The World's Best Book Summaries
What started the Space Race? What did it have to do with the Cold War, and was Sputnik really the beginning? Many consider the launch of Sputnik by the Soviets to be the official beginning of the Space Race. The Space Race was defined by the race to the moon between the United State and the Soviet Union. Many people worked towards the goals of the Space Race at NASA, including Hidden Figures character Katherine Johnson.
What can NASA segregation tell us about the rest of the country during the Civil Rights Movement? What can we learn from Hidden Figures segregation and the fight for equality? NASA segregation reflected the segregation of the rest of the country. But when the president ordered NASA (then NACA) to tap into the large workforce they were ignoring, women like Dorothy Vaughan and Katherine Johnson got the chance to prove themselves. Read how the women of Hidden Figures helped end segregation in NASA.
What were the main NASA Cold War activities, and what happened at NASA during the Cold War? Why was space travel so important? NASA during the Cold War focused relentlessly on getting to the moon. NASA Cold War activities, particularly following the Soviet launch of Sputnik, revolved around tirelessly trying to make scientific discoveries and proving American excellence. See how NASA Cold War history defined the US for generations.
What is Langley Aeronautical Memorial Laboratory, and what is its significance? In Hidden Figures, Langley is the workplace of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, the three women who are credited with helping break through color barriers in science, and who made substantial contributions to space exploration and science. Read about Langley Aeronautical Memorial Laboratory and the experiences of the women in Hidden Figures.
Who are Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson? What did they do, and why did their contributions matter? The three women, famously known for their roles at NASA, made unparalleled scientific contributions, and also broke through barriers that had long held women of color back from achieving their potential. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson each played a role in the space race and NASA’s success. Their journey is documented in the book Hidden Figures.
Do you want to reflect back a clear, positive image that emphasizes a person’s potential, or a distorted one based on assumptions, stereotypes, and misunderstandings? This reflection is what we refer to as social mirror theory. Social mirror theory is the theory that people’s relationships with others create a social mirror that reflects images of themselves back to them and affects their paradigms. This is essentially the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy. Learn how social mirror theory works and why others’ opinions of you matter.
What are the Circles of Concern and Influence? Where do you focus your time and energy? How many of those things can you impact? The Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence both affect how we structure our lives and tend to things and people. Read on to find out the differences between Circle of Influence vs. Circle of Concern, and how to direct your energy towards your Circle of Influence.
Are facial expressions universal? It seems clear that some facial expressions, like those expressing sadness or happiness, are universal–but are they? We’ll cover the research on whether facial expressions are universal. Along the way, we’ll look at some of the dangers of making assumptions about people based on their facial cues and body language.
The primary reason that most people cannot immediately identify when a stranger is lying is that human beings default to assuming truth in others. This is called the Truth-Default Theory. Is it possible to learn how to spot a liar? We’ll cover why it’s so hard to know how to spot a liar and discuss some biases to look out for.
In our modern, seemingly borderless world, we have no choice but to interact with strangers. Yet we, as a society, are incompetent at making sense of the strangers we come across. So what should we do? Can we learn how to talk to strangers? We’ll discuss the three problems that cause us to have failed interactions with strangers and discuss how to talk to strangers in ways that are more successful. From Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers.