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Seeds of Discovery: How Barbara McClintock Used Corn and Curiosity to Solve a Science Mystery and Win a Nobel Prize

by Lori Alexander

Curiosity, Corn, and the Making of a Geneticist

Regular price $17.08 USD
Regular price $28.47 USD Sale price $17.08 USD
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Hardcover New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Curiosity, Corn, and the Making of a Geneticist

Barbara McClintock’s scientific life provides the framework for an illustrated introduction to genetics and to the persistence behind long-term research. The book traces her work with corn in early twentieth-century America, placing her discoveries alongside the barriers she encountered as a woman working in botany. It also presents the practical determination that shaped her career, from pursuing research despite institutional resistance to following questions that others doubted. A timeline, glossary, source notes, and further-reading section extend the biography beyond its central narrative and offer tools for exploring the subject in greater depth.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Kids interested in scientists, inventors, and scientific discovery
  • Young readers learning about genetics or botany
  • Readers seeking biographies of women in STEM

Themes

GeneticsScientific curiosityWomen in scienceBotanyPerseverance

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

ALA NOTABLE BOOK

The quirky and singular Nobel Prize winner Barbara McClintock, a founder of modern genetics who did things her own way, is honored in this lively young STEM biography by Sibert Honor winner Lori Alexander.

Celebrating the power of curiosity and the rewards of tenacity, this engaging and highly-illustrated biography introduces young readers to the field of genetics. As a rare female botanist in early twentieth-century America, Barbara McClintock never let other people's notions of what was proper slow her down. When she faced doubting colleagues and unsupportive institutions, she drove across the United States, climbed through windows, and even slept in her laboratory to conduct her research. In so doing, she helped pave the way for future scientific discoveries that can cure diseases and save lives--and won a Nobel Prize in the process!

Back matter includes a timeline, glossary, source notes, and further reading.

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