Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee ShetterlyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story behind the movie. Hidden Figures is the true story of the black women who worked in the West Computing area of NACA / NASA's Langley Research Center starting in the 1940s. These women persevered during an age when women in the workforce were only essential due to the war effort and black women in mathematics and engineering roles were unheard of. This book is not just about these women human computers who help John Glenn reach the moon, but about Civil Rights in the Jim Crow south in the 40s-60s.
Well written and well researched, Shetterly captures the spirit of these women and the bond they developed charting unknown territory. It is a short book that I think could have been expanded, but is a nice overview of these inspirational women.
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