Breaking the Mold
Changing the Face of Climate Science
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- $1.99
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- $1.99
Publisher Description
Sixteen scientists. Protecting our planet. Making science more equitable.
An Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
A Green Earth Book Award Honor
A Blueberry Award Honor
Scientists who collect microbes from surfers' skin, who use radar sensors to gather data miles away, who combat inequality by pushing for cleaner air policies. Each with their own story, all working to make life better for future generations.
Celebrated author Dana Alison Levy profiles 16 people, all studying different elements of the earth’s landscape, animals, and climate, who defy stereotypes of who can be a scientist. From analytical chemists to volcanologists, from global experts to recent graduates, these scientists share what they were like as young people, how they got where they are now, and what they—and the rest of us—can do to help the planet.
Based on extensive interviews and featuring infographics and personal photos, Breaking the Mold offers a snapshot of the people and organizations fighting to make science more equitable. Back matter includes advice for readers interested in science careers, DIY projects, paths to community involvement, and more.
Books for a Better Earth are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.
A Chicago Public Library 'Best of the Best' Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Detailing the bias that can make scientific fields "uncomfortable or unwelcoming for many LGBTQ+, disabled, and non-white" professionals, Levy (Above All Else) offers up a career-spanning compendium positioned as profiling 16 climate scientists who "defy stereotypes of who can be a scientist." Chapters acquaint readers with each figure on a first-name basis, complete with advice, personal stories, and snapshots of interviewees. Black U.S. meteorologist Marshall Shepherd describes a career in atmospheric science, including at NASA; queer environmental scientist Devyani Singh, who grew up in the Indian Himalayas, discusses blending climate research with science-policy activism; and Indigenous Hawaiian analytical chemist and surfer Cliff Kapano talks collecting and analyzing microbial specimens. Anecdotal tellings also interweave personal experiences. Rocío Paola Caballero-Gill, raised in Peru, discusses how a diagnosis of Myasthenia gravis put her on a path to mentorship; Daniel Palacios of Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute recalls growing up gay in Bogotá; and nonbinary U.S. biologist Lila Leatherman discusses the isolation of feeling unable to share one's full identity. Sidebars provide additional information, including definitions of identity-related and scientific terms. Levy persuasively argues for inclusion, arming readers with critical thinking skills and positive representations of intersectionally diverse innovators: "If you feel like you don't fit the picture of a scientist, that doesn't mean you're wrong. It means the picture is." A bibliography concludes. Ages 8–12.
