The Elements of Marie Curie

<strong>Dava Sobel, acclaimed and bestselling author of <em>Longitude, </em>chronicles the life and work of the most famous woman in the history of science </strong>- <strong>and the untold story of the young women who trained in her laboratory.</strong>

<strong>'A fresh and feminist study of the pioneering Nobel laureate reveals her impact on the women she mentored and set on the path to prominence' <em>Observer</em></strong>

<strong>'It is a novel lens through which to view Curie's story, and Sobel paints her tale with characteristic deftness and eloquence' <em>Financial Times</em></strong>

For decades Marie Curie was the only woman in the room at international scientific gatherings, and despite constant illness she travelled far and wide to share the secrets of radioactivity, a term she coined. She is still the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.

Her ingenuity extended far beyond the laboratory walls; grieving the death of her husband, Pierre, she took his place as professor of physics at the Sorbonne, devotedly raised two daughters, drove a van she outfitted with X-ray equipment to the front lines of World War I, befriended Albert Einstein and inspired generations of young women to pursue science as a way of life.

Approaching Marie Curie from a unique angle, Sobel navigates her remarkable discoveries and fame alongside the women who became her legacy - from Norway's Ellen Gleditsch and France's Marguerite Perry, who discovered the element francium, to her own daughter, Irene, a Nobel Prize winner in her own right. <em>The Elements of Marie Curie </em>deftly illuminates the trailblazing life and enduring influence of one of the most consequential figures of our time.

<strong>'A lucid, literate biography, celebrating a scientific exemplar who, for all her fame, deserves to be better known'</strong> <strong> <em>Kirkus</em> </strong>

<strong>'As expected from a Pulitzer Prize finalist, Sobel writes beautifully and with clarity about the science that Curie specialised in, making clear the achievements that her lab brought about' <em>Daily Mail</em></strong>

<strong>'This is an essential read, capturing both [Curie's] genius and her legacy' <em>New Scientist</em></strong>

<strong>'Sobel's book is a luminous and illuminating contribution to the cause' <em>Literary Review </em></strong>