The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
1711-1778
Italian physicist who was not only the first woman to graduate from the University of Bologna, but received an official post at the university. Laura Bassi was born into wealth and home schooled with the assistance of her family physician. A child prodigy, she excelled at mathematics, philosophy, anatomy, natural history and several languages, which earned her entry to the University of Bologna, from which she received a Doctor of Philosophy degree. In 1745, she attained a monumental honor from Bologna's scientific community when she was awarded a post with the Benedictines of the Academy of Sciences established by the Pope. From 1745 to 1778, she gained respect for her research on mechanics, hydrometry, elasticity and other properties of gases, just as she earned widespread criticism for being a woman in a male-dominated field.