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trenthw's review
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
1.5
The first 2/3rds of the book are really good. The first third is about his trip to the moon. The second third is about his battle with depression and alcoholism. If it ended at that point it would have been a very good book.
Unfortunately, the last third of the book is just him bragging about being famous. The last part seems to be him alternating between making sure that the reader knows he’s a very important person and the ramblings of an old man talking about vacations with his wife.
He also seems to be very back and forth with things throughout the book almost like he hasn’t made up his own mind on the topic. He says he didn’t care that he wasn’t the first person on the moon but then goes into how much he thought about it and how much it affected his life. He says he doesn’t like when people treat him like a celebrity but then in the next chapter will say he feels uncomfortable when people don’t treat him like a celebrity.
I really wanted to like this book but the last part made it so hard. It’s made me second guess what kind of a person Buzz Aldrin really is.
Unfortunately, the last third of the book is just him bragging about being famous. The last part seems to be him alternating between making sure that the reader knows he’s a very important person and the ramblings of an old man talking about vacations with his wife.
He also seems to be very back and forth with things throughout the book almost like he hasn’t made up his own mind on the topic. He says he didn’t care that he wasn’t the first person on the moon but then goes into how much he thought about it and how much it affected his life. He says he doesn’t like when people treat him like a celebrity but then in the next chapter will say he feels uncomfortable when people don’t treat him like a celebrity.
I really wanted to like this book but the last part made it so hard. It’s made me second guess what kind of a person Buzz Aldrin really is.
saras's review
2.0
Eh. Stuff about moon landing was good, since I'm a big space buff, but the rest not so much. I admire the guy but he's not that interesting.
jackiijackii's review
3.0
For the most part, this book was really interesting. I loved reading about the moon landing and Aldrin's current endeavors in space exploration and tourism. It got a little dry (ironically) when he delved into his spiraling depression and alcoholism, and the writing was very repetitive. When I'm reading books written by people who aren't writers, I actually appreciate when the writing isn't great. That means that they're focusing on telling me their experience, that they actually lived, instead of flailing about in another craft. This book was like that, with the repetition and for some reason a lot of exclamation points. I think he could have cut out nearly 70 pages of repetition, tightened up what's left, and had an amazing, instead of just good, book.
The book never lost focus. It's the story of a man who just wants to serve his country in the best way he can. He's brilliant and creative, and doesn't succumb to popular opinions. It's only when he feels that his ideas aren't being taken seriously that he falls into depression, because when you're putting your soul into something you really believe in, and nobody wants to listen, it would put anyone into a funk.
As a side note, I read this for August's book club challenge, to read a book by someone who did a voice on The Simpsons, so I felt validated when he mentions being on The Simpsons.
The book never lost focus. It's the story of a man who just wants to serve his country in the best way he can. He's brilliant and creative, and doesn't succumb to popular opinions. It's only when he feels that his ideas aren't being taken seriously that he falls into depression, because when you're putting your soul into something you really believe in, and nobody wants to listen, it would put anyone into a funk.
As a side note, I read this for August's book club challenge, to read a book by someone who did a voice on The Simpsons, so I felt validated when he mentions being on The Simpsons.
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