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Hedy's Folly
Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World | Richard Rhodes
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes delivers a remarkable story of science history: how a ravishing film star and an avant-garde composer invented spread-spectrum radio, the technology that made wireless phones, GPS systems, and many other devices possible. Beginning at a Hollywood dinner table, Hedy's Folly tells a wild story of innovation that culminates in U.S. patent number 2,292,387 for a "secret communication system." Along the way Rhodes weaves together Hollywood's golden era, the history of Vienna, 1920s Paris, weapons design, music, a tutorial on patent law and a brief treatise on transmission technology. Narrated with the rigor and charisma we've come to expect of Rhodes, it is a remarkable narrative adventure about spread-spectrum radio's genesis and unlikely amateur inventors collaborating to change the world.
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Butterfinger
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My last book for #PopSugar2020 -woman in STEM. Her career was acting. Her hobby was inventing.

Learning how she wanted to fight Germany so she invented a radio control torpedo was riveting.

I don't like the title. It doesn't include her partner, George Antheil, a celebrated composer. The book was an homage to both so why doesn't the title represent it?

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princesspeanutsmommy
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Current audiobook. Irritated that its spent most of it's time discussing the men in her life...

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Amandajoy
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My dr's appointment took less time than I expected, so I have time to enjoy reading this at the park before I go to work. Had to start a new book because The Luminaries was too big to fit in my bag!

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ValerieAndBooks
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Billed as "the most beautiful woman in the world", Hedy Lamarr was not only a film star, but also an inventor. Her technical accomplishments were overlooked, mainly because of her being a woman, but also b/c it contributed to the WWII effort -- so it had to be somewhat secret. I got lost when frequency hopping was discussed, and wish there was more about her personal life, but overall a ?for the author bringing Hedy Lamarr more to the forefront.

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heatherspoetlife
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I loved this so much. Whoever wanted women to choose between beauty and brains and then to not have ambition never gave her the memo. The book talks about her life, where she may have gotten, the pieces to puzzle for her invention, that of her collaborator and the path to finally getting recognition. A must read of herstory! #HedyLamarr #womeninventors #womenofscience

Also, make your way over to RedBubble and get the t-shirt memorializing her!

Weaponxgirl Thanks for the review, I've had my eye on this one for a while. 9y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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heatherspoetlife
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I actually just finished this audio book about a #historicalheroine! I have her t-shirt from Redbubble's Women of Science collection too. Love it! Who said you had to choose between beauty and brains? She's no slouch when it comes to ambition either. #feistyfeb @RealLifeReading

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MyBookStrings
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Hedy Lamar didn't drink and she didn't like to party, so she took up inventing. It annoyed her deeply that few people saw beyond her beauty to her intelligence.

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