Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
If I Am Right, and I Know I Am: Inge Lehmann, the Woman Who Discovered Earth's Innermost Secret

If I Am Right, and I Know I Am: Inge Lehmann, the Woman Who Discovered Earth's Innermost Secret

Strager, Hanne

Hardcover

Biographies GeneralGeologyPhysics

ISBN10: 0231218648
ISBN13: 9780231218641
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: Aug 19 2025
Pages: 296
Weight: 1.10
Height: 1.02 Width: 5.43 Depth: 8.50
Language: English

In the 1930s, the pioneering Danish scientist Inge Lehmann (1888-1993) made a groundbreaking discovery about the nature of Earth. Analyzing data from earthquakes, she determined that the heart of the planet is a solid inner core. Her discovery overturned the widely accepted theory of the core being fluid, but she trusted her calculations: If I am right, and I know I am, she wrote in a letter. A fiercely independent thinker, Lehmann forever changed our understanding of our planet.

If I Am Right, and I Know I Am provides a powerful portrait of an extraordinary woman while guiding readers through the fascinating history of earth science. Hanne Strager tells the story of Lehmann's life and accomplishments, recounting how she battled inner demons and a mental breakdown and how she overcame pervasive prejudice to forge her own path in a male-dominated scientific world. In Lehmann's era, women were expected to conform to rigid roles and were discouraged from pursuing serious academic careers. Even as Lehmann became a leading geophysicist, she had to navigate not only gender bias but also the isolation of being a lone woman in an overwhelmingly male field. Strager also follows the traces of an elusive love letter linking Lehmann romantically to another woman. The first biography of Lehmann, this book seamlessly weaves together her personal life and scientific achievements, highlighting her resilience and brilliance.

Also from

Strager, Hanne

View All

Also in

Biographies General

View All