Publishers Weekly
08/09/2021
Innovation takes a long time because people tend to create with only men in mind, argues journalist Marçal (Who Cooked Adam Smith Dinner) in this quirky treatise. Needs that are coded as “female” fall by the wayside as “frivolous,” she argues, which has limited the scope of invention: it took decades to put wheels on suitcases, for instance, because it was assumed that men would never be willing to appear in public using an assist, and cars powered by electricity were thought up as early as the beginning of the 20th century but were never mass-produced since they were seen as only suitable for women (men hand-cranked a starter). By telling a history of technology that includes “women’s tools,” Marçal writes, “the entire narrative we hold, both about ourselves, the economy, and the world, becomes something else”—if, for example, humans’ first tools were digging sticks rather than hunting tools, “it is no longer as clear that humanity’s inventions must always seek to crush, dominate, and exploit.” Told in a conversational tone, this feminist directive—if a little heavy on the focus of gender imperative—fascinates with its wealth of historical tidbits. Fans of Caroline Criado-Perez’s Invisible Women, take note. Agent: Katie Cacouris, Wylie Agency. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
[Marçal's] at-once anecdotal and theoretical book seeks to understand what's lost when women's social contributions are limited, as well as ways to move toward a new model. The author's writing shines when she addresses perceptions of women throughout history; she particularly carefully unpacks how Black and brown women have historically been restricted and misrepresented, and the misconceptions that endure... A must-read.”—Library Journal, *starred* review
“A smart, witty, and fascinating warning from history. I loved this book.”—Caroline Criado Perez, bestselling author of Invisible Women
“[A] quirky treatise...Told in a conversational tone, this feminist directive...fascinates with its wealth of historical tidbits. Fans of Caroline Criado-Perez’s Invisible Women, take note.”—Publishers Weekly
“The joy of the book is how it manages to weave in stories of women influencing innovation in masculine spaces...Innovation may have been stifled by gender bias in the past, but Mother of Invention shows that we can choose a different future.”—Science Magazine
"[A] breezy read... Each chapter uses an animating story...to offer free-flowing ruminations on patriarchy, economics, and invention.”—Booklist
“From wheeled suitcases to witch trials, Katrine Marçal makes you look again at history in this funny, clever, and provocative book.”
—Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights
“This is an absolute must-read. Equal parts informative and infuriating.”
—, author of Sex: Lessons from History, Dr. Fern Riddell
“Another eye-opening entry for the ‘Where Are All the Women?’ playbook. A wide-ranging swoop through the history of technology and how game-changing innovations got delayed, dismissed, or forgotten if they were suggested by women or just because they were seen as feminine. Set in an apparently implacable framework of an absolute difference between female and male ideas and life abilities, the narrative can, at times, be infuriating but always thought-provoking and intriguing. It is a clearly needed wake-up call to future innovators not to view the world through a narrowly gendered lens but to pay attention to the skills and lived experiences of all.”
—Professor Gina Rippon, bestselling author of The Gendered Brain
“Sometimes we are lucky to experience a leap in new thinking. We look in amazement at the world around us and ask: Why didn’t we see this before? This what Katrine Marçal offers us in Mother of Invention. She brilliantly proves how male-driven technology over the ages has limited full human development by neglecting a liberating female narrative and perspective.”
—Jan Eliasson, former deputy secretary-general of the UN
“This second book by the author of Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner? is both bracing and highly entertaining. Marcal’s contention is that while women have been coming up with ingenious inventions since the beginning of time, they are routinely sidelined in a world geared to men.”
—Bookseller
“Start ‘Mother of Invention,’ and you’ll be astounded. It’s fun and super-informative with tales of innovations that were largely ignored or irritatingly co-opted by men, and back-stories of how the presence of the feminine, whether real or imagined, changed products and processes...wry and very, very enjoyable...”—Idaho Press
author of Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights - Helen Lewis
From wheeled suitcases to witch trials, Katrine Marçal makes you look again at history in this funny, clever, and provocative book.”
Bookseller
This second book by the author of Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner? is both bracing and highly entertaining. Marcal’s contention is that while women have been coming up with ingenious inventions since the beginning of time, they are routinely sidelined in a world geared to men.”
Dr. Fern Riddell - author of Sex: Lessons from History
This is an absolute must-read. Equal parts informative and infuriating.”
bestselling author of Invisible Women - Caroline Criado Perez
A smart, witty, and fascinating warning from history. I loved this book.
bestselling author of The Gendered Brain - Professor Gina Rippon
Another eye-opening entry for the ‘Where Are All the Women?’ playbook. A wide-ranging swoop through the history of technology and how game-changing innovations got delayed, dismissed, or forgotten if they were suggested by women or just because they were seen as feminine. Set in an apparently implacable framework of an absolute difference between female and male ideas and life abilities, the narrative can, at times, be infuriating but always thought-provoking and intriguing. It is a clearly needed wake-up call to future innovators not to view the world through a narrowly gendered lens but to pay attention to the skills and lived experiences of all.”
Science Magazine
The joy of the book is how it manages to weave in stories of women influencing innovation in masculine spaces...Innovation may have been stifled by gender bias in the past, but Mother of Invention shows that we can choose a different future.”
Booklist
"[A] breezy read... Each chapter uses an animating story...to offer free-flowing ruminations on patriarchy, economics, and invention.”
former deputy secretary-general of the UN - Jan Eliasson
Sometimes we are lucky to experience a leap in new thinking. We look in amazement at the world around us and ask: Why didn’t we see this before? This what Katrine Marçal offers us in Mother of Invention. She brilliantly proves how male-driven technology over the ages has limited full human development by neglecting a liberating female narrative and perspective.”
Idaho Press
Start ‘Mother of Invention,’ and you’ll be astounded. It’s fun and super-informative with tales of innovations that were largely ignored or irritatingly co-opted by men, and back-stories of how the presence of the feminine, whether real or imagined, changed products and processes...wry and very, very enjoyable...
Library Journal
★ 09/01/2021
The latest book by Swedish journalist Marçal (Who Cooked Adam Smith's Dinner?) discusses women's roles in—and rejection from—the history of technological invention; it's similar in scope to Arlie Hochschild and Anne Machung's The Second Shift or Caroline Criado Perez's Invisible Women. Marçal effectively demonstrates that systemic misogyny in capitalist frameworks not only impacts individual women but also impairs a society's ability to advance in innovative and productive ways. Her at-once anecdotal and theoretical book seeks to understand what's lost when women's social contributions are limited, as well as ways to move toward a new model. The author's writing shines when she addresses perceptions of women throughout history; she particularly carefully unpacks how Black and brown women have historically been restricted and misrepresented, and the misconceptions that endure. Marçal proposes that "we stop ignoring women and what we have decided women are to represent" and reframe societal narratives about women and their place in the world. She draws on a range of primary and secondary sources for her interdisciplinary critique of literature, sociology, and anthropology, and calls on practitioners in those fields to work toward equality. VERDICT A must-read.—Emily Bowles, Lawrence Univ., WI
