From the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who broke the story, the inspiring account of the sixteen female scientists who forced MIT to publicly admit it had been discriminating against its female faculty—sparking a nationwide reckoning with the pervasive sexism in science.
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 28, 2023
Inside the Story
In 1999, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology admitted to discriminating against the female members of its faculty. It was a seismic cultural event—one that forced institutions across the country to confront the need for more women at the top levels of science.
The Exceptions is the untold story of the sixteen women on MIT’s faculty who started in all, centered on the life and career of their unlikely leader, Nancy Hopkins. The story offers a rare glimpse into the competitive, hierarchical world of elite science—and the women who dared to challenge it.
“By the end of this book, I thought, there is no stronger antidote to imposter syndrome than knowing someone like you was good enough all along—and that it is the rules that need to change, not the players.”
Angela Duckworth
Author of Grit
“Exceptional—a condemnation of the treatment of women in science and a riveting story about the drive to pursue science.”
Siddhartha Mukherjee
author of The Gene and The Emperor of All Maladies
“A blistering, brave, heartbreaking, and heartening account of brilliant women and the world-changing power of sisterhood and science.”