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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Bedtime Biography: Hidden Figures summary
Margot Lee Shetterly
The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians who Helped Win the Space Race
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4.2 (32 ratings)
44 mins
6 key ideas
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What is Bedtime Biography: Hidden Figures about?
Narrated by Jeannette Robinson
Music by Federico Coderoni
Hidden Figures (2016) reveals the untold story of the black female mathematicians who helped send John Glenn on his first orbit around the Earth and Neil Armstrong to the moon. These courageous, trailblazing women answered the call of duty by leaving their teaching jobs in segregated Southern schools behind and helping to shape the modern space program.
About the Author
Margot Lee Shetterly grew up in Hampton, Virginia, where she came to know many of the women she writes about in Hidden Figures. She is a recipient of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities research grant and a fellowship member of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Table of Contents
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Introduction
Bedtime Biographies are best when listened to. Check out the audio version to get the full experience!
Women are barely represented in most of our popular depictions of historical events, especially those involving science, engineering, and math – Black women even less so. And yet the truth of the matter is, Black women were integral to many landmark achievements in the twentieth century, including the Apollo mission that sent Neil Armstrong to the moon.
In this bedtime biography, we’re telling the story of Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, and Mary Jackson – three Black women whose contributions to the development of World War II machines, the Space Race, and civil rights helped define the world we live in today.
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Who should read Bedtime Biography: Hidden Figures
- Women in engineering
- Those interested in the true history of the space program
- Students of politics, science and history
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