Janice Kaplan- The Genius of Women

Girls are told that they can be any­thing, so why do 90 per­cent of Amer­i­cans believe that genius­es are almost always men? Kaplan explores the pow­er­ful forces that have rigged the system, and cel­e­brates the women genius­es past and present who have tri­umphed any­way. Even in this time of rethink­ing women’s roles, genius is almost exclu­sive­ly defined through male achieve­ment — think Albert Ein­stein, Leonar­do da Vin­ci, Steve Jobs. As for great women? In one sur­vey, the only female genius any­one list­ed was Marie Curie. Kaplan set out to deter­mine why the extra­or­di­nary work of so many women has been brushed aside. Using a mix of mem­oir and nar­ra­tive, she discovers women geniuses through­out his­to­ry in fields from music to robot­ics. Such women as Nobel Prize win­ner Frances Arnold and AI expert Fei-Fei Li prove that genius isn’t just about having tal­ent; it’s about ignoring obstacles and breaking down barriers so that one’s tal­ent is rec­og­nized, nur­tured, and cel­e­brat­ed.

Janice Kaplan has enjoyed wide success as a magazine editor, television producer, writer, and journalist.