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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race in Books

Oct 27, 2017 (Updated Oct 27, 2017)  
Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race
Hidden Figures: The Untold Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race
Margot Lee Shetterly | 2017 | History & Politics
9
8.7 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
So much more than the film
I'm so glad that I watched the film first, otherwise it would have been a total disappointment. The book is extensive, and the story of the film seems quite different to the truth. The bare bones are the same: a trio of remarkable women broke boundaries in both gender and race to be part of one of the most historic events in US and even world history - the space race.

Before John Glenn made it to space, a group of professionals worked as ‘Human Computers’, calculating the flight paths by hand that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Forget Silicon Valley's misogynistic climate - women were the original engineers and mathematicians.

The book is awash with interesting stories of extraordinary people working in a time of segregation and all pervasive racism. It has multiple layers that delve into each character, and gives a comprehensive context into these women's lives. It basically fills in the gaps of the film, but also changes the timeline considerably as Katherine Johnson was much younger than her colleague Dorothy Vaughan. Nevertheless, an extraordinary read and a great tribute to these invisible women.