The inspiring life of a trailblazing physicist and beloved MIT professor.
Carbon Queen: The Remarkable Life of Nanoscience Pioneer Mildred Dresselhaus
By Maia Weinstock (MIT Press, 2022)
Purchase via:
Amazon | IndieBound | Indigo | MIT Press Bookstore
Audiobook via: Audible
Korean edition via: Aladin | Kyobo
Simplified Chinese edition: Coming Dec. 2023
HONORS
Shortlisted for the 2023 History of Science Society Margaret W. Rossiter History of Women in Science Prize
Longlisted for the 2023 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books, Young Adult Science Book
PRAISE
“An exceptional biography showcasing the achievements of a brilliant scientist who broadened the range of the possible for women.” —Booklist (Starred Review)
A “striking portrait of a brilliant mind. … This is a fascinating introduction to a game-changing figure.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Weinstock does more than tell the story of a brilliant scientist’s life; she transports you into a world of curiosity and wonder, driven by enthusiasm and persistence.” —Physics World
“Weinstock chronicles Dresselhaus’s extraordinary life in the spirited biography Carbon Queen ... an arresting reminder of the shoulders on which we now stand.” —Nature
SYNOPSIS
As a girl in New York City in the 1940s, Mildred “Millie” Dresselhaus was taught that there were only three career options open to women: secretary, nurse, or teacher. But sneaking into museums, purchasing three-cent copies of National Geographic, and devouring books on the history of science ignited in Dresselhaus (1930–2017) a passion for inquiry. In Carbon Queen, author Maia Weinstock describes how, with curiosity and drive, Dresselhaus defied expectations and forged a career as a pioneering scientist and engineer. Dresselhaus made highly influential discoveries about the properties of carbon and other materials and helped reshape our world in countless ways—from electronics to aviation to medicine to energy. She was also a trailblazer for women in STEM and a beloved educator, mentor, and colleague.
Her path wasn’t easy. Dresselhaus’s Bronx childhood was impoverished. Her graduate advisor felt educating women was a waste of time. But Dresselhaus persisted, finding mentors in Nobel Prize–winning physicists Rosalyn Yalow and Enrico Fermi, among others. Eventually, Dresselhaus became one of the first female professors at MIT, where she would spend nearly six decades identifying key properties of carbon forms including graphite, buckyballs, nanotubes, and graphene, leading to applications that ranged from lighter, stronger aircraft to more energy-efficient and flexible electronics.
Top photo: Dominick Reuter
