Defending My Work - by Eve Sprunt (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A pioneering petroleum engineer shares hard-won lessons for women building bold careers--and resilient lives--in male-dominated industries.

Eve Sprunt, a shy young woman with big ambitions, dreams of a life that includes both scientific work and a family. In 1969, she enters MIT, where women are still a small minority on campus and skepticism follows her every step. As she advances academically, Eve confronts professors who underestimate her--and others who cross professional boundaries. One mentor, however, urges her toward a PhD at Stanford, where Eve becomes the first woman to earn a doctorate in geophysics.

Nine months after defending her thesis, Eve gives birth to her first child--then interviews for jobs with her baby in tow. Six oil companies make offers. When she begins work in Dallas, her carefully laid plans unravel, forcing her to reinvent herself as a petroleum engineer. Over a thirty-five-year career in the oil and gas industry, Eve repeatedly adapts to workplace bias, shifting markets, and high-stakes corporate culture, transforming setbacks into new opportunities for growth, global adventures, and leadership.

Now, in Defending My Work, Eve shares her remarkable journey as a woman navigating--and succeeding in--a male-dominated field, offering practical guidance, encouragement, and hard-won insight for readers of all ages.

Review Quotes

"Women need to understand and appreciate the trials and successes of the women who came before them. This is a must-read for any young person who is entering a profession that is non-welcoming to them."--Dr. Ramona M. Graves, retired vice provost for External Initiatives, retired dean of Earth Resources and Environmental Programs, and Colorado School of Mines emeritus professor of Petroleum Engineering

"Eve Sprunt entered a male-dominated field despite early discouragement--starting from her own family--and has since become a role model to those who know her well. She shares her story with wit and candor, offering hard-won insights and practical lessons that readers of any gender can appreciate and apply."--Dr. Christine Ehlig-Economides, National Academy of Engineering; petroleum engineering professor and Huge Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Chair, University of Houston; retired from Schlumberger

"Defending My Work is a compelling memoir of resilience, ambition, and breaking barriers. From navigating a challenging childhood to becoming a trailblazer in the male-dominated petroleum industry, Sprunt's journey is a testament to perseverance, innovation, and the power of forging one's path despite societal and personal obstacles. Her candid storytelling, infused with humor and insight, offers an inspiring narrative of triumph over adversity."--Katie Mehnert, founder and chief CEO of Ally Energy and representative of the National Petroleum Council

"This book chronicles the journey of Eve Sprunt as she navigates personal challenges and professional barriers to become one of the most distinguished petroleum engineers in this country. Eve shows how, with commitment and determination, a woman--or anyone else--can rise to the top, even in what is considered a man's world. Her narration is both entertaining and educational."--Khalid Aziz, Professor Emeritus of Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University

"Eve's memoir is an ode to human resilience, female fortitude and wisdom, and sheer grit. Most of all, it is a lesson to all of us--males and females alike--that many of our barriers are perceived, and are seldom insurmountable. It is a memoir truly worth reading and learning from."--Ella Minty, UK chartered expert in Crisis and Cross-Cultural Communication and director of communications at the International Gas Union

"Sprunt takes us deep into the world of oil and gas (O&G) during coups and the dissolution of the USSR, sharing her tumultuous life as one of the first women in that male-dominated industry. Her strategies to compete and succeed are ingenious, funny, and, unfortunately, still relevant today. I lived this life, too, and can vouch that this book is a rare, true-life history of women in O&G."--Dr. Lucinda Jackson, scientist, executive, speaker, and author of Just a Girl: Growing Up Female and Ambitious

"Sprunt sums up her approach to living: 'I saw life as an endless series of risk-reward decisions. Too bold and you don't survive. Too timid and you don't get anywhere.' She threads this needle. She pursued her dreams with determination and flexibility, shifting gears when roadblocks appeared and reaching out to others when necessary. She's an inspiration to young women seeking to combine a family with an ambitious career."--Rosalind Simson, associate professor of Philosophy and affiliated faculty in Women and Gender Studies at Mercer University

"Sprunt is fearless, unapologetically honest, and generous in sharing the challenges she faced and how she overcame them. Her clarity of purpose and refusal to be silenced comes with plenty of details, for you to figure out your own way ahead in your life. This book doesn't just speak, it taunts you to listen, reflect . . . and rise."--Maria Angela Capello, PhD, president of Red Tree Consulting

About the Author

Eve Sprunt earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from MIT and was the first woman to earn a PhD in geophysics from Stanford. She spent thirty-five years in the petroleum industry, including roles at Mobil and Chevron, and served as president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. She holds twenty-three patents and authored five books. She and Hugh, her husband of over fifty years, live in Dublin, California.