Description

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly (2016 ed.)

Hidden Figures tells the extraordinary true story of the Black women mathematicians whose brilliance helped launch America into space. Set at NASA’s Langley Research Center beginning in the 1940s, the book follows Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden, whose mathematical expertise powered the nation’s aviation advancements and the early space program—even as they worked within segregated facilities marked by Jim Crow barriers.

Shetterly reveals how these women—known then as “human computers”—calculated flight paths, refined aeronautical research, and shaped pivotal missions, including John Glenn’s orbital flight and the trajectories that led to the Moon landings. Their accomplishments unfolded against the backdrop of World War II labor shortages, civil rights struggles, and shifting federal policies that slowly opened doors to African American professionals.

A powerful celebration of intellect, resilience, and unsung heroism, Hidden Figures restores these trailblazers to their rightful place in history—showing how their work changed NASA, advanced equality, and helped America reach the stars.

Copyright: Originally published in 2016. This paperback copy published by William Morrow in 2016 with cinematic cover art including “NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER” and “THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE BLACK WOMEN MATHEMATICIANS WHO HELPED WIN THE SPACE RACE.”

Condition: Loved. Used.

U.S. media mail shipping included.

ISBN-10: 1441709584

ISBN-13: 9781441709585

Dewey Decimal: 510.92