Book Review: Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women: 15 Incredible Inventions from Inspiring Women! by Aitziber Lopez

Brilliant Ideas From Wonderful Women: 15 Incredible Inventions from Inspiring Women! by Aitziber Lopez is a children's non fiction book that shares the stories behind 15 of the twentieth century's key inventions by trailblazing women, who each made a unique contribution to the history of science and technology. Car heaters, Monopoly, Disposable diapers, the dishwasher, Kevlar, Maritime flares, Anti-reflective glass, Wifi, Syringes, Submarine periscopes, Diagnostic tests, Lifeboats, Windshield wipers and Ebooks were all pioneered by women! Each invention is presented with biographical information about the brilliant woman who came up with it, including what inspired them. Learn how Martha Coston disguised herself as a man to contact pyrotechnicians and convince them to manufacture her idea for maritime flares, how a New York tram ride on a wet winter’s day led Mary Anderson to invent the windshield wiper, and why Letitia Mumford Geer’s one-hand operated syringe was a medical breakthrough, among other fascinating facts. Full-page illustrations show the inspiration for and use of these incredible inventions in humorous detail.

Brilliant Ideas is a wonderful primer about some of the women inventors that have changed the world with their ideas. I think that the combination of information about the actual science and engineering of each invention is lightly covered, but the struggles these women faced to be taken seriously or just get their work done is very well detailed. I have heard the basics of some of these stories before, but not all of them. I was glad to have more details on the lives of some of these women, and to learn about the others. For instance, I knew Hedy Lamarr's work was the basis for Wifi and bluetooth, but I did not know about the treatment she endured in her marriage. This was and informative and engaging read with a nice balance of illustrations to keep the attention of distracted readers. 

I think this book would be a great read in homes and classrooms. It can be used to inspire inventors, and to show perseverance to readers. It can also help show how far rights and perceptions of women have come, how long it has taken, and how much further we really need to go for everyone to be treated equally and respected.