Average customer rating:
- excellent read
- Definitely the Right Stuff
- Impressionistic, with little analysis or insight into the period
- Right Stuff, Wrong Movie
- The Right Stuff; the Right Edition
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The Right Stuff
Tom Wolfe
Manufacturer: Bantam
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The Bonfire of the Vanities
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The Right Stuff (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Yeager: An Autobiography
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A Man in Full
ASIN: 0553381350
Release Date: 2001-10-30 |
Amazon.com
Tom Wolfe began The Right Stuff at a time when it was unfashionable to contemplate American heroism. Nixon had left the White House in disgrace, the nation was reeling from the catastrophe of Vietnam, and in 1979--the year the book appeared--Americans were being held hostage by Iranian militants. Yet it was exactly the anachronistic courage of his subjects that captivated Wolfe. In his foreword, he notes that as late as 1970, almost one in four career Navy pilots died in accidents. "The Right Stuff," he explains, "became a story of why men were willing--willing?--delighted!--to take on such odds in this, an era literary people had long since characterized as the age of the anti-hero."
Wolfe's roots in New Journalism were intertwined with the nonfiction novel that Truman Capote had pioneered with In Cold Blood. As Capote did, Wolfe tells his story from a limited omniscient perspective, dropping into the lives of his "characters" as each in turn becomes a major player in the space program. After an opening chapter on the terror of being a test pilot's wife, the story cuts back to the late 1940s, when Americans were first attempting to break the sound barrier. Test pilots, we discover, are people who live fast lives with dangerous machines, not all of them airborne. Chuck Yeager was certainly among the fastest, and his determination to push through Mach 1--a feat that some had predicted would cause the destruction of any aircraft--makes him the book's guiding spirit.
Yet soon the focus shifts to the seven initial astronauts. Wolfe traces Alan Shepard's suborbital flight and Gus Grissom's embarrassing panic on the high seas (making the controversial claim that Grissom flooded his Liberty capsule by blowing the escape hatch too soon). The author also produces an admiring portrait of John Glenn's apple-pie heroism and selfless dedication. By the time Wolfe concludes with a return to Yeager and his late-career exploits, the narrative's epic proportions and literary merits are secure. Certainly The Right Stuff is the best, the funniest, and the most vivid book ever written about America's manned space program. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
When the future began...
The men had it. Yeager. Conrad. Grissom. Glenn. Heroes ... the first Americans in space ... battling the Russians for control of the heavens ... putting their lives on the line.
The women had it. While Mr. Wonderful was aloft, it tore your heart out that the Hero's Wife, down on the ground, had to perform with the whole world watching ... the TV Press Conference: "What's in your heart? Do you feel with him while he's in orbit?"
The Right Stuff. It's the quality beyond bravery, beyond courage. It's men like Chuck Yeager, the greatest test pilot of all and the fastest man on earth. Pete Conrad, who almost laughed himself out of the running. Gus Grissom, who almost lost it when his capsule sank. John Glenn, the only space traveler whose apple-pie image wasn't a lie.
Customer Reviews:
excellent read.......2007-05-12
As a 'random' book to pick up and read, I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of information provided in this book. I also enjoyed the writing style. Excellent excellent, must-read book!
Definitely the Right Stuff.......2007-03-18
This book is one of the best accounts of, indeed any scene, I have ever read. Wolfe, with his half academic half layman writing style, explores the men and indeed the whole phenomenon, that was the American space program in the 50ies and 60ies. In a delightful manner he gets to the heart of what makes the people involved "tick", and does a great job in bringing their feelings and through to the reader. The reader can truly emerge him/herself in this exciting world of fast planes, fast cars, hope, fear and glory.
The only thing "wrong" with this book is that it is too short. I would've loved to see 50-75 more pages telling more about the "aftermath", as it were, but that is merely because the book was such a jolly good read to begin with. And, I must add, I'm not even interested in planes, speed or space programs or indeed American history.
Highest possible recommendation.
Impressionistic, with little analysis or insight into the period.......2007-02-07
You carry your expectations to a book, and this one was a disappointment to me. This book, in my view, offers a sophisticated version of hero worship. But, while showing many of the foibles of the characters, it is worshipful and indeed, facile myth generation. You get a bunch of you-are-there style descriptions - the kind of light stream-of-consciousness that made Wolfe famous as a hip young beat journalist - and they are fine as far as they go, but at least for me, I felt there is far too little substance behind it.
In spite of Wolfe's somewhat cynical veneer, the characters fall into some pretty simplistic stereotypes. You get the tough, natural aristocrat, Chuck Yeager, the real yet unknown superstar, and then you get the media-sensation astronauts, who are promoted for political propaganda reasons. Thus, there is John Glenn ("the clean marine") and a host of other less colorful characters. I did not feel I got to know much about them. Glenn, whom I worked for in the Senate 20 years ago, comes off as the most boring of straight men, which I don't think encompasses him well at all.
Then there is the period of history in which it all takes place, the Cold War. Wolfe offers nothing much of interest about this frightening period of technological competition between the US and USSR. I felt it was just kind of a useful background for Wolfe. This stands in stark contrast to Wolfe's wonderful Electric Coolaid Acid Test, which really plumbed a lot of the 1960s psychedelic spirit - that was why I expected so much more, I suppose.
I would recommend this as a fun read, but not much beyond that. It is strictly throwaway and does not demand much concentration or stimulate the reader to dig deeper elsewhere, which for me signals a failed reading experience.
Right Stuff, Wrong Movie.......2006-10-14
If you've only seen the dreadful movie version of this book, stop reading these reviews and click back to the ordering page right now! There's little relationship between the bombastic (and highly inaccurate) film version and Wolfe's wonderfully detailed and nuanced book. Although his "New Journalism" style is becoming a bit dated compared to the newer space histories and autobiographies, there's still no better introduction to the whole "figter jock" mentality that permeated NASA's astronaut culture at least through the 1980s, even among the non-pilot astronauts.
The Right Stuff; the Right Edition.......2006-08-24
This book was my introduction to Tom Wolfe - and what an introduction it was.
The country was mired in a black hole. President Nixon had resigned the Office of the President in disgrace. There was the continuing debacle in Iran. The anti-hero was king.
Who would have guessed a book about old-fashioned heroism could capture the public's attention?
Yet that is exactly was Wolfe penned. Beginning with the early test pilots and then proceeding to NASA's Mercury program's assault on the final frontier - space. A tale of good, old-fashioned American heroism; a thought, which to many in 1979 that was foreign, or at best, long-forgotten.
The book was controversial. As a New Journalist, Wolfe inserted himself into the lives of his "characters" as each in turn becomes a major player in the space program. It was a true story that tintillated the reader's imagination. No novel could have done it better.
Beginning with an opening chapter on the terror of being a test pilot's wife, the story cuts back to the late 1940s, when Americans were first attempting to break the sound barrier. Anyone who has ever read it will never forget its Blue Uniform litany. Test pilots, we discover, are people who live fast lives with dangerous machines on the edge. I recall having to punch myself to be reminded that I was not reading a book about the stock brokerage business.
Although Wolfe's command of the English language is unparalleled, this edition is enhanced by the inclusion of images culled from Life and Look magazines, NASA and the Library of Congress. The photos chronicle the lives of the people and the social and political climate that created our country's nascent space program.
The Right Stuff is my favorite book. Tom Wolfe is my favorite author. This edition is a tribute to both. Yet more than that, it is a tribute to the people and the spirit that made this story possible.
Average customer rating:
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- Fill That Vacancy With Minimum Grief!
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Complete Idiot's Guide to Recruiting the Right Stuff
Ph.D., Arthur R. Pell
Manufacturer: Alpha
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ASIN: 0028639014 |
Book Description
Hiring the right employees can feel like a game of chance. And being proactive and getting out there to recruit new talent can seem even more difficult. This book helps managers navigate the seemingly murky waters of the talent pool-- and come up with champions!
Download Description
Hiring the right employees can feel like a game of chance. And being proactive and getting out there to recruit new talent can seem even more difficult. This book helps managers navigate the seemingly murky waters of the talent pool-- and come up with champions! Tips on finding hard-to-find personnel. Writing good hel-wanted ads, using the internet to recruit, structuring interviews to get real information. Choosing the best applicant. Making an offer that will be accepted.
Customer Reviews:
Author's comments.......2002-01-25
Adding a new person to your team or department can be one of the most important decisions you must make on your job. Hiring the wrong person will not only cost you money in wasted time and lost productivity, but can be an emotional drain on you and others in the company.
If you've had to fill a job opening recently, you've undoubtedly learned the hard way that it's not an easy task. You may spend a bundle of money and waste lots of valuable time just trying to find applicants - and that' before you even start screening them.
There are ways to facilitate this process. By better utilization of current sources and expanding into additional sources, you can attract more and better candidates. That's how successful companies keep becoming more successful. You can do it too.
Finding candidates is only the beginning. You have to learn and apply the skills needed to screen and interview applicants to ensure that the person(s) you finally choose really can do the job. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recruiting the Right Stuff will show you how.
This book is not an academic treatise, but a pragmatic guide to recruiting and selection that can be immediately applied on the job. Read it to become acquainted with the many facets of this subject. . Keep this book handy to refer to when special problems arise.
Fill That Vacancy With Minimum Grief!.......2000-11-19
Most books about recruitment are either comprehensive manuals by people who live on Planet IPD or they fit the "how to interview people" mould. This book is neither. It's a pragmatic manual for the recruitment process, from job analysis, through advertising and selection to appointment.
It's ideal for the practical manager who wants to fill his vacancy quickly and effectively and needs his questions answered. Well indexed and referenced, with a lively style and plenty of useful tips, it's a book you can comfortably read and comprehend on the train to work.
Amazon.com
Your kid's sexual education is likely to be a difficult topic to think about. Caught between fear of causing embarrassment and concern over the dangers of ignorance, it's a wonder that parents manage more than a blush and stutter while handing over a textbook. How Can We Talk About That? is designed to get at the root of the real problem: how your sexual history, fears, and hang-ups can get in the way of your ability to provide parental guidance in the matter of sex.
Neatly avoiding any discussion of relative morals, author Jane DiVita Woody has created a series of shorts tests that help both Mom and Dad honestly evaluate their sexual past--and present. From questions on your level of satisfaction to rating your worries as a parent, these tests are designed to provide a full understanding of your sexual fears, insecurities, and strengths.
Practical suggestions for using what you learn to improve communication with your partner are given; if you can't bring yourself to talk to your husband, will you do a good job teaching your child? Later chapters are devoted to appropriate topics of sexual education for different ages, all the way from a child's first year of life until she turns 18.
We all want to pass our values onto our kids, but we know that we can't depend on others to do it for us. Woody opens a clear path for starting the process by helping us better understand our own feelings about sex. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
How Can We Talk About That? is a down-to-earth resource that can help you overcome your hang-ups so you can talk to your kids openly and honestly about sex. Author Jane DiVita Woody's new approach will inspire you to examine your sexual history so you will be better able to give your children both accurate sex education and meaningful moral guidance. Throughout the book she offers parents practical ideas for making changes and gaining the information and communication skills they need to guide the next generation toward sexual health.
Customer Reviews:
A "Must Have" Reference for Mental Health Clinicians.......2002-01-25
Dr. Woody has created a remarkable resource for those of us who work with children. Inevitably, important questions arise that can be difficult for the most seasoned clinician to manage. When the subject is sexuality, even the most coordinated tongues get tied. Dr. Woody provides scientifically-based information and guidance, along with case examples, to enliven and support discussions between parents and their children. Dr. Woody's writing style is clear and easy to read. She engages the reader from the outset, inviting them to develop those skills certain to promote strong relationships between parents and children. In this increasingly dangerous world, it is comforting to know there is a resource like How Can We Talk About That? to help. Mental health clinicians now have a reliable resource, both to expand their skill-base, as well as to share with the parents and children in their care. On a cautionary note, if you lend this book out you may not get it back! This book will be a parent's best friend, one we can turn to time and again for assistance.
Book Description
Step-by-step to a new way of life!
Do you want to cut down on meat eating or adapt a completely vegetarian diet? Whatever your goal. Lisa Tracy has written the book that takes all the trouble out of the transition. She shows you how to get started and lets you take it as far as you want to go.
Stage one - includes poultry and fish
Stage two - includes fish
Stage three - the total vegetarian diet
Let her show you how to:
analyze your diet
plan your strategy
reorganize your kitchen for great meals in minutes
shop supermarkets and health food stores
become an expert on everything from sweeteners and sprouts to seeds and seaweeds
answer the complex carbohydrate question
attack your allergies
dine out in style
live with meat eaters and bologna lovers
and much, much more
Complete with delicious recipes for every step of the way,
The Gradual Vegetarian takes you where you want to go - toward a better way of eating and living.
Customer Reviews:
Easy does it.......2006-02-23
Joseph Campbell realizes that one has to eat to stay alive this means something has to die. He says it is monstrous. However we need to get over it and realize that is the nature of things.
For the rest of us there are other reasons for going vegetarian and cornering the poor carrot that can not run from us. This book is dedicated to the attitude that "you are what you eat."
It is not easy or wise to go cold turkey per-say. And this book helps both physically and psychologically to become the svelte vegetarian that we all long to be.
The process is divided into three stages including 15 steps. The book includes over 200 recipes.
So you do become a social outcast there are strategies for feeding the archaic meat eaters at the same time.
All in all it is a very useful book at treating vegetarian (much more just healthy eating) in a practical and less radical manner.
There are no pictures to this 297 page book. However there is a list of recipes and organizations that can help beyond the book.
Had This Book For Years.......2002-05-31
I've had this for a long long time and enjoyed it thoroughly. In addition to feeling better, I lost weight as well. It's a wonderful guide if you follow it. Informative and educational. I recommend it!
Does anyone know of other books she has written?
Essential for those who want to eat less red meat!.......2000-07-26
This book was a great investment for me - my family has never made it to total vegetarianism, but we are eating less red meat and enjoying the options more.
My biggest concern was that in going away from meat, my family would have no protein - what DO you need to look out for, where do you find enough protein for growing kids? Reading this book gave friendly, easy to understand information along with shopping help and recipes that can lead the reluctant a little closer to healthy eating.
I keep this book in my cookbook library, and periodically pull it out and for awhile, cook meals that are tasteful and a little better for our bodies than the usual typical American meals.
More than half of this book is filled with information on how to step towards vegetarianism in a non-judgmental way. She gives information, recipes and shopping hints for each stage without pushing the reader on to the next. She also realizes that there may be serveral stages all within the same family.
1) Stage One is where many of us are - less red meat, coffee, refined sugar, more vegetables, fruits and cereals. Eating poultry and fish, milk products, egs, beans, and other grain products. She lists the pluses of this stage, and doesn't urge anyone to move on to the next stage unless they want to.
2) Stage Two is the next step - still eating fish, but almost no poultry, more dairy, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds.
3) Stage Three goes beyond the more traditional lacto-ovo-vegetarianism into macrobiotics, natural hygiene.
She says here, "The Stage Three diets represent a much larger step away from what we grew up with, but...remember: You don't have to do it all at once. Or forever. As the teacher said, every little bit helps."
The last part of the book has recipes, divided by the stages, which makes it really helpful for people like me who are vegetarian wannabes, living with meat-lovers.
Soups, Casseroles, Indian Side Dishes, Vegetable Side Dishes, Breads, and more - some have become staples, even in the months when we are eating less healthy foods. Her chicken recipes are fast, easy and absolutely delicious!
A treasure of information AND recipes!
Gradual is Right!.......2000-06-14
Lisa Tracy provides a very non-threatening approach to becoming a vegetarian. Set up in stages: ranging from "thinking about it" to "veganism", and how to eat out in not necessarily vegetarian friendly restaurants (an essential thing when I lived in Nebraska) to how, and where, to shop for groceries. An excellent book.
Book Description
This book demystifies the place left-handness has held in society, shedding new light on this controversial discussion.
Customer Reviews:
A very well-written book........2006-04-14
For anyone interested in left handedness, Melissa Roth's book is a must-read, very up to date. Roth gets straight to the point without resorting to the sorts of pathos, frequent digressions, tongue-in-cheek humor, or stale, decades-old data present in so many other books about left handedness. If you're considering buying a book about left handedness, "the Left Stuff" should be first on your list.
Book Description
The Right Stuff, released in 1983, is the story of America's first attempts at the conquest of space. It's a film with the scope and scale of an epic, but filtered through the idiosyncratic, sceptical intelligence of maverick writer-director Philip Kaufman. Based on Tom Wolfe's bestselling novel, it contrasts the private code of the test pilots who broke the sound barrier with the manufactured celebrity of the astronauts who came from their midst. A film too close to satire to be in tune with the jingoism of 1980s America, its complexity and accomplishment have not been properly recognized.
Tom Charity places The Right Stuff in its historical perspective, outlining the political context of the Space Race, Wolfe's original take on the material, and the fiercely conflicting ambitions for the film of director Philip Kaufman and original screenwriter William Goldman. Charity's lucid reading explores Kaufman's subversive adventurism, his mastery of the cinematic form and the way in which The Right Stuff combines the mythology of the Western with counter-cultural concerns to arrive at a richly nuanced account of both the folly and the heroism of post-war America.
Customer Reviews:
As enjoyable as the movie itself.......2005-05-24
If you enjoy "The Right Stuff," this book will add to your appreciation of the film. The author discusses how the film came to be made and the political context that surrounded the film, but the heart of the book is his discussion of the film itself.
Charity's writing here is marvelous, pointing out where the scenes were shot, what was real and what was faked, how the film points back to Westerns and "Only Angels Have Wings," and how it differs from Wolfe's book. While reading "The Right Stuff," time will fly by.
This is one of the best of the excellent BFI series. A real keeper and a joy to read.
No bucks, no Buck Rogers!.......2002-06-14
This is an excellent, indepth look at a vastly underrated and underappreciated film. I've always been a fan of "The Right Stuff" but have never been able to find any kind of information on it.
Mr. Charity has certainly done his homework by writing a thorough account of the how the film was made, complete with access to director Philip Kaufman, and a top notch analysis of the film itself. There is some truly fascinating stuff in this book. For example, he examines the rather experimental techniques that went into creating the film's special effects. I love film books that talk about how the movie was made with anecdotes and interesting factoids. This book does not disappoint on this level.
I enjoyed this book so much that I read it all the way through in one sitting. It's yet another great entry into this BFI series and well worth picking up if you're a fan of this particular film.
Buck Rogers.......2000-06-27
A decent, small handbook on an unjustly overlooked film, this follows the 'Terminator' mould of the BFI books, in that it avoids undue analysis in favour of a few thousand words of well-penned facts and conjecture on the making and impact of, and background to, the epic film. Coming out at the turn of the 80's, it was unfortunately seen as being inappropriately jingoistic, and thirty years out of date (the title itself giving the unthinkable impression that there must also be a 'wrong stuff', too). That said, if it had been released a few years later, we would all associate it with the worst excesses of Rambo-ear Reagamerica. As with the other books, you'll probably finish it in half an hour, although once you have done so it's fun to flick through all the various footnotes and references - Tom Charity has obviously done his research.
Average customer rating:
- Are the other reviewers friends of the authors?
- Add this one to your library
- Stuff Happens (and then you fix it!)
- Bravo To John And Lloyd
- Folks, THIS is the most EFFECTIVE book I've EVER read! You can't go WRONG with it!
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Stuff Happens (and then you fix it!): 9 Reality Rules to Steer Your Life Back in the Right Direction
John Alston , and
Lloyd Thaxton
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work
ASIN: 0471273600 |
Book Description
Reality rules for conquering life’s big challenges
Stuff Happens (and then you fix it!) is a simple guide for getting through life’s rough spots and turning these challenges into positive opportunities for personal growth. Life, as good as it is, is sometimes going to throw some dirt on you. This uplifting and inspirational book by two award winning authors, internationally renowned Speaker Hall of Famer John Alston and five-time Emmy award winner Lloyd Thaxton, offers nine "Reality Rules" for dealing with these trying times and getting your life back on track. Keeping these nine rules in mind helps readers prepare for the stuff that happens and gives them the attitude adjustment they need to succeed. The many stories in the book of people bouncing back from all kinds of big and little problems by applying one or more of the nine reality rules offers proof that these rules really work. It’s not what happens to you that’s important, it’s how you respond to what happens and Stuff Happens (
and then you fix it!) tells you not only how to respond but how to fix it.
Customer Reviews:
Are the other reviewers friends of the authors?.......2007-09-11
I was given this book as a gift and it is the most repetitive and inane volume that has ever graced my bathroom shelf. Perhaps all the other reviewers haven't seen their grandmothers in a long time. I recommend a visit or phone call.
Add this one to your library.......2007-04-05
John Alston and Lloyd Thaxton have really hit the mark on this book. I like a book that gets to the point without messing around. This book does that and more. The nine reality rules are presented in an entertaining and informative way. Stuff does happen and this book gives you a jump start to get you refocused and moving in the right direction. This book will motivate and inspire you. And when you finish reading the nine rules, you get a pleasant bonus at the back of the book with their "Few Bits of Reality to Stick on the Fridge." A client recommended this book to me and now I have recommended it to several of my clients.
Stuff Happens (and then you fix it!).......2007-03-15
Excellent book! Should be required for everyone to read and apply to make our world, relationships, and living better!
Bravo To John And Lloyd.......2006-10-27
"Stuff Happens (And Then You Fix it)" offers is well written and easy to read advise for dealing with life's pitfalls. It is structured on 9 general rules. It also tells us to count our blessings and when things look bad, to be thankful for the good. a great read for anytime good or bad!
Folks, THIS is the most EFFECTIVE book I've EVER read! You can't go WRONG with it!.......2005-09-29
Lloyd, your book is nothing short of amazing! Lighthearted, but targeted to anyone who really needs to get it all in gear and GO! My fave book, for years, has been Dr. Schwartz's "The Magic Of Thinking Big," but your book, to me, is even BETTER! THANKS!!
To everyone else: Since '05 began, many travelers here on the information superhighway have hit potholes, rough weather, and the occasional alignment problems -- not in the literal sense, but emotionally. But, believe me, the book, STUFF HAPPENS, can fill those potholes, provide the emotional "weatherguard" and get you BACK in alignment ... and what a GREAT way to welcome 2006!
Book Description
On June 17, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. Curiously, unlike every previous milestone in the "space race," this event did not spur NASA to catch up by flying an American woman. Though there were suitable candidates-two years earlier, thirteen female pilots recruited by the private Woman in Space program had passed a strenuous physical exam and were ready for another stage of astronaut testing-American women would not escape earth's gravity for another twenty years.
In Right Stuff, Wrong Sex, Margaret Weitekamp shows how the Woman in Space program -- conceived by Dr. William Randolph Lovelace and funded by world-famous pilot and businesswoman Jacqueline Cochran -- challenged prevailing attitudes about women's roles and capabilities. In examining the experiences of the Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees (as the candidates called themselves), this book documents the achievements and frustrated hopes of a remarkable group of women whose desire to serve their country fell victim to hostility toward such aspirations. Drawing from archival research and interviews with participants, Weitekamp traces the rise and fall of the Woman in Space program within the context of the cold war and the thriving women's aviation culture of the 1950s. Weitekamp's study sheds light on a little-known but compelling chapter in the history of the U.S. space program and the rise of the women's movement in America.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book About a Forgotten Program.......2006-06-20
The First Women in Space Program of the 1960's is an endeavor that has become all but forgotten in American history. That is until Margaret A. Weitekamp's recent book about the subject came along.
During the 1950's, there was massive resistance in U.S. government circles against any kind of a space program. There were, however, visionaries such as William Randolph "Randy" Lovelace II who promoted the benefits of a strong space program. It was not until after both the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957 coupled with the election of John F. Kennedy in 1960 that a strong American space program came into existence.
Since the Kennedy Administration refused to countenance the idea of a women in space program, it was up to the likes of Lovelace & famed aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran to start a private program towards that goal. Another prominent woman in the U.S. aviation industry to support Lovelace's program was Jerrie Cobb who had passed all of the tests that had been administered to the NASA astronauts, but who had been passed over simply because she was a woman.
In the end, Lovelace's program came to naught due to a lack of funding, but the memory of it lives on in this splendid work.
An excellent piece of history.......2005-01-09
Margaret Weitekamp's book addresses a long-forgotten but recently rediscovered chapter in American history. At the height of the Space Race's Cold War fervor, a mix of private and public figures made several initial moves in the direction of introducing women to America's space program. None of these women ever really got close to becoming an astronaut due to an array of institutional and cultural constraints to their progress. They have been both lionized and marginalized by different camps over the last 40 years, with distortions and half-truths from every side. Weitekamp's book finally cuts through the clamor. It gathers an enormous array of rare and forgotten documents and details, along with oral history from the women themselves, to weave an authoritative narrative of the events. It should earn its place as a definitive work in this area.
Weitekamp's writing is precise and well-documented, with all the attention to sources and structure that academics need to be kept happy. Her focus is on gender (as befits the subject), but her work gradually yields a subtle examination of the perspectives, motives and positions of the women who confront its cultural manifestations. Like all good history, this reads like a movie waiting to happen. Jackie Cochran is the most intriguing character of the lot, with her political savvy and daredevil streak taking her from setting records on the tarmac to meetings in the Oval Office. Jerrie Cobb, the more public face of the original group of women at the climax of these events, suffered from a political naivety, but came to see the structural impediments to women perhaps more clearly than anyone. Easily the best piece of social and cultural history I've read this year.
Books:
- The Right Thing To Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy
- The Technique of Film and Video Editing, Fourth Edition: History, Theory, and Practice
- The Technique of the Professional Make-Up Artist
- The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good
- Twister On Tuesday (Magic Tree House #23)
- Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
- Understanding Movies
- Untouchable: A Biography of Robert DeNiro
- War Is a Racket: The Anti-War Classic by America's Most Decorated General, Two Other Anti=Interventionist Tracts, and Photographs from the Horror of It
- America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- CCNP Video Mentor
- The Only Dog Training Book You Will Ever Need: From Avoiding Accidents to Banishing Barking, the Bas
- Peanuts: A Golden Celebration: The Art and the Story of the World's Best-Loved Comic Strip
- The Captivity of the Oatman Girls Among the Apache and Mohave Indians
- The Killing of a President: The Complete Photographic Record of the Assassination, the Conspiracy, a
- The Red Badge of Courage
- The Genus Iris
- You Don't Have to Take It: A Woman's Guide to Confronting Emotional Abuse at Work
- Spectacular Nature: Corporate Culture and the Sea World Experience
- Commercial Espionage: 79 Ways Competitors Can Get Any Business Secrets
