NSS Book Reviews: Non-Fiction Books

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Book Reviews: NON-FICTION BOOKS FICTION BOOKS CHILDREN'S BOOKS

List of Reviewed Non-Fiction Books

Most recently added reviews listed first
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Out of This World: The New Field of Space Architecture, A. Scott Howe and Brent Sherwood, editors (2009). Gorgeously illustrated textbook of architectural concepts as applied to space (from habs to cities).

Voices from the Moon, by Andrew Chaikin with Victoria Kohl (2009). High-def photos combined with the words of the lunar astronauts themselves makes this book a cut above.

License to Orbit, by Joseph Pelton and Peter Marshall (2009). Knowledgeable authors cover the wide spectrum of space tourism operations.

Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story, by David Hitt, Owen Garriott, and Joe Kerwin (2008). Provides an excellent oral history of the Skylab program, including Alan Bean’s complete journal from the Skylab II mission.

The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2009). Offers hilarious documentation of the uproar over Pluto's loss of planetary status, as well as a serious look at how the decision was made.

Planetology: Unlocking the Secrets of the Solar System, by Tom Jones and Ellen Stofan (2008). Published by National Geographic, the book is packed with compelling images and informative text.

Escaping the Bonds of Earth: The Fifties and the Sixties, by Ben Evans (2009). A comprehensive and finely crafted history of human spaceflight through Apollo 8.

The Nuclear Rocket: Making our Planet Green, Peaceful and Prosperous, by James Dewar (2009). Argues that the nuclear reactor is the only viable primary source of economical rocket power.

Lunar Outpost: The Challenges of Establishing a Human Settlement on the Moon, by Erik Seedhouse (2009). A narrative of the key mission architecture elements comprising NASA's plan for returning astronauts to the Moon.

NASA/ART: 50 Years of Exploration, edited by James D. Dean and Bertram Ulrich (2008). Showcases some of the paintings that NASA commissioned as part of its historic art program.

A Passion for Mars, by Andrew Chaikin (2008). The author of the landmark A Man on the Moon offers striking new information about humankind’s quest for the Red Planet.

Boys' Books, Boys' Dreams, and the Mystique of Flight, by Fred Erisman (2006). A fun yet academic study of juvenile aviation adventure book series from 1910-1950, entwined with the scientific advances of the era covered.

Saturn 1/1B, by Alan Lawrie (2008). A comprehensive history of the rocket that started the Apollo program on its way to the Moon.

How to Live on Mars, by Robert Zubrin (2008). Everything you need to know to achieve Great Wealth and Fame on Mars.

Space Enterprise: Living and Working Offworld in the 21st Century, by Philip Robert Harris (2009). An excellently referenced compendium of the behavioral and social science issues related to the creation of a spacefaring civilization.

Red Moon Rising, by Matthew Brzezinski (2007). Captures the essence of the opening of the Space Age with masterful political savvy.

Apollo EECOM: Journey of a Lifetime, by Sy Liebergot (2008 reprint from 2003). A unique first person account of the behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded on Apollo and Skylab missions.

Solar Sails: A Novel Approach to Interplanetary Travel, by Giovanni Vulpetti, Les Johnson, and Gregory L. Matloff (2008). The definitive book on solar sails for both the technical and the non-technical reader.

The Moon: Resources, Future Development, and Settlement, 2nd Edition, by David Schrunk, Burton Sharpe, Bonnie Cooper, and Madhu Thangavelu (2007). On the technological development of lunar resources leading to a global lunar infrastructure and civilization.

To the End of the Solar System: The Story of the Nuclear Rocket, by James A. Dewar (2008). A comprehensive description of the technical details of the development and testing of the nuclear rocket as well as the politics that sealed its fate.

Canada's Fifty Years in Space, by Gordon Shepherd and Agnes Kruchio (2008). As enjoyable to read as it is a thoroughly comprehensive history of Canada's space efforts.

Mars Wars, by Thor Hogan (2007). Chronicles the reasons for the failure of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) in the early 1990s.

Moonrush, by Dennis Wingo (2004). Makes a strong case that there are important reasons for humans to return to the Moon, as well as why past efforts have failed.

New Moon Rising, by Frank Sietzen Jr. and Keith Cowing (2004). Provides the inside story of the formation of a major space policy in 2004: The Vision for Space Exploration.

Tourists in Space, by Erik Seedhouse (2008). A nuts-and-bolts look at suborbital and orbital space tourism, particularly for those people considering signing up for a ride into space.

The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook, by Robert Godwin (2007). A fascinating tour of more than 200 proposed lunar vehicles, with beautiful color illustrations and designs that until now have existed only as blueprints.

Live from Cape Canaveral, by Jay Barbree (2007). A master reporter makes the last 50 years of spaceflight come alive.

SpaceShipOne: An Illustrated History, by Dan Linehan (2008). A coffee-table book offering narrative details and pictures of this history-making vehicle.

First Man, by James R. Hansen (2005). The first-ever authorized biography of Neil Armstrong, masterfully written by James Hansen, a professor of history at Auburn University.

The Living Cosmos, by Chris Impey (2007). A readable survey of astrobiology and how it may lead to deeper knowledge of our place in the universe.

Von Braun, by Michael Neufeld (2007). Probably the definitive biography of this "dreamer of space, engineer of war."

Distant Worlds: Milestones in Planetary Exploration, by Peter Bond (2007). Compelling account of what 50 years of space missions have told us about all the bodies in the solar system.

Astro Turf, by M. G. Lord (2005). A personal account of how JPL's hierarchical, male-oriented management structure gradually shifted to a more inclusive model.

Skywalking: An Astronaut's Memoir, by Tom Jones (2006). Former NASA astronaut Tom Jones offers a not-so-rosy glimpse at U.S.-Russian space relations.

Riding Rockets, by Mike Mullane (2006). Former NASA astronaut Mike Mullane pulls back the cover on the astronaut corps, revealing the humor and humanity missing from the agency's official biographies.

Space Race: The Epic Battle between America and the Soviet Union for Dominion of Space, by Deborah Cadbury (2006). A somewhat pedestrian account of the epic tale of two dreamers on opposite sides of the "battle" for the heavens: Wernher von Braun and Sergei Korolev.

50 Years in Space, by Patrick Moore, illustrated by David A. Hardy (2006). Noted author-astronomer and BBC commentator attempts to rekindle the wonder of the Space Age.

The Case for Mars, by Robert Zubrin (1996/1997). "Bob Zubrin really, nearly alone, changed our thinking on this issue."—Carl Sagan

The Singularity is Near, by Ray Kurzweil (2006). How might the hypothetical "Technological Singularity"—when computers become smarter than humans and take over their own evolution—affect space development?

Spacecraft Films Apollo DVD Sets (2003-2006). These DVD sets provide the chance to see the Apollo missions as the astronauts did.

Dragonfly: NASA and the Crisis Aboard Mir, by Bryan Burrough (1998). The fascinating inside story of seven American astronauts and their missions to the dangerously decaying Mir space station.

Space and Astronomy: Decade by Decade, by Marianne J. Dyson (2007). A clear and easy-to-understand resource for high school and college students, educators and the general public.

ISScapades, by Donald A. Beattie (2007). Does an admirable job of providing the reader with an understanding of why we have the space station we have.

Rocketeers, by Michael Belfiore (2007). A personal glimpse into the space entrepreneur and why people will risk fortunes and even their lives in an effort to open space to a wider audience.

The Voice of Dr. Wernher Von Braun, edited by Irene E. Powell-Willhite (2007). A collection of speeches by Wernher von Braun.

In the Shadow of the Moon, movie directed by David Sington and produced by Ron Howard (2007). Remember when the whole world looked up? Beautifully edited with new footage and no narration, the Apollo astronauts tell their own story.

Utilization of Space, edited by Berndt Feuerbacher and Heinz Stoewer (2005). A comprehensive scholarly book addressing how space contributes to the advancement and betterment of human society.

The Space Shuttle Decision, by T. A. Heppenheimer (1999). A masterful piece of research and writing, this volume deals with the technical, economic, and political factors in the initial decision to build the Shuttle (time period 1965-1972).

Rocket Man: Robert H. Goddard and the Birth of the Space Age, by David A. Clary (2003). This balanced biography provides a fascinating look at this unique, talented, and contradictory man who was the unquestioned pioneer of liquid rocket propulsion in America.

Too Far From Home, by Chris Jones (2007). The true story of what it was like to be stranded aboard the International Space Station after the loss of the Shuttle Columbia.

Roving Mars, by Steven W. Squyres (2005). The passionate story of the human perserverance involved in creating the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.

Space on Earth: Saving Our World By Seeking Others, by Charles S. Cockell (2007). "Environmentalism and space exploration have one and the same objective: to ensure humanity has a home."

Across the Space Frontier, by Wernher von Braun, et. al. (1952). First in a set of three books that are expanded treatments of a series of articles in Collier's magazine that inspired a generation of Americans.

Conquest of the Moon, by Wernher von Braun, et. al. (1953). The greatest space visionaries of the 1950s lay out a highly ambitious plan for exploring the Moon.

The Exploration of Mars, by Wernher von Braun & Willey Ley (1956). The father of the U.S. space program and the founding president of the National Space Institute (now National Space Society) describes his plans for exploring Mars.

Where Is Everybody? Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox, by Stephen Webb (2002). Are there any spacefaring civilizations out there? Either answer leads to a paradox. This stimulating feast for the mind is a scholarly yet highly readable work "for any reader interested in science and the sheer pleasure of speculative thinking."

Science, Society and the Search for Life in the Universe, by Bruce Jakosky (2006). An astrobiologist attempts to understand humans and their place in the universe. A book for the space philosopher.

A Traveler's Guide To Mars, by William K. Hartmann (2003). "A masterpiece of scientific writing for the general reader" that provides an integrated understanding of what makes Mars "tick."

Reference Guide to the International Space Station, by Gary Kitmacher (2006). Provides a high level overview of the incredibly complex International Space Station program without drowning the reader in an ocean of facts.

Postcards from Mars, by Jim Bell (2006). A coffee-table book of fabulous photos that also includes the compelling human story behind the successful Spirit and Opportunity rovers.

Sex in Space, by Laura Woodmansee (2006). An interesting study in possibilities that have not as yet been documented, and a good starting point for future space tourists and planners.

Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth, by Andrew Smith (2005). Where do you go after you've been to the Moon? If you ever wanted to have a personal discussion with the moonwalkers, this is the book for you.

Mining the Sky, by John S. Lewis (1997). One of the most important books space advocates can own. Provides a justification and roadmap for incorporating the material and energy resources of the solar system into the world’s economy.

Colonies in Space, by T. A. Heppenheimer (1977). The best book on space settlement written to date – full of colorful narrative and satisfying, but clearly explained, technical detail.

2081: A Hopeful View of the Human Future, by Gerard K. O'Neill (1981). This second book by O'Neill describes his thoughts on anticipated advancements in computers, automation, space colonies, energy, and communications.

Saturn: A New View, by Laura Lovett, Joan Horvath, and Jeff Cuzzi (2006). An incredible volume of history, facts, and 150 awe-inspiring photographs of the planet and its moons, taken from the Cassini and Huygens spacecraft.

Apollo Moon Missions: The Unsung Heroes, by Billy Watkins (2005). Profiles fourteen among the many workers who made the small steps that led to the giant leap.

Saturn, by Alan Lawrie (2005). The definitive reference work on what is arguably the crowning achievement of American aerospace technology, the Saturn V Moon rocket.

Return to the Moon: Exploration, Enterprise, and Energy in the Human Settlement of Space, by Harrison H. Schmitt (2005). The last man to set foot on the Moon takes a hard look at the economic and technological gains in getting back to where we once belonged.

The Space Tourist's Handbook, by Eric Anderson and Joshua Piven (2005). The "wealthy hitchhiker's" guide to space, with emphasis on the details of a Soyuz launch to the International Space Station.

Life as We Do Not Know It: The NASA Search for (and Synthesis of) Alien Life, by Peter Ward (2005). Sets a research agenda aimed at unraveling the profound questions: What is life, and where does it exist?

The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space, 3rd Edition, by Gerard K. O'Neill (2000). In one of THE great books about space development, O'Neill offered answers to most of humanity’s energy problems and at the same time planned for a grand expansion of the human race into the solar system.

To Rise From Earth: An Easy-to-Understand Guide to Spaceflight, 2nd Edition, by Jeffrey Bennett (2000). An in-depth, straight-forward, visually pleasing description of all aspects of spaceflight.

Halfway to Anywhere: Achieving America's Destiny in Space, by G. Harry Stine (1996). Stine's most important book, on the subject of how to greatly reduce the cost of getting to orbit, includes the fascinating inside story of the Delta Clipper program.

Space Books Non-Fiction Books Fiction Books Children's Books

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X Last updated on Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 21:46:07