Friday, October 4, 2024

Non-Fiction Review: Oh No He Didn't! Brilliant Women and the Men Who Took Credit for Their Work by Wendy J. Murphy, JD

This morning, I have a non-fiction book that bridges women's studies with a biographical angle that serves to highlight some contributions from brilliant women that you may not have known for reasons that you may not have realized! Check out Oh No He Didn't, learn about author Wendy J. Murphy, JD, and enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.


 

Book Title:  Oh No He Didn't! Brilliant Women and the Men Who Took Credit for Their Work by Wendy J. Murphy, JD
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  240 pages
GenreBiography/Women's Studies; would also appeal perhaps to high school age
Publisher:  Cynren Press
Release date:  September 2024
Content Rating:  PG + MPG but there was one woman who experienced rape, and that is briefly described.
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About the Book


Don’t you hate it when someone takes credit for another person’s idea? It happens a lot, and the people who lose out are often women. This book tells the stories of women whose inventions, discoveries, and creations were credited to men—women like Zelda Fitzgerald, the novelist, painter, and playwright who was more than F. Scott’s wife, and Margaret Knight, who invented the flat-bottomed paper bag but saw the patent go to a man who stole off to the Patent Office with her idea. By telling the stories of the brilliant women artists, inventors, scientists, architects, and mathematicians who were denied their due, Oh No He Didn’t! will help all women tackle obstacles and create a kinship of understanding that will inspire and transcend generations.
 
My Review


Oh No He Didn't! Highlights Brilliant Women--and the Obstacles and Accomplishments. While the environment for women in the workplace has improved since some of the historical examples presented by the author, many of the obstacles and challenges remain--especially for women in historically male-dominated careers. This book offers a wonderful, well-researched look at the accomplishments of many women throughout history that were credited to men--whether husbands or employers or simply other men in their fields, giving the details, questionable circumstances and justifications, and significance of these contributions. Don't be surprised if you have not heard of many (or most) of these brilliant women! This fact makes the impact of this book all the more profound.

 

Short Chapters Offer Eye-Opening Realizations. As a former engineer, the scientific accomplishments were not as surprising to me as the artistic slights, such as the insights into the lives of the Fitzgeralds. While the chapters are short, they are well-researched and highlight many eye-opening aspects that remove the masks applied to many of history's great inventions, artistic creations and contributions. As the mother of three daughters--one an artist, one in law school, and one studying neuroscience--the short chapters pack quite a heartbreaking punch as the women's "stolen" works are exposed.

 

Would I Recommend Oh No He Didn't! by Wendy J. Murphy? Whether you are a history lover or have an interest in women's studies, this book gives readers a lot to consider. Even if you are not a women's rights advocate, the pages of this book are enlightening and educational. As a parent of girls, I find this book enlightening and infuriating. While the book highlights the work and accomplishments of women that was credited to men--the book also discusses the historical justifications and societal implications that allowed it.  Written in a short story style, the author provides a lot of points to ponder in an easy-to-read format.


Buy the Book
 
Meet the Author
Wendy J. Murphy is an attorney specializing in women’s rights, civil rights, constitutional rights, and violence against women and children. Codirector of the Women’s and Children’s Advocacy Project under the Center for Law and Social Responsibility at New England Law | Boston and a former Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School, Wendy served as a columnist for the Boston Herald for many years and has appeared frequently on network and cable news shows as a pundit and legal analyst. Her first book, And Justice for Some (2007), is an exposé of injustices endured by women and children victims of abuse. Wendy, a former child abuse and sex crimes prosecutor, lectures widely on women’s rights, Title IX, constitutional law, and criminal justice policy and is a national leader in the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment. A mother of five, a grandmother of one, and a yoga student for life, Wendy lives outside Boston.

connect with the author:  website X/Twitter ~ facebook 

Enter the Giveaway

OH NO HE DIDN'T by Wendy J. Murphy Book Tour Giveaway

 




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