shahrun's review against another edition
4.0
This book is such an important one because it not only educates, but opens your mind to possibilities. History isn't just the white man did this, that and the other. And it's time the whole world recognises that. Anybody who can make a contribution, should be given the freedom to explore their abilities and achieve their true potential. Just think of how much better the world would be if the genuine best were allowed to blossom and find out what they are capable of! Every human being is being cheated if history is not accurately and honestly recorded.
In these pages you will find a collection such amazing and inspiring women! Considering the technical nature of the work they did, I didnt feel it bogged down the story and kept their work accessible to the masses. I really appreciate the author giving historical background cleverly woven into the narrative. So I got a picture of both where the USA was at and how it fit on the worlds scale at the time.
We also got a real sense of the women because the author managed to find the person behind the work and achievements. How lucky is she that she got to personally meet many of the people who's stories she has recorded here. She also included stories of white women and the men (black and white too) that worked at Langley at the time, to give a real rounded and balanced story.
It wasn't 100% perfect for me, I did get a little confused as we were dipping in and out of the different women's lives. And I was so disappointed there were no pictures!!! Although I do love the cover. I felt the book could have benefited from a time line to summarise the dates and facts? As this book was small and intense. Over all what an outstanding achievement - especially as a first book! I'm going to have to do some private research (happily aided by very comprehensive acknowledgements, notes & bibliography provided).
I find it really heartbreaking to read about the segregation. And despite all that black people did achieve and wanted to do so.
In these pages you will find a collection such amazing and inspiring women! Considering the technical nature of the work they did, I didnt feel it bogged down the story and kept their work accessible to the masses. I really appreciate the author giving historical background cleverly woven into the narrative. So I got a picture of both where the USA was at and how it fit on the worlds scale at the time.
We also got a real sense of the women because the author managed to find the person behind the work and achievements. How lucky is she that she got to personally meet many of the people who's stories she has recorded here. She also included stories of white women and the men (black and white too) that worked at Langley at the time, to give a real rounded and balanced story.
It wasn't 100% perfect for me, I did get a little confused as we were dipping in and out of the different women's lives. And I was so disappointed there were no pictures!!! Although I do love the cover. I felt the book could have benefited from a time line to summarise the dates and facts? As this book was small and intense. Over all what an outstanding achievement - especially as a first book! I'm going to have to do some private research (happily aided by very comprehensive acknowledgements, notes & bibliography provided).
I find it really heartbreaking to read about the segregation. And despite all that black people did achieve and wanted to do so.
settingshadow's review against another edition
5.0
There's not much to say about Hidden Figures that hasn't already been said, but I still found the story of how African American female mathematicians left behind their families and hometowns to seek their fortune doing calculations on bomber planes to win WWII, in a time that there was still segregated lunch tables and African American women could expect to make a pittance. It's amazing to read about the women, who despite these circumstances, forcibly integrated grade schools to earn their PhDs and persevered for years to be recognized as engineers and included on literary papers. I liked that Shetterly chose to focus on a few key characters as a way of humanizing the story, although I agree that the character development was pretty weak, and especially the side characters tended to blend together.
As a side note, I DNF'ed the young adult version and, having read the real thing, I completely stand behind that choice. What were they thinking? Young adults are not more attracted to drier books stripped of characters.
As a side note, I DNF'ed the young adult version and, having read the real thing, I completely stand behind that choice. What were they thinking? Young adults are not more attracted to drier books stripped of characters.
ohhkatrina's review against another edition
3.0
I feel terrible but I have to give up on this. I really want to read it but it's soooooooooo dry and boring and I'm 30% into the book and barely know anything about anything and I am just going to have to watch the movie.
laurensalisbury's review against another edition
4.0
I'm glad that I listened to this rather than read it as a print book. There were sections that probably could have been consolidated or synthesized for clarity and conciseness but overall, despite its length, this story lives up to the hype. There is no denying the power of this story and the power of the women who lived it.
sujata's review against another edition
3.0
Whoever read this and saw a movie...god bless. It was not as interesting as I had hoped. The best parts were the personal glimpses into the women which I assume the movie will focus on. And the epilogue had some great stuff too.
meredith_mccaskey's review against another edition
5.0
Superbly well-written and engaging! I listened to the audiobook (first time I've ever listened to a non-fiction audiobook) and it turned out to be a great choice! Shetterly did a fabulous job of weaving together the stories of the three women's lives– Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson–with the overarching story of NASA, against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement. She claims in the prologue to be an amateur historian– you certainly wouldn't be able to tell it from this book!
As a right-brained, artsy English major who avoided as much math and science as I could, I really appreciated how accessible Shetterly made the scientific portions to people like me. I never felt bogged down in scientific detail, yet I felt like I learned a few things. I am going to have my husband, who will graduate in June as a USAF test pilot, read this book. He will have a lot of appreciation for how these women helped to lay the groundwork for what he's doing right now!
Five enthusiastic stars!
As a right-brained, artsy English major who avoided as much math and science as I could, I really appreciated how accessible Shetterly made the scientific portions to people like me. I never felt bogged down in scientific detail, yet I felt like I learned a few things. I am going to have my husband, who will graduate in June as a USAF test pilot, read this book. He will have a lot of appreciation for how these women helped to lay the groundwork for what he's doing right now!
Five enthusiastic stars!
squishies's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up
I quite like Shetterly's writing style, but there's a lot of information and people that she throws at you. My memory isn't the best, so it was hard for me to remember everyone she mentions - I struggled to remember whether we've already been introduced or it's a first time mention.
It did make me think though of what my passions are and where were all the Asians in this. I know it's better to focus one on minority group, but just made me wonder if Asian women had a hard time too back then... And if there were any Asians at Langley when the West and East Computers were around.
I quite like Shetterly's writing style, but there's a lot of information and people that she throws at you. My memory isn't the best, so it was hard for me to remember everyone she mentions - I struggled to remember whether we've already been introduced or it's a first time mention.
It did make me think though of what my passions are and where were all the Asians in this. I know it's better to focus one on minority group, but just made me wonder if Asian women had a hard time too back then... And if there were any Asians at Langley when the West and East Computers were around.
tmkuta's review against another edition
5.0
So this book is AMAZING. 5/5 stars, would give more if I could. It's the book that inspired the movie and it talks about the work of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Christine Darden, and several other Black female computers, engineers, and scientists who worked for NACA/NASA. It covers their lives and how they came to live and work in Newport News/Hampton, VA. It discusses how the Civil Rights Movement impacted the Space Race and how NASA was criticized for it's lack of racial diversity at all levels. It also discusses the disparities Jim Crow created for the Black workers of NACA/NASA, and how Langley's location in Virginia impacted the lives of the Black scientists who worked there.
Also considering the backdrop of when I was reading this book (especially with recent SpaceX launching) I was pleased to also see discussion of how the Black community criticized the exorbitant spending of money on NASA projects when so much work had to be done on Earth and in America towards equality--discussions I had with folxs the day SpaceX launched Crew Dragon!
Highly recommend it if you're into space, history of space/civil rights, or just liked the movie. There is a whole lot more than what was in the movie, obviously, and I learned a ton. Also, as someone who has read a lot of history books of varying quality, this is VERY approachable book for non-historians and non-academics.
Hidden Figures was written by a Black woman, Margot Lee Shetterly, so buying it or getting it from your library is a great way to support Black women historians. :)
Also considering the backdrop of when I was reading this book (especially with recent SpaceX launching) I was pleased to also see discussion of how the Black community criticized the exorbitant spending of money on NASA projects when so much work had to be done on Earth and in America towards equality--discussions I had with folxs the day SpaceX launched Crew Dragon!
Highly recommend it if you're into space, history of space/civil rights, or just liked the movie. There is a whole lot more than what was in the movie, obviously, and I learned a ton. Also, as someone who has read a lot of history books of varying quality, this is VERY approachable book for non-historians and non-academics.
Hidden Figures was written by a Black woman, Margot Lee Shetterly, so buying it or getting it from your library is a great way to support Black women historians. :)
everdee19's review against another edition
4.0
Every single fact in this book is interesting but the narrative is cumbersome and at times, hard to follow.