by NathaliaHolt (Author)
In the 1940s and 50s, when the newly minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate velocities and plot trajectories, they recruited an elite group of young women who, with only pencil, paper, and mathematical prowess, transformed rocket design, helped bring about the first American satellites, and made the exploration of the solar system possible. Rise of the Rocket Girls tells the stories of these women--known as human computers --who broke the boundaries of both gender and science. Based on extensive research and interviews, Nathalia Holt offers a unique perspective on the role of women in science: both where we've been, and the far reaches of space to which we're heading.
Format: Illustrated
Pages: 352
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Back Bay
Published: 26 Jan 2017
ISBN 10: 0316338907
ISBN 13: 9780316338905
Illuminating...these women are vividly depicted at work, at play, in and out of love, raising children--and making history. What a team--and what a story!
--Gene Seymour, USA Today (3.5 stars/4)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nathalia Holt is the author of Cured: The People Who Defeated HIV and a former fellow at the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT and Harvard University. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, TheAtlantic.com, Slate, Time.com, and Popular Science. She lives in Boston.