Lisa Frazier Page

I first learned about Katherine Johnson in the movie and book "Hidden Figures". I've had this book on my TBR list and finally got to its place on the list. I learned quite a bit about sections of history that I didn't know before (NACA/NASA and the space race; the Civil Rights movement, etc.)

I admire that there were people (men and women) who could do these computations by hand (prior to mechanical computers--I say that because I remember in "Hidden Figures" being confused when they called people computers because today that term is used more for machines). Numbers and math are not my forte so it's amazing to me that people can do that. I never thought much about the math that would be needed to get people to and from space until "Hidden Figures".

I appreciated learning more about Katherine's formative years and family as well as her education, career track, and experiences.… (més)

Autobiography of Katherine Johnson, of Hidden Figures fame. Born in 1918, she lived 101 years and truly led a remarkable life. This book tells of her early life in West Virginia, how her father ensured education for all his children, early influences in developing her gifts in mathematics, and how she ended up working in America’s space program. All this occurred in the face of widespread racial prejudice before civil rights legislation was passed. This book covers more than her life. She puts her experiences into the context of significant historical events of the 20th century. She overcame many barriers and endured multiple personal tragedies. We get a sense for her intelligence, humility, sense of humor, love for family, and perseverance. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. I found it inspirational.… (més)

Katherine Johnson shot to fame with the moving Hidden Figures. This is her story in her own words. Growing up in West Virginia she was taught to value education and sacrifice for family. A gifted student, she excelled at mathematics and found a job at NASA as a human computer. She worked on the calculations for many spaceflights and was universally trusted by the astronauts.

Although this book was slow at times, Mrs. Johnson led a fascinating life. It was wonderful to read about her accomplishments in such an elite field. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.… (més)