Hidden Figures Book Summary (PDF) by Margot Lee Shetterly

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Ready to learn the most important takeaways from Hidden Figures in less than two minutes? Keep reading!

Why This Book Matters:

Hidden Figures highlights to accomplishments The West Computers, an all-black, female division of mathematicians, made during their time working with NASA.

The Big Takeaways:

  1. Black women were behind several of the most complex missions at NASA.
    1. If Though still segregated, several black women were hired at Langley to process complex math problems.
  2. The increase in production at the time of WWII gave a few black women the chance to become mathematicians for NACA.
    1. Though it was a prestigious job, these black women still faced many hardships in their everyday lives.
  3. These women were constantly reminded that they were not equal to their white counterparts.
    1. It was through their determination that these women broke into other parts of the organization by proving their ability time and time again.
  4. It was through the strength of these women that barriers were broken within Langley.
    1. While making strides in breaking barriers regarding race, they also helped new forward-think ideals for women in the workplace.
  5. Racial discrimination grew stronger, as did the women of Langley during the 1950s.
    1. These women were responsible for so much more than themselves, leading them to make their mark on science, as well as race relations in America.

Want To Keep Reading?

  1. Read A Longer Form Summary on Blinkist
  2. Buy The Book on Amazon

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