Hadfield, former Commander of the International Space Station and #1 Bestselling Author of An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
"The principal investigator of NASA’s Psyche mission lays bare the challenges and rewards of succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated field and how the sublime beauty of the universe brought her strength and solace. ... Enthralling and inspiring. ... A fearless, riveting, and galvanizing book from a star in the U.S. space program." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Elkins-Tanton shines in her ability to render the process of scientific discovery in eloquent prose. … A wonderful paean to the beauty of scientific exploration.” — Publishers Weekly
"[A] beautiful and inspiring memoir." — Christian Science Monitor (Best Books of the Year)
"A captivating story about an exceptional career and a remarkable life." — Ars Technica
"A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman is an inspiring tale of grit and grace, and a captivating study of leadership in changing times. Lindy Elkins-Tanton is a talented storyteller with a story that must be told. More than a memoir of how we explore other worlds, she has written an insightful narrative of how we live on this one. It is one of the finest scientific memoirs ever written." — DAVID W. BROWN, author of The Mission
"Wonderful. ... [A] sometimes harrowing, often heroic, and adventurous chronicle." — Planetary Radio
"Covers wide-ranging personal and professional terrain with depth and insight." — Nautilus
"Engaging. ... This memoir chronicles the journey of one woman in science but is also a rallying cry to make academia a more supportive and diverse workplace so that the research community can better address the societal and scientific challenges of the 21st century." — Science
"Engaging and candid. ... Spotlights the challenges and successes of being a woman in a male-dominated field. ... With wide appeal to a wide audience, this work provides a closer look at the human side of science." — Library Journal
"Elkins-Tanton explores ways to create better, more inclusive disciplines through curiosity, generosity, and collaboration." — Booklist
"It would be easy to recommend A Portrait as inspiration for others who have wondered if science is for them, but perhaps the book is more valuable as a source of insight for those who have never asked that question themselves." — Nature
"Moving. ... [Elkins-Tanton's] struggles with childhood trauma and sexism in her career lay bare the barriers that many women in science still face." — Science News (A Best Book of the Year)
04/11/2022
Planetary scientist Elkins-Tanton traces her path from MIT geology student to principal investigator of NASA’s Psyche mission in this often poetic memoir. After graduating from MIT with a bachelor’s in geology, a master’s in geochemistry, and eventually a Ph.D. in geology, Elkins-tanton performed field studies in Siberia that helped her develop a theory for the cause of a Permian-era extinction event, and worked on NASA’s Psyche mission, set to launch in August 2022 with a mission to explore an asteroid that “may be a piece of one of the first metal cores to form in our solar system.” Interspersed with her account of her professional accomplishments are personal stories of challenges the author faced, including her divorce, periods of profound depression, and the sexism she’s faced: “All of us women were told at one point or another that we were at MIT on sufferance, that we were not really good enough.” Elkins-Tanton shines in her ability to render the process of scientific discovery in eloquent prose: “I wish with all my heart that every person could, in at least one discipline, pursue and come to know through a long path traveled all that has been discovered, right to the edge of human understanding.” This is a wonderful paean to the beauty of scientific exploration. (June)
Lindy Elkins-Tanton has led a fascinating life, full of wonder and discovery and also pain and loss. Her memoir, A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman, is fierce, absorbing, and ultimately inspiring.
"A deeply personal and enlightening book of one amazing woman’s leadership and teachings in science and self-discovery."
"A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman is an inspiring tale of grit and grace, and a captivating study of leadership in changing times. Lindy Elkins-Tanton is a talented storyteller with a story that must be told. More than a memoir of how we explore other worlds, she has written an insightful narrative of how we live on this one. It is one of the finest scientific memoirs ever written."
05/06/2022
Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator of the NASA Psyche Mission and ASU vice president for the Interplanetary Initiative, has written an engaging and candid memoir of her path to a career in science. Professor Elkins-Tanton traces her journey from experiencing childhood trauma to earning a PhD from MIT, conducting research in Siberia, getting elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and being only the second woman awarded a major NASA space exploration project. The $800 million NASA space mission to asteroid Psyche will launch in August 2022. Elkins-Tanton's memoir spotlights the challenges and successes of being a woman in a male-dominated field. It also provides an opportunity for her to share her philosophy of life: always ask questions, but more importantly, listen to the answers. VERDICT With wide appeal to a wide audience, this work provides a closer look at the human side of science.—Diane Fulkerson
Narrator Lisa Flanagan's bright, impassioned tones are perfect for this memoir by Elkins-Tanton, a planetary scientist, professor, and NASA lead investigator. Flanagan's ease with conveying complex scientific terminology and concepts, as well as her consistent and enthusiastic pacing, helps listeners absorb subject matter that may be unfamiliar. Much of this memoir focuses on Elkins-Tanton's professional accomplishments and interests, including team-building and advocacy for gender equality in academic and scientific communities. Elkins-Tanton also reveals her personal challenges, including ovarian cancer and childhood sexual trauma. While this memoir will be best appreciated by those with a strong interest in planetary formation and geology, Flanagan's steady and engaged performance creates an easy listening experience for a general audience. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Narrator Lisa Flanagan's bright, impassioned tones are perfect for this memoir by Elkins-Tanton, a planetary scientist, professor, and NASA lead investigator. Flanagan's ease with conveying complex scientific terminology and concepts, as well as her consistent and enthusiastic pacing, helps listeners absorb subject matter that may be unfamiliar. Much of this memoir focuses on Elkins-Tanton's professional accomplishments and interests, including team-building and advocacy for gender equality in academic and scientific communities. Elkins-Tanton also reveals her personal challenges, including ovarian cancer and childhood sexual trauma. While this memoir will be best appreciated by those with a strong interest in planetary formation and geology, Flanagan's steady and engaged performance creates an easy listening experience for a general audience. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
★ 2022-04-08
The principal investigator of NASA’s Psyche mission lays bare the challenges and rewards of succeeding as a woman in a male-dominated field and how the sublime beauty of the universe brought her strength and solace.
Winning a major NASA space exploration contract is an accolade that only two women in history have received—and one of them is Elkins-Tanton. In this enthralling and inspiring book, the author, a renowned geophysicist, shares her experience ascending the field, from her training at MIT to her current position leading the mission to explore the asteroid Psyche. In August 2022, she and her team are scheduled to launch a rocket to begin its 3.4-year trip to Psyche, which may be a piece of one of the first metal cores to form in our solar system and could provide never-before-seen data about how the Earth’s metal core formed. Elkins-Tanton describes the harrowing personal obstacles she overcame, from childhood abuse to cancer, and the sexism she encountered in each of her increasingly high-powered roles—a stark reminder that despite advances in equity, in the eyes of male colleagues, women are often “nothing but a symbol for sex” rather than being seen as “a whole person.” Of course, misogyny is not news; what makes the author’s story so compelling is her unrelenting effort to “make a change in culture, a change in expectation, that causes a change in our subconscious reactions and thus in our implicit bias.” Elkins-Tanton does not limit her scope to harassment, though that is a central concern. She innovated classroom learning and team building to create space for every person to contribute and thrive, an approach that was recognized by NASA’s review board and played a role in the success of the Psyche proposal. Ultimately, she created a matrix to allow for every voice and therefore space to “drive human knowledge farther.”
A fearless, riveting, and galvanizing book from a star in the U.S. space program.
