This section is for those who want to learn more about Women in Science and Mathematics in general, and for those who are looking to do more in depth research on Sophie. The internet can give you a lot of information, but it is no substitute for good, honest, "book learning." I've tried only including books I have read myself here, but I found so many others that, perhaps, one of you can "test drive" before I get the chance to.

     Check out what these sites have to offer and feel free to do book searches of your own, including other book sites for more specific results. (Amazon is also good... but you cannot get some of these titles from there.)If you're up for a bit of "leisure reading," you may find these selections enlightening as well.

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Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem.      I have this book. I've read it twice. It is Amazing! You would never believe that a book about math could be this interesting. I couldn't put it down. "Fermat's Enigma" tracks the infamous problem from it's beginnings in the margins of Pierre de Fermat's notes to it's last stand at the hands of Andrew Wiles in 1994. Contains an excellent chapter dedicated to Sophie Germain and her contributions to "The Proof."

Women of Science: Righting the Record.      I have also read this one cover to cover. I got it for a class at college, but it soon became a nightstand book because of its excellent content. Women from all branches of science are covered. From Archaeology to Zoology, their discoveries never cease to amaze me. If you want to learn more about woman scientists in general, pick up this book for an interesting read.

Notable Women in Mathematics : A Biographical Dictionary      This was also a book I purchased for a college course, and it has since become one of my favorites. The book chronicles 59 different women of both past and present who chose to pursue careers in mathematics. Some are teachers, others researchers, but they are all phenomenal. Each chapter was written by a member of AWM, and explains all areas of mathematical research in laymans terms (another aspect that I enjoyed!)

**NOTE** When reading the chapter on Sophie, I DID notice a few errors. So watch the dates if you use this book for research.

Sophie Germain: An Essay in the History of the Theory of Elasticity.      This book has been cited in a surprising number of research articles I have read, and is hailed as pretty much the "ultimate" resource on Sophie Germain out there on the market. However, due to its outrageous price, I have not had the pleasure of reading this one myself. Next time i come across an extra hundred bucks to blow, I'll be sure to buy this book, and give you all the first hand dirt on it's contents. (Sit back and grab a drink.... this could take a while...)

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From Other Sources

• Mathematical Expeditions: Chronicles by the Explorers      Click on the link by the title on this site to get to summary and ordering information for this book. (to go directly to the order form, click HERE.) This book is my next purchase. It is relatively new, so I haven't had time to get a hold of it yet, but it looks promising. This selection by authors Reinhard Laubenbacher and David Pengelly focuses on five separate disciplines of mathematics. The Number Theory section is dedicated entirely to Sophie Germain and her correspondance to Carl Friedrich Gauss concerning FLT. (I can't wait to get my hands on this one...)

  **INTERESTING FACT** The overlay of the front cover of this book is Sophie Germain's own handwriting. It is taken from one of her letters to Gauss circa 1819! Check out the detail from the cover below...

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