The#1NewYorkTimesbestsellerThephenomenaltruestoryoftheblackfemalemathematiciansatNASAwhosecalculationshelpedfuelsomeofAmerica’sgreatestachievementsinspace--apowerful,revelatoryhistoryessentialtoourunderstandingofrace,discrimination,andachievementinmodernAmerica.ThebasisforthesmashAcademyAward-nominatedfilmstarringTarajiP.Henson,OctaviaSpencer,JanelleMonae,KirstenDunst,andKevinCostner.BeforeJohnGlennorbitedtheearth,orNeilArmstrongwalkedonthemoon,agroupofdedicatedfemalemathematiciansknownas“humancomputers“usedpencils,sliderulesandaddingmachinestocalculatethenumbersthatwouldlaunchrockets,andastronauts,intospace.Amongtheseproblem-solverswereagroupofexceptionallytalentedAfricanAmericanwomen,someofthebrightestmindsoftheirgeneration.OriginallyrelegatedtoteachingmathintheSouth’ssegregatedpublicschools,theywerecalledintoserviceduringthelaborshortagesofWorldWarII,whenAmerica’saeronauticsindustrywasindireneedofanyonewhohadtherightstuff.Suddenly,theseoverlookedmathwhizzeshadashotatjobsworthyoftheirskills,andtheyansweredUncleSam’scall,movingtoHampton,Virginiaandthefascinating,high-energyworldoftheLangleyMemorialAeronauticalLaboratory.EvenasVirginia’sJimCrowlawsrequiredthemtobesegregatedfromtheirwhitecounterparts,thewomenofLangley’sall-black“WestComputing“grouphelpedAmericaachieveoneofthethingsitdesiredmost:adecisivevictoryovertheSovietUnionintheColdWar,andcompletedominationoftheheavens.StartinginWorldWarIIandmovingthroughtotheColdWar,theCivilRightsMovementandtheSpaceRace,HiddenFiguresfollowstheinterwovenaccountsofDorothyVaughan,MaryJackson,KatherineJohnsonandChristineDarden,fourAfricanAmericanwomenwhoparticipatedinsomeofNASA’sgreatestsuccesses.Itchroniclestheircareersovernearlythreedecadestheyfacedchallenges,forgedalliancesandusedtheirintellecttochangetheirownlives,andtheircountry’sfuture.-WINNEROFANISFIELD-WOLFAWARDFORNONFICTION-WINNERBLACKCAUCUSOFAMERICANLIBRARYASSOCIATIONBESTNONFICTIONBOOK-WINNERNAACPIMAGEAWARDBESTNONFICTIONBOOK-WINNERNATIONALACADEMIESOFSCIENCES,ENGINEERINGANDMEDICINECOMMUNICATIONAWARD
