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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This was really interesting! It grabbed me immediately with the "the moon has a smell" factoid. I've never lived in a world where humans haven't landed on the moon, so reading this really helped me to understand all the things that led to the moon landing. There was so much more than I really considered! But it also put a bit of a tarnish on things. I've always put the moon landing and the circumstances surrounding it on a bit of a pedestal. Here was a time where people came together to care about science and discovery for the sake of science and discovery. Now I realize that it was never about the science, but was all about beating Russia. Sadly, that makes a lot more sense.
All in all, this was well written and well narrated, and I'm really glad I read it!
All in all, this was well written and well narrated, and I'm really glad I read it!
informative
slow-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Well-researched and informative, although somewhat dense. It took me a while to find my footing in Fishman's writing, bogged down as it was by so many facts and figures and tedious details. Still, he manages to write a riveting story of the Space Race and its effect on American culture.
informative
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Really intriguing read about all that went into the Apollo 11 mission. There are significant social, scientific and political milestones that occur in the story and what most impressed me was the least of those was the astronautical aspects. In other words, this book focuses on the how we created process, and technology, what changes needed to occur to political will. Most importantly by removing the astronaut and focusing on the science, technology and politics, the book creates a focus on the aspects we now take for granted (computer size/speed/interaction) and aspects we normally don't consider about the every day life that existed pre 1961 (we will go to the moon!) and post 1969 (we made it to the moon).
PS the part about Kennedy secretly recording meetings is great fun in itself.
PS the part about Kennedy secretly recording meetings is great fun in itself.
What an exciting, informative book! I expected a straightforward, chronological retelling of the Apollo missions, but got so much more to absorb and be in awe of with Charles Fishman’s storytelling. Balances the whimsical rhetoric of space exploration with great research on what it actually took to make it happen. Very recommended.