Femina Problematis Solvendis—Problem solving Woman

Book excerpt: This book explores the history of modern human creativity/innovation, highlighting examples of solutions to basic human’ needs that have been developed over time. The title – Femina Problematis Solvendis – is a play on the scientific classifications of humans (Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens), but with special focus on inventions pioneered by women (“femina”) and is intended to suggest that a defining characteristic of modern humans is our fundamental ability to solve problems (i.e., problem-solving woman = Femina problematis solvendis), Written by David H. Cropley, an internationally recognised expert on creativity and innovation, it also builds on his previous book “Homo Problematis Solvendis –Problem-solving Man”, published in 2019. The book explores innovations over ten distinct “ages” of human history, beginning with “prehistory”, and moving up to the present “information age”. Each era is covered by a dedicated chapter that describes three key innovations that were either definitely invented by a woman or can be plausibly attributed to a female inventor. The book’s focus on female inventors also serves to highlight some of the ways women have been treated in societies over time.