Comments (69)

Hidden Figures

the American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 69 items
Feb 21, 2024Anita_Dickey rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
i was a little disappointed in this book since i watched the movie first. I was looking forward to reading all the wonderful sence that the movie entailed. i thought it would be a historical fiction style book. To my disappointment those…
May 18, 2023Gareldb rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
I admit that biographies can sometimes be a bit boring. This book was worse than most. While the story was had a strong message and showed how these women fought through adversity with determination and skill, their stories lacked…
Jan 14, 2023Mars17 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Interesting book though somewhat dry. It's not a drama like the movie suggests, but a clear, highly detailed history of the women involved, the evolution of NASA, and above all racial inequality in the US. Sadly, it is still very relevant.…
Oct 10, 2022kbtheobald rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
If you're curious about this book because of the movie, then by all means read it. It's FAR better than the movie, and covers much more history and context. You'll be shocked by how much of the movie was made from whole cloth (unless…
Sep 29, 2022RobertPevere rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a wonderful book about the invaluable contributions made by African American women to the US space program in the sixties. Something that should have been taught in schools for decades now. And made into a great film! 👍
Apr 07, 2022djhegedus rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Very interesting account of cultural differences, life long learning, perseverance, professionalism, and history that I was not exposed to until adulthood. There are still many changes that need to be made in our republic to insure that…
Dec 12, 2021blue_rabbit_3083 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Hidden Figures is an enlightening story about three young women trying to fit into society during a racial time. And their journey to prove NASA wrong. I really like how they defy the odds and achieve their goals.
Nov 24, 2021Feem31 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Although this is a non-fiction book, it reads like a novel and is full of extremely interesting history about the people, mostly black women, who helped the USA design and build the aircraft and spacecraft that helped them win WWII and go…
Aug 07, 2021Bonni rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Superb as an audiobook (like one very long podcast), but might have gotten slightly lost the the technical details had I read it in print. One quote from the book neatly summarizes the whole thing: “The women had to overcome the high bar…
May 27, 2021pacl_teens rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
"Hidden Figures" is an empowering biography about four African-American, female mathematicians, each of which was an astounding "human computer" or scientist at NACA (NASA's predecessor) between the late 30's to the mid-60's. Author Margot…
May 23, 2021byoneoka rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
a sparkling and invigorating story!
Mar 15, 2021maipenrai rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book is a must read for every woman and girl who dreams of being more... Now there are not only women's restrooms at NASA, but in 2019, Jackson and fellow “Hidden Figures” Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Christine Darden…
Jan 07, 2021
I wonder who's the bad guy in this.
Jan 07, 2021
This should be required reading. This should be on every bedside table.
Jan 05, 2021
I’ve read the original book and watched the movie and read the novelization. So it’s the first time that I’ve read the picture book that I can recall. I've never really heard of Christine Darden but I think her story is just as important…
May 17, 2020Liber_vermis_3 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
This personal history/memoir provides a sharp contrast between the insidious segregation laws of the State of Virginia and the rising integration of the federal aeronautical research facility in Virginia. From time to time I felt that the…
Sep 19, 201910000mefest rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
How is it this story is only recently being revealed? I hope teachers everywhere are sharing this story with their students. Hidden Figures tells of the significant part several very sharp, numerically gifted black female mathematicians…
Sep 06, 2019IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Fascinating true story of the black female mathematicians who filled in for men at Langley Aeronautical Laboratory in World War II and went on to be part of the backbone of NASA. Before 1946, a “computer” was strictly a job title – the…
Sep 05, 2019JessicaGma rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I can see why they made a film out of this 'based on true events' book, because it's a really interesting story that should be shared widely, especially when there's much lamented about the missing girls in STEM careers...These women were…
Aug 26, 2019
Tea & Talk Book Club / September 2017
Jun 24, 2019
Very good, enlightening, heartbreaking, amazing. More detail, and wider sweep of 20cent than movie G has read; Ken part way ..Get again for him to finish
Jun 07, 2019CarolynAnn4 rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I expected to really like this book since I was thrilled with the movie. Unfortunately, I found that the book was more like a textbook than a novel and I found that the author was also trying to write about all aspects of the struggles of…
Jun 04, 2019VaughanPLDianeB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book with many relatable themes--ideal for an older primary student audience, perhaps even junior students. A great tie-in with the movie of the same title. It concludes with a useful…
Jun 03, 2019ADragonInTheLibrary rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic book. It's a shame this history has been obscured for so long. I am not really a fan of the anecdotal style, though I understand this is how Miss Lee obtained a lot of her information, so perhaps it is fitting.
Feb 24, 2019rogeraeschliman rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Shetterly tells a very complicated story spanning many decades very nicely. The book is chock full of history and science, woven into the lives of the incredible black women computers who did great work to make great things happen in very…