Review: "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly - 3/5 Stars

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly takes us back to the labor shortages of World War II in the United States and explores how events during that time opened previously-barred doors for black women mathematicians both in society and their careers. These brave souls shine on the pages as they take desperate risks (emotionally, financially, and often physically) for a shot at a better life and to show their patriotic duty. 

I found this story intriguing and appreciated that I was being able to read from the perspective of a black woman who grew up in Virginia and new many of these women we meet in the book. These were people who lived and breathed this life, and many assumptions I had about that time and how events progressed were challenged. Tremendous value can be gained by reading about history from multiple perspectives, especially if you choose a perspective that is quite different from your own.

As a woman, it was exciting to see women celebrated in the maths and sciences. Even now, some seventy-odd years later, we're still faced with antiquated paradigms that need to be challenged by saying "Yeah, girls can do math, too!" Fortunately, there are programs and organizations popping up every year to keep this movement going forward. One of which, springs to mind is the Girls Who Code program which has made tremendous progress in reversing the gender-gap in the technology world. For more information on Girls Who Code, click here.

There are also pages and pages of goodies for fans and students of the history of flight in this book. While I'd heard the term "test pilot" before, the ramifications of what that meant didn't really hit home until I read this book. This job was not for the faint of heart. Essentially, a test pilot was told, "Okay, this thing we built, we don't know if it will fly or kill you. So go take it up and we'll record what happens. Best of luck."

And then...if the miraculous happened and the thing didn't crash, the next step was, "Okay, glad you lived. Now, here are all the weakness of this thing we built, where we think this machine will fail. Go back, and push the aircraft to the brink of those weakness. Why? Oh, because we need to see what will happen."

Would you do it? Yeah, me neither.

But that's how the industry of flight got to where it is now. I don't think I can ever look at even a commercial airliner the same again.

Finally, a few comments about the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture released last year that was inspired by this book. I watched the film before reading this book (the film actually inspired me to want to read the book). The film is a very loose interpretation of the book, so if you're looking for more of the same, I would caution you that this is not what you'll get. Treat the two mediums as distinctly separate. If you just want a fun story that barely skims the surface of the history unfolding both on the domestic and international level, then stick with the film because a great deal of the book is focused on the history. If the film looks too watered-down for you, the book is absolutely something meatier you can sink your teeth into. The two work better as companions, and not carbon copies of one another.