Book Review - Unheralded But Unbowed

Unheralded But Unbowed: Black Scientists & Engineers Who Changed the World by Garland L. Thompson; CreateSpace/Amazon.com; Charleston, South Carolina; (soft cover); $21.95; 2009.

This book focuses on Black professionals and the contributions they have made to help strengthen America's technological muscle. Moreover, the writer flags individuals that have clearly demonstrated that "talent knows no color line."

Thompson's approach in this book is also designed to help energize young Blacks to push forward in their pursuit of careers in science and technology. The author notes the blossoming in access to science and technology careers for Blacks, albeit against the backdrop of discrimination in the 20th century - as well as the lingering leftovers of prejudice today.

Sprinkled through the book is the impact that Sputnik and the early beginnings of U.S.-Soviet space competition had on a number of people spotlighted in the book, such as Guion Bluford, Jr. - a veteran of four space shuttle missions. Bluford is the first African American in space in 1983 and is on the Coalition's Board of Advisors.

Other profiles in the book include Blue Angels pilot, Donnie Cochran; Arthur Johnson, a now-retired Senior Vice President in Corporate Strategic Development for the Lockheed Martin Corporation; as well as Shirley Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Thoughtful and thought-provoking, the reader will find a motivating treatment of Black achievement in computer science, software, engineering and other fields - success attained by the barrier-breaking staying power of the individuals portrayed in the book.

Thompson underscores the need to tap into communities of color: "Standing idly by while other countries race to produce new generations of engineers, scientists and technicians and fight to replace America as the world's economic leader is not an option."

Thompson is a journalist, author and educator with this self-published book made possible via CreateSpace, part of the Amazon group of companies.
Unheralded but Unbowed: Black Scientists & Engineers Who Changed the World is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels. A Kindle version is also available.

For more information about this book, go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Unheralded-but-Unbowed-Scientists-Engineers/dp/1448673836

By Leonard David