Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race [B1795]

2016 PB in nice clean condition. The phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America's greatest achievements in space. Soon to be a major motion picture starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, and Kevin Costner. Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as "human computers" used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South's segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America's aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam's call, moving to Hampton, Virginia and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory. Even as Virginia's Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley's all-black "West Computing" group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and complete domination of the heavens. Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA's greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country's future.

From recent MIXED Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "A heroic account of the women of NASA who went unrecognized for their tremendous efforts towards air exploration and travel."; "Having already seen the movie inspired by this book, and having done a short project on Katherine Johnson, the general story was already familiar to me. I appreciated learning more about these women and their lives at Langley."; "Am I interested in science and math? No-not even a little. I'm far more drawn to history, and Hidden Figures was a book club pick, so I went in with an open mind. Here's the good: Hidden Figures is a powerful reminder that progress is rarely driven by the loudest voices in the room, but by those who keep showing up and doing excellent work, even when the world refuses to see them. Here's the challenge: I found the book difficult at times due to the sheer volume of math and science woven throughout. While that level of detail reinforces the significance of the work these women were doing, it often felt dense and hard to connect with. I suspect this book will resonate most with readers who have a strong technical or scientific background. That said, the complexity did deepen my appreciation for just how exceptional their contributions truly were. Ultimately, Hidden Figures is an important story, even if it wasn't the right read for me."; "I really had high hopes for this book. I love history. However, this read more like a textbook than a retelling of these amazing women and their story."; "I enjoyed reading this book, and to me it was very educational. It is my first time reading and hearing about these women of color. Shame on the school system for not teaching me and likely others about this part of the history. I feel that it is very inspiring."