Hidden Human Computers: The Black Women of Nasa (Hidden Heroes)

Full disclosure: I wrote the introduction to this book. But I agreed to put my name on it because I think it's an important text. One of the co-authors is the granddaughter of one of the NASA computers, and so she writes from an inside perspective. Also, it's so great to have something that is accessible to young adults right around the age that they are becoming convinced that science is or is not for them. I hope it changes their visions of what is possible for the better!

After the movie "Hidden Figures" was released, I searched for other related information. Glad I found this book. It's made for 3rd graders or lower, but still a nice story. Who knew these women were such mathletes!

I haven't read this yet but I wanted this book to piggy back off of the "Hidden Figures" book. I wanted my grandchildren to have access to this important piece of history.

This book came so quickly after i placed my order that I was able to read it before hearing the author speaker. I brought it with me & now have an autographed copy.

You may have heard of the movie Hidden Figures, based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s biography of five African-American women who worked as NASA “computers”. Sue Bradford Edwards and Duchess Harris’ book Hidden Human Computers tells the story of those and many other computers who worked for NACA and NASA from the 1940s to the 1960s, and traces their influence to the present. (Harris is herself the granddaughter of one of the computers, Miriam Daniel Mann.) The book is rich with quotes and stories from the women and their relatives. Edwards and Harris detail the diverse types of research that the computers’ work facilitated, and draw direct parallels between the kinds of work (and wages) available to white men, to white women, and to black women of equal skill. Sidebars on nearly every page provide historical and cultural context and technical explanation that enrich the text but can also be skipped if the reader becomes engrossed. I was captivated by the stories of all these women who contributed so much to the development of space technology and human spaceflight, shifting to programming jobs as computers became more capable. They also contributed to opening up wider opportunities for other women. All in all, an inspiring book that belongs in every school library for kids 12 and older.

An inspiring book for young adults (and not-so-young ones).

Good book, good condition and arrived in a timely fashion