The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science

"This book is about the life and work of Nancy Hopkins, who is a molecular biology professor in the United States. It focuses on the discrimination that she went through as a young woman scientist in the 1960s and 70s in the United States. It’s specifically focused on MIT/Harvard, because that’s where she did most of her work. This book really struck me on a personal level, reading it and learning about the struggles of women in science, because I’m a woman in science too. There were many hard-won—and hard-lost—battles for women in research to get recognition and equal treatment with men. The book focuses on Nancy Hopkins but also describes the work and lives of other women she worked with, who really fought to get equal treatment for women in science. The groundwork they did at MIT transferred to other universities in the United States and from there around the world. It was really a book that I didn’t want to put down. It’s a very exciting, easy read. It’s written in a very elegant way. There are personal accounts, there are historical aspects and also different scientific aspects all interwoven throughout the chapters. It’s a book that will appeal to everyone and I don’t think you have to have a particular interest in science to enjoy this book. The end is quite topical. The last chapter mentions Katalin Karikó, who is the Hungarian-American scientist whose work on messenger RNA helped pave the way for the COVID-19 vaccine. She worked for years in research institutes in America. She didn’t get tenure, she got fired, she didn’t get equal treatment with men, but she continued to preserve. She now is a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. This book really sums up the perseverance of these women to get the recognition that they deserve within their work, while also paving the way for other young women scientists out there. It would be an important read, for young girls and women. For me, these are the women who should be the true role models for young girls and women out there. It’s a truly powerful book."