Mother of Invention by Katrine Marçal Summary
Overview of Mother of Invention
Uncover how gender bias stalled innovation for centuries in "Mother of Invention." Why did wheeled luggage wait until the 1970s? With only 1% of venture capital going to women founders, Marcal's Carnegie Medal-nominated expose reveals what we've lost - and what we stand to gain.
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Key takeaways
Why It Took 5,000 Years to Put Wheels on Luggage
The wheeled suitcase seems so obvious now that its absence for millennia feels absurd. We had wheels. We had luggage. Yet for 5,000 years, no one thought to combine them. The delay wasn't technological-it was cultural. Carrying heavy bags was a test of masculinity, a badge of strength. When Bernard Sadow finally patented wheeled luggage in 1972, department stores laughed him out of their offices. "No man would ever use a suitcase with wheels," one executive declared. The resistance wasn't about function; it was about gender. Real men didn't need help carrying their burdens. This story isn't just about suitcases. It's about how deeply gender shapes what we invent, who gets credit, and which problems we deem worth solving. From spacesuits sewn by seamstresses to computers programmed by women, history is full of innovations delayed or erased because they didn't fit masculine ideals. Understanding this pattern reveals how much potential we've wasted-and how much we still overlook today.
The Woman Who Made the Automobile Possible
From Bras to the Moon
The Hidden Women Who Built Modern Computing
The Rollator Revolution and the Funding Gap
Reclaiming Innovation from Gendered Myths
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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