Amazon.com
Edith Hamilton loved the ancient Western myths with a passion--and this classic compendium is her tribute. "The tales of Greek mythology do not throw any clear light upon what early mankind was like," Hamilton explains in her introduction. "They do throw an abundance of light upon what early Greeks were like--a matter, it would seem, of more importance to us, who are their descendents intellectually, artistically, and politically. Nothing we learn about them is alien to ourselves." Fans of Greek mythology will find all the great stories and characters here--Perseus, Hercules, and Odysseus--each discussed in generous detail by the voice of an impressively knowledgeable and engaging (with occasional lapses) narrator. This is also an excellent primer for middle- and high-school students who are studying ancient Greek and Roman culture and literature. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Edith Hamilton loved the ancient Western myths with a passion--and this classic compendium is her tribute. "The tales of Greek mythology do not throw any clear light upon what early mankind was like," Hamilton explains in her introduction. "They do throw an abundance of light upon what early Greeks were like--a matter, it would seem, of more importance to us, who are their descendents intellectually, artistically, and politically. Nothing we learn about them is alien to ourselves." Fans of Greek mythology will find all the great stories and characters here--Perseus, Hercules, and Odysseus--each discussed in generous detail by the voice of an impressively knowledgeable and engaging (with occasional lapses) narrator. This is also an excellent primer for middle- and high-school students who are studying ancient Greek and Roman culture and literature. --Gail Hudson
Customer Reviews:
Mythology.......2007-08-20
I purchased this item for my son. He said it was good reading and had a lot of information.
interesting book.......2007-01-06
I've always been interested in greek mythology so this book was a good source of information I really like greek mythology storys about GOds and Goddesses and heros so I have to say I really liked this book.
one of the better written retellings of the Greek Myths.......2006-09-06
Edith Hamilton (now passed) has a living work of art in her stead by the name of Mythology. This congolmerate work of the world's oldest known tales is likely the most concise and accredited version worthy of the haughtiest bookshelf.
I breezed through most of the short stories and really ate up the ones of tragic love and happily ever afters, but through this version, readers can easily distinguish the story being told and enjoy the characters. Hamilton's writing it prosaic and timeless, perfect for Greek Myths. This collection is something that can even be of use to students of all ages and I can easily see myself coming back to this book a great many times for not only learning but enjoyment.
Highly recommended read, especially for the Greek in all of us!
Mythology.......2006-05-19
This book, mythology by Edith Hamilton is a pretty good book for pleasure and it has pretty good information too. The only downside of this book is that it doesnt keep your intrest that well. After the introduction, most parts are exciting, but there are still a few dull parts.
This book goes through many sections of greek mythology and a bit of norse mythology at the end. At first, the book starts out with talking about the gods and goddesses and then it moves onto stories of the gods and demi gods. This is a easy to understand book that is also a lot of fun if you are looking at it from a certain point of view.
Your Beginning And Ending Reference Book For Greek/Roman Myths.......2005-10-24
This Is One I First Read In High School And Have Returned To Often.Dame Edith's Reference Book Is The Definative Encyclopedia Of Mythology.
This Is A Book That Can Be Read By Lovers Of Adventure At Any Age.Arranged In Interesting And Fun Chapters Starting With The Beginning Of The World Where Mother Earth And Father Heaven Give Birth To The Titans,To The Birth Of THEIR Children And How They Took Over The World When The Twelve Major Gods And Goddesses Overpowered Them,To The Forming Of Man And The Gift Of Woman To Him.From There It Branches To The Everyday Heros And The Children Of The Gods-Jason And The Argonauts,Hercules,Perseus And His Battle With Medusa,And Many More.
All Of These Wonderous Stories Are Here To Enjoy Over And Over And Over Again.And You Can Find And Love Them In This Volume.It Even Includes Their Roman Counterparts And An Introduction To Egyptian Mythology As Well.You Won't Be Bored,And You Will Never Be Tired Of Them.
What The Magic Of Reading Is Made Of.
Product Description
Apollo Root Cause Analysis is about effective problem solving. It is truly a new way of thinking that will ensure effective solutions to almost any kind of problem. Discover new communications tools that are revolutionizing the way people all around the world think, communicate, and make decisions together. This is a life-changing book that will enable people and organizations to effectively communicate and solve problems without the usual conflicts. This is a unique event-based problem solving method utilized by many Fortune 500 companies, NASA, and the FAA. There is no other problem solving process like this. In this book readers will learn more about the cause and effect principle than has ever been documented before. They will also learn why 70% to 80% of the general population are ineffective problem solvers and why conventional problem solving methods don't work. The number one skill every employer wants in an employee is good problem solving skills, yet problem solving is not taught in school. Apollo Root Cause Analysis and its supporting software, RealityChartingTM makes everyone a skilled problem solver.
Customer Reviews:
Good Presentation of Yet Another RCA Method.......2006-01-07
This was a good-great book for the Apollo method but as one who has read a lot of these types of books, e.g., TQM, I found the sales pitch a little strong. The explanations were excellent with a step-by-step development, but I see nothing special here. Almost any RCA book will provide similar material. An alternative to this book could be: "Root Cause Analysis A tool for total quality management," or "Quality Improvement Toos & Techniques." The later is an excellent overview of the methods available for investigating problems --- and it is fairly inexpensive. I recommend Dean Gano's book if the Apollo RCA is your flavor.
A unique approach.......2004-01-22
Apollo is the name given by the author to his unique approach to root cause analysis. I'm assuming this (Apollo) explains why there is a naked man on the cover, either that or this is the most unique author photo I have ever seen. The book focuses on causal relationships, emphasizing that there are often many causes (factors) contributing to an undesirable outcome. The author's insights on casual relationships and human behavior are extraordinary, it is obvious he is passionate about this topic and has had extensive experience with it. In addition to explaining " A new way of thinking", the author details specific tools (his own version of a cause-and-effect chart) that are the core of the Apollo method. And just when I started thinking that it would be great if there was software available to do this, he mentions that he has such a product available.
There were a few things I didn't like about the book. In fact, after receiving the book, the combination of the naked dude on the cover (which still creeps me out) and the opening paragraph in the "How to read this book" section which you just have to say "Duh!" to, almost convinced me to not read the book at all. In addition, the branding of "Apollo" throughout the book ( frequent references to "the Apollo method", "the Apollo process", "Apollo tools") made some sections read like scripts from an infomercial. These are minor gripes though, and I'm glad I got by them and took the time to read this excellent book
Great introductory work.......2002-05-02
I teach root cause analysis and have been a practicing failure analyst for nearly 15 years. I've had the priviledge of working with some very expert people in this field. Dean Gano does a great job taking what can be a very confusing and intimidating task and making it clear and understandable.
Dean Gano has been honing his craft for many years and is well respected in the failure analysis community. The only criticism I have is that the process is more geared to providing supporting evidence for possible causes of events. There needs to be more discussion of the need for refuting evidence.
Cause analysis at its best is a structured application of scientific principles (referred to as the scientific method). What the scientific method requires is that you pose a hypothesis (a possible explanation for what has happened) and then gather evidence to support or refute the hypothesis.
I recommend that anyone interested in a better understanding of how refuting evidence is used read "The Rational Manager" by Chuck Kepner and Ben Tregoe. It's the foundational work that provides a complete solution for resolving concerns (problems, decisions, etc). The "Rational Manager" has you break things down and deal with them separately. Dean Gano's book helps you see the larger picture. The other book I use as required reading for our root cause analysts is "Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents" by James Reason. Together, these three references will help you to significantly improve your ability to resolve problems and will be the three books you will refer to over and over again.
A "Must Read" for anyone investigating failure incidents.......2002-02-02
After several years of pumping equipment failure analysis engineering, this is by far the best book I've read about the failure analysis and problem solving process. Dean Gano's approach covers the full spectrum of associated issues in a very efficient and flexible manner. He challenges a lot of failure analysis "conventional wisdom" in a very convincing manner, truly creating "a new way of thinking" that should greatly improve failure solutions.
Excellent for doing Med Error Root Cause Analysis..........2001-06-28
Read several books and this seems to get to the heart of the matter in the least amount of time. Book is well written, to the point and will get you going within 24 hours.
Book Description
In April 1970, during the glory days of the Apollo space program, NASA sent Navy Captain Jim Lovell and two other astronauts on America's fifth mission to the moon. Only fifty-five hours into the flight of Apollo 13, disaster struck: a mysterious explosion rocked the ship, and soon its oxygen and power began draining away. Commander Lovell and his crew watched in alarm as the cockpit grew darker, the air grew thinner, and the instruments winked out one by one. The full story of the moon shot that almost ended in catastrophe has never been told, but now Lovell and coauthor Jeffrey Kluger bring it to vivd life. What begins as a smooth flight is transformed into a hair-raising voyage from the moment Lovell calls out, "Houston, we've got a problem." Minutes after the explosion, the astronauts are forced to abandon the main ship for the lunar module, a tiny craft designed to keep two men alive for just two days. But there are three men aboard, and they are four days from home. As the hours tick away, the narrative shifts from the crippled spacecraft to Mission Control, from engineers searching desperately for solutions to Lovell's wife and children praying for his safe return. The entire nation watches as one crisis after another is met and overcome. By the time the ship splashes down in the Pacific, we understand why the heroic effort to rescue Lovell and his crew is considered by many to be NASA's finest hour. This riveting book puts the reader right in the spacecraft during one of the worst disasters in the history of space exploration. Written with all the color and drama of the best fiction, Lost Moon is the true story of a thrilling adventure and an astonishing triumph over nearly impossible odds. It was a major Oscar(R)-nominated motion picture directed by Ron Howard and starred Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon.
Customer Reviews:
Remarkable narrative account.......2007-01-21
This book was the basis for the movie Apollo 13. America had become complacent about our space shots by this time, which is something I still do not understand. But that may be because I worked so long at the Kennedy Space Center and always knew and still understand how dangerous each and every launch is. Apollo 13 was to have been the fifth mission to the moon. But two days into the trip, on April 13, 1970, the oxygen tank exploded in the command module, placing the three astronauts in grave danger. Lovell describes those terrifying days as astronauts, contractors, and Mission Controlled struggled to bring Apollo 13 safely back to earth. If you want to read what really happened by someone who was there...this is the book for you.
Amazing!.......2006-12-31
This well written book is a great time line of what really happened. I also enjoy the movie and this book fills in the gaps that were not covered in the movie. Also gives detailed accounts of nearly everyone involved in this mission.
Good General and Technical Detail About a Near-Disaster in Space.......2006-11-15
As someone who has been fascinated with space flight since childhood, and who well remembers the real Apollo 13 from his teenage years, I found this book a fascinating reminder of history. However, this book is about much more than the aborted flight of Apollo 13. It includes historical flashbacks that involved astronaut James Lovell. One chapter describes Lovell's teenage years as he launched homemade rockets. Another summarizes the early years of space exploration in the wake of Sputnik 1. Still another describes the selection of Lovell as an astronaut in late 1962. There is also a chapter on the Apollo 1 fire. Some of Lovell's closest friends perished in that needless tragedy. There is a fine description of the historical flight of Apollo 8, that Christmas lunar orbit in 1968. It included a reading from the Book of Genesis.
Now on to Apollo 13. In preparations for potential in-space emergencies, no one had imagined the simultaneous loss of both main oxygen tanks and all three fuel cells. This left the Odyssey itself with only a few hours of remaining oxygen, water, and electricity. Lovell and Kluge note that mission rules forbid a lunar landing if only one fuel cell becomes inoperable, even if nothing else is wrong. But the "Can the moon landing be saved?" quickly gave way to "Can the astronaut's lives be saved?"
The initial belief was that a meteoroid must have hit the ship. This later was discounted when the blown-open side of the service module became visible shortly after being jettisoned prior to re-entry. Clearly, the explosion must have originated from within the service module itself. Later investigation pointed to a confluence of factors, none decisive in and of themselves, that had combined to precipitate the near-tragedy. To begin with, the wrong-power fuses were being used within the oxygen tanks. When overloaded, they simply melted, allowing the overload of electricity to pass through. During assembly, the oxygen tank had been dropped, damaging an exit tube. During launch-pad exercises, the liquid oxygen was drained past the damaged exit tube by applying extra heat and driving the oxygen out another way. The sensor was not designed to warn of overheating above 80 F. Meanwhile, this procedure had unknowingly raised the temperatures to impossible levels, burning the insulation off much of the wire inside the oxygen tank. The first two times the stirring fan was turned on in space, there was no problem. But the third time, a spark must have flown and ignited the damaged insulation in the pure-oxygen environment, causing the explosion. The explosion itself damaged a tube connected to the second oxygen tank, thus draining it.
The book provides good detail about the dangers and challenges associated with the abort procedure itself. The decision was made not to attempt to fire the service module engine in order to reverse the flight direction in a deep-space abort, if only because the damaged service module might be unable to take the strain of the engine's thrust. The first critical burn of the lunar module's descent engine, done some six hours after the explosion and designed to change the hybrid trajectory back into a free-return trajectory, would have caused the Apollo 13 to crash into the far side of the moon if done incorrectly. Without the burn, however, Apollo 13 would be stuck in a 40,000 by 240,000 mile elliptical orbit around Earth. Thoughts were entertained about jettisoning the useless service module and using the lunar module's descent engine to accelerate the ship considerably--returning it from the vicinity of the moon to Earth in only some 36 hours. But this was not done out of fear that exposure of the command module's heat shield to the temperature extremes of space might damage it.
Everything on the ship had to be powered down--a strategy that worked, just barely. The severe cold aboard the ship, a secondary consequence of the powering down of all nonessential equipment, is described. The astronauts had a frosty breath. Some got urinary infections. They had a hard time getting comfortable enough to sleep.
The astronauts were slowly being poisoned by their own carbon dioxide. This was solved by the jury-rigging of the lithium hydroxide "scrubbers" of the command module to get them to fit into the circulation system of the lunar module. Just before re-entry, there were the challenges of successfully reviving the systems aboard the command module, and jettisoning both the service and lunar modules in a completely unconventional manner.
Add in my five stars please.......2005-12-05
If you're into the space program and what happened during this era, then I can't think of one reason why this shouldn't be in your library. It's one of my all-time favorite books.
An outstanding account, with one qualification.......2005-08-07
Jim Lovell's dreams of landing on the moon were literally blown away in April 1970, when an oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13's service module exploded less than a day away from lunar orbit, forcing the crew to limp home under perilous circumstances. More than two decades after surviving that mission, Lovell (with his co-author Jeffrey Kluger) has written an excellent account of that ill-fated moon flight.
LOST MOON is one of the best of the Apollo books I've read, especially one concerning a single mission. This is also one of the best books about the work of mission control, who were the key figures behind the successful return of the crew. It is as complete a description of this mission as we are ever likely to see. The attention to detail is on a very high level, and the amount of transcripted dialogue is plentiful, well presented, and from a myriad of sources. There are a number of slightly testy exchanges between Lovell's crew and mission control, highlighting the tension of the situation in an honest and unapologetic manner. The examination of exactly how the accident happened, as told in the epilogue, is covered exceptionally well.
An aspect of the book that bothered me was the decision to use a third-person narrative throughout (which is defended unconvincingly in the author's notes). I had never before read any autobiographical account in which the central figure is treated in the third person. Basically, I was looking forward to reading Lovell's descriptions of events using his own voice and experience, and that didn't quite happen. To read Lovell -- one of the most engaging personalities of all the early astronauts -- diminished by such an impersonal, veiled perspective was disappointing. It adds nothing to the writing, and ultimately I felt it was a disservice to the book, though a minor one. If the authors had their doubts about mixing third-person and first-person perspectives successfully, they could have taken some cues from Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, who wrote two books in that style and who is regarded as perhaps the best writer among the former astronauts.
Despite its compromises in narrative style, LOST MOON (or APOLLO 13, depending on the format) is an outstanding biographical account of the failed 1970 moon flight. It is potentially a five-star book if the writing had been appropriately personal when it counted the most.
Book Description
Here is a rare perspective on a story we only thought we knew. For Apollo 11, the first moon landing, is a story that belongs to many, not just the few and famous. It belongs to the seamstress who put together twenty-two layers of fabric for each space suit. To the engineers who created a special heat shield to protect the capsule during its fiery reentry. It belongs to the flight directors, camera designers, software experts, suit testers, telescope crew, aerospace technicians, photo developers, engineers, and navigators. Gathering direct quotes from some of these folks who worked behind the scenes, Catherine Thimmesh reveals their very human worries and concerns. Culling NASA transcripts, national archives, and stunning NASA photos from Apollo 11, she captures not only the sheer magnitude of this feat but also the dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance of the greatest team everthe team that worked to first put man on that great gray rock in the sky.
Customer Reviews:
Will use this in class........2007-05-12
I will use this book in my middle school curriculum when I teach about space. When I showed it to students, they pretty much just looked at the pictures. After they watched "Apollo 13" it made a lot more sense to them. Then they wanted to understand more about the technology available at the time. This book makes a great companion piece to "The Right Stuff" and "The Dish" as well. If you are trying to get a historical perspective on that time period and didn't live through it as some of us did, please do yourself a favor and read it. The current textbooks cannot portray the taste of adventure we felt each time the astronauts voyaged out into dangerous places,as students back home gathered around black and white TV's brought into the classrooms to watch splashdowns. Knowing that the support structures have to be so huge may help people both understand why it costs so much to run a space program as well as perhaps pursue careers in the aerospace industry that are not just in the small astronaut corps.
team moon.......2007-03-25
i thought this book was great. i added it to my classroom library and the students love it too.
A Good Read for all ages.......2007-01-10
Definitely a juvenile-oriented work, but nonetheless very interesting and full of information not generally provided in accounts of the first manned moon landing.
An Adventure in Science Fiction.......2006-11-22
Though I typically lean towards fantasy and adventure-themed novels, this was one of the few science fiction books I was able to appreciate, not only for its interesting word choice, but also for its unexpected suspense. The author of this book really paints an image in your mind. The beginning, for me, was something I had to somewhat struggle through, but once I got past it, I was able to dive into the past, understanding the fears of the unknown that the people of that time must have faced. What was it like to go to the moon, to step onto that land that no man can describe? And 400,000...that's no small number, just as it was no small feat to land Apollo 11 on the moon.
~From the reader
Simply Breathtaking.......2006-11-08
I apologize for paraphrasing the title of Dr. Jones's review, but it really is appropriate and fitting; the book does give you "a catch in the throat [and] a hint of a happy tear in [your] eye in admiration for the men and women of Apollo" on so many different levels. Through her compelling writing and her keen eye for selecting breathtaking photos (in Thimmesh's context, even black and white, mission control shots are "breathtaking"), as well as the stunning layout and design she herself put together for the book, Ms. Thimmesh truly impresses on the reader the incredible nature of the mission and the accomplishments of so many who contributed to the endeavor.
I would reiterate the comments dismissing out of hand Mr. Waldron's completely off the mark review (and would ask other readers to consider the response to Mr. Walderon's review by clicking on the comments to his review). It would be a shame if any reader (and particularly children who did not have the privilige of experiencing those historic events first hand) were disuaded from reading the book and sharing, at least at some level, in the wonderous accomplishments of so many. It is hard to understand how one could not encourage everyone they know to read this book; failing to do so would not only deprive someone of (re)experiencing the truly awe inspiring nature of this epic event, it also deprives those who did so much for mankind (and it is hard to overstate the importance of their accomplishments--if on no other level than the perspective it gave humanity on the chunk of rock they share with each other) of some long overdue recogintion.
This is truly a book that should be read by everyone--not just children--to try and regain that perspective. I recomend it wholeheartedly to everyone.
The book is Simply Breathtaking!
Book Description
NASA astronaut Michael Collins was the first man to walk in space and also piloted the first manned craft to land on the moon.
Customer Reviews:
great book.......2007-09-10
I read this when it was first published, and read it again twice. It's wonderful - it gives you a sense of what the astronaut program was like, what it was intended to do, and what it did. And above all, a great appreciation for pioneers - anyone who's willing to go into the unknown.
Great book from a great astronaut.......2007-08-09
It's been many years since I read this book as I purchased it shortly after it was initially published in paperback. As I remember and I have to promise myself to reread it, this really is one of the finest if not the finest book written by an astronaut. It really showed me what it was like to be part of the crew of the first landing mission to the moon even though it was "only" from the perspective of the guy who got to stay in orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin got all the glory from the surface of the moon. I really believed that Collins really was comfortable with that role and never expected to get a landing assignment down the road.
Really great book.
one of the best of the genre.......2007-07-18
This is a great first hand peek behind the people with 'The Right Stuff.' The book is very balanced, chatty (& sometimes catty), instructive, technical and humorous. Collins is a natural storyteller with an eye for the absurd and the ridiculous. It will please space buffs and non-space buffs alike. Collins puts a real human slant on the epic of the race to the moon which is infinitely more fascinating than the cardboard one-dimensional heroes we were presented with by the media in the sixties.
Best book written by an astronaut, period.......2007-05-10
Michael Collins' "Carrying the Fire" is the best first-person account written by a Gemini/Apollo-era astronaut. Collins' narrative is told from a layman's perspective and does a great job of explaining the more complex aspects of lunar spaceflight in terms all can understand.
Collins also portrays his, in my opinion, major contributions to the space program and personal abilities in a very humble, almost self-deprecating fashion; all an unusual trait for an astronaut. There is a striking comparison between Collins' descriptions of his own endeavors and abilities and those by other authors, such as Deke Slayton in "Deke" or Gene Cernan in "Last Man on the Moon".
I read this for the first time over 20 years ago, and continue to take it off the shelf from time to time. It's easily one of my top five favorite non-fiction titles.
Factual errors.......2007-03-28
One major error was related to the fact that Mike refers to Cliff Charlesworth's team as the White Team. In fact, the White Team was run by the lead Flight Director, Gene Kranz. Cliff ran the Green Team.
Book Description
Out of print for fifteen years, this is the classic account of how the United States got to the moon. It is a book for those who were part of Apollo and want to recapture the experience and for those of a new generation who want to know how it was done. It is an opinon shared by many Apollo veterans. Republished in 2004 with a new Foreword by the authors.
Customer Reviews:
A Book Every System Engineer Should Read.......2007-09-08
We used some parts of this book in our Systems Engineering lecture, at Turkish Military Academy Defense Sciences Institute (I was a student at the lecture). Later I purchased the book and read the whole book.
Of course I am not in a position to state the correctness and completeness of the contents. I rely on other people's comments on these criteria. But accepting the contents as correct and complete, the book clearly describes how a huge R&D project can be run (or can not be run), from every point of view. It is the next best thing after participation in a such project.
I believe every engineer and technical administrator has many things to learn from the book.
I highly recommend the book. I do not know whether it is also used as a lecture aid in other academies. If it is not so, another recommendation the the lecturers: The book contains one of the best case studies.
probably the best book of all about the Apollo program .......2007-08-26
full of great stories, names, dates, places, very accurate. another great book is Moon Lander. conspiracy buffs, read this book and all your questions will be answered. ( oh, i forgot, you dont want to really know the facts, sorry ).
Comprehensive!.......2007-06-12
I found this 'history' very comprehensive. Like all others on Apollo certain areas receive deeper treatment than others. I found it heavy going in parts but it is good value for money. A pity it was out of print for so long.
Absolutely Wonderful.......2007-05-27
This is the best book I've read to date on the moon program.
The intent of that statement is not meant to denegrate the other books in my collection (Lost Moon, Failure Is Not An Option, Flight My Life in Mission Control, A Man On The Moon, and Moon Lander) as they were all great books in this reviewer's opinion.
It's just that "Apollo" is a level above those.
A must read.......2007-04-11
For anyone who is intersted in learning about the Apollo moon program, this book, combined with Andrew Chaikin's "A Man on the Moon", should be considered the two essential baseline texts. The two compliment each other perfectly. AMOTM describes things primarily from the astronaut point of view, while this book fills in the perspective of the engineers, administrators, and controllers who made it all happen.
An excellent page-turner. If you're interested in Apollo, this book is not to be missed.
Customer Reviews:
The real deal.......2005-10-07
Col Aldrin shares not only his personal insite of the space race and space flight mechanics, but offers his intellect and wisdom on the future of mankind. The book is a must read for all space exploration enthusists and would be adventure seekers. Col Aldrin is truely the cutting edge of man's reaching out in the universe. Highly recomended read.
The best book on the Apollo program I have read.......2004-12-02
When there is a discussion regarding the creation of a vast new technology, proponents generally use the phrase, "Manhattan project for _________." This is of course a reference to the vast project that led to the development of the atomic bomb. It surprises me that this is used rather than a reference to the Apollo project that put people on the moon. To date, no one has found a use for nuclear weapons other than destruction, but the technical and psychological benefits of the American space program were tremendous. Both projects were enormous in scope and success required the invention of whole new technologies.
Buzz Aldrin was one of three astronauts in the Apollo 11 mission and the second man to walk on the moon. He was a fighter pilot, but like the rest of the early astronaut corps, combined that with a great deal of intelligence. Buzz earned a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in manned space rendezvous. Therefore, he understands a great deal of the theory behind the movement of space vehicles, which was very helpful in the early days of trying to rendezvous with another space vehicle.
This book is his recollection of the American space program; from the time the first German V2 delivered a deadly warhead to the ignominious aftermath of the Apollo program. His fundamental understanding of many of the principles of space flight is evident, making this different from most of the other histories of the American space program. He also creates two parallel time tracks, one describing the American successes and the other the actions of the Soviets.
Those who understand the history of the times realize that the greatest single impetus for the American space program occurred in the Soviet Union. Their launching of the Sputnik satellite and then the more incredible event of orbiting Yuri Gagarin created a great deal of anxiety in the United States and led to the "space race." While it was a source of great national pride and tremendous technical advancement, the space programs of the two superpowers was just another area of competition. Aldrin explains, as best he could in 1989, how the Soviet Union was able to accomplish what it did. Since most Soviet records were still unavailable at that time, there are many occasions when he resorts to informed speculation.
Aldrin was selected for the astronaut corps in 1963, while the Mercury project was still active. He describes the talent of the astronauts, as well as their fiercely competitive camaraderie. These people were fighter pilots and combat veterans. While they competed with the enemy for their lives and with their fellow pilots for advancement and glory, they also shared the common bonds of people who choose the life of danger. This is the best book about the Apollo program that I have read. Aldrin's combination of astronaut insider and knowledge of the technical details is what made it that way.
Another fine book by Buzz Aldrin/Apollo 11.......2000-05-28
This book is almost as good as Buzz's first book--Return To Earth from early 70's. Dr. Aldrin at least takes his time and makes the effort to share the Apollo 11 experience with us and also what was happening [space related] in America and in RUSSIA during Cold War/ Space race era, and compares the two " superpowers'" and what was happening at both places at same time intervals in the 60's. Much research and time spent in book
Buzz Moon.......2000-04-26
Aldring give us his insides in the Apollo 11 mission. His personal toughs about the Space Program the feelings of been one of the firsts to walk on the Moon. This is a must reed for any enthusiast of the Apollo Program.. You can relive the Gemini 12 space walk and the trill of the trying for the historic Apollo 11 mission
Lost in space.......2000-01-09
The author of this book went to the the moon but unfortunately the book still lurches in Earth orbit. Yes, the book is hard to get and my grateful thanks to Amazon for getting me a copy. Despite the splendor of the subject matter the book was a tough read. Too dry, too technical, too lost in words. Where was the personal touch? Where was Aldrin's inspiring rehabilitation from alcholism, the personal difficulties, the controversy over who would walk first on the moon. The latter makes it in print, but only just, and one can't quite help but feel with much selective editing. For real space buffs only.
Book Description
Written by members of the Apollo product team, this is the official guide to the Alpha release of Adobe Apollo, the new cross platform desktop runtime from Adobe Labs.
Apollo for Adobe Flex Developers Pocket Guide explains how to build and deploy Flash-based Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) to the desktop using Adobe's Flex framework. This book describes concisely how Apollo works, and offers numerous examples for those who want to start building RIAs for the desktop right away.
Why put RIAs on the desktop? They're already supposed to offer the responsiveness of desktop programs. Unfortunately, web browsers were designed to deliver and display HTML-based documents, not applications. The conflict between document- and application-focused functionality creates several problems when deploying applications via the browser.
Adobe Apollo gives you the best of both worlds -- the web development model and true desktop functionality. This pocket guide explains how to:
- Set up your development environment
- Create your first application
- Use the File I/O API
- Use HTML within Flex-based Apollo applications
- Use the included Apollo mini-cookbook for common tasks
The book also includes a guide to Apollo packages, classes, and command-line tools. Once you understand the basics of building a Flex-based Apollo application, this pocket guide makes an ideal reference for tackling specific problems.
Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good though out of date........2007-07-16
A worthwhile read, but it's already out of date (as it itself warns). Some of the things I tried didn't work because of deprecation. Easy to follow though. Glad I read it.
"Quick and Dirty" Overview.......2007-06-08
If you've been developing Flex, chances are good you've heard a little something about Apollo. This book provides a great overview -- I came away with an excellent understanding of Apollo's "whats" and "hows" within a half hour of picking up this book.
Good quick-start guide for building Flash-based RIA's with Apollo.......2007-05-05
This book is a good overview of what is involved building applications that use the Adobe Flex Framework with the cross-platform desktop runtime, Apollo. The book assumes that the reader has experience creating Flash-based applications using Flex and ActionScript 3.0, and that you want to leverage that experience and move on to deploying applications with Apollo. It is a good basic introduction to get you started, not an in-depth guide by any means.
1. Introduction to Apollo - Explains the difference between the Apollo runtime and Apollo applications, the capabilities and the limits of Apollo, and the basic structure of Apollo applications.
A Short History of Web Applications
Problems with Delivering Applications Via the Browser
Introducing the Apollo Runtime
Primary Apollo Technologies
2. Getting Started with Apollo Development - Discusses how to initialize your development environment and begin building Apollo applications that use the Flex framework. It shows you where to get the resources necessary for Apollo application development and goes through the details of writing and deploying a Hello World application.
Installing the Apollo Alpha 1 Runtime
What You Need in Order to Develop Apollo Applications
Building a Sample Apollo Application
Next Steps
3. Using HTML Within Flex-Based Apollo Applications - Describes how Apollo gives developers a new means of integrating HTML rendering into their desktop applications. Included are some basic applications that demonstrate how to write HTML-enabled Apollo applications.
HTML Support in Apollo
Using the Flex HTML Component
Using the HTMLControl Class
Script Bridging: Communicating Between ActionScript and JavaScript
4. Using the File System API - Discusses the various aspects of the Apollo file I/O API that enables applications to have a great deal of freedom in dealing with the files and directories of the user's computer. There are quite a few code snippets in this chapter that serve as simple examples.
Security Model
Accessing Files and Directories
Asynchronous and Synchronous Versions of Methods
Reading Directory Contents
Getting File Information
Copying and Moving Files and Directories
Creating Files and Directories
Deleting Files and Directories
Reading and Writing Files
5. Apollo Mini-Cookbook - O'Reilly, famous for its cookbook series, provides a mini cookbook of solutions to common problems in Apollo applications and includes working MXML code. Recipes include those for reading and writing text from a string, encoding data into PNG or JPEG format and writing it to the file system, and working with the Windowing API.
Working with the File System
Working with HTML
Using the Windowing API
Apollo Packages and Classes
Apollo Command-Line Tools
Actually you can find this book freely available online. Just type "Adobe Apollo for Flex developers pocket guide" without the quotes into Google. It should be the top address.
For the early-adopter .airHead.......2007-04-01
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Adobe's Apollo, in the just-released alpha runtime, is the latest entry in the world of "Rich Internet Application" frameworks.
Advocates of RIA frameworks often weaken their arguments for the Web-aware desktop by disparaging browser-based applications beyond the credible. The universe of browser-based applications continues to expand for very good reasons.
Give the authors, all members of the Apollo product team, plenty of credit for their relaxed approach in this guide. Their introductory chapter sticks to a positive case for their approach rather than attack the weaknesses of current Web apps.
Chapters 2 and 3 outline setting up the environment and move quickly to working with the HTML rendering engine. Following chapters deal with the security model and the file system and windowing APIs.
The weakness of the book is that it is Flex-centric in its "hello world" examples. The book reflects the state of the Apollo alpha. The book itself is clear and easy to follow.
§
Amazon.com
In 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik and the ensuing space race. Three years later, Gene Kranz left his aircraft testing job to join NASA and champion the American cause. What he found was an embryonic department run by whiz kids (such as himself), sharp engineers and technicians who had to create the Mercury mission rules and procedure from the ground up. As he says, "Since there were no books written on the actual methodology of space flight, we had to write them as we went along."
Kranz was part of the mission control team that, in January 1961, launched a chimpanzee into space and successfully retrieved him, and made Alan Shepard the first American in space in May 1961. Just two months later they launched Gus Grissom for a space orbit, John Glenn orbited Earth three times in February 1962, and in May of 1963 Gordon Cooper completed the final Project Mercury launch with 22 Earth orbits. And through them all, and the many Apollo missions that followed, Gene Kranz was one of the integral inside men--one of those who bore the responsibility for the Apollo 1 tragedy, and the leader of the "tiger team" that saved the Apollo 13 astronauts.
Moviegoers know Gene Kranz through Ed Harris's Oscar-nominated portrayal of him in Apollo 13, but Kranz provides a more detailed insider's perspective in his book Failure Is Not an Option. You see NASA through his eyes, from its primitive days when he first joined up, through the 1993 shuttle mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, his last mission control project. His memoir, however, is not high literature. Kranz has many accomplishments and honors to his credit, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but this is his first book, and he's not a polished author. There are, perhaps, more behind-the-scenes details and more paragraphs devoted to what Cape Canaveral looked like than the general public demands. If, however, you have a long-standing fascination with aeronautics, if you watched Apollo 13 and wanted more, Failure Is Not an Option will fill the bill. --Stephanie Gold
Book Description
Gene Kranz was present at the creation of America's manned space program and was a key player in it for three decades. As a flight director in NASA's Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program to the last Apollo mission, and beyond. He endured the disastrous first years when rockets blew up and the United States seemed to fall further behind the Soviet Union in the space race. He helped to launch Alan Shepard and John Glenn, then assumed the flight director's role in the Gemini program, which he guided to fruition. With his teammates, he accepted the challenge to carry out President John F. Kennedy's commitment to land a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s.
Kranz was flight director for both Apollo 11, the mission in which Neil Armstrong fulfilled President Kennedy's pledge, and Apollo 13. He headed the Tiger Team that had to figure out how to bring the three Apollo 13 astronauts safely back to Earth. (In the film Apollo 13, Kranz was played by the actor Ed Harris, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance.)
In Failure Is Not an Option, Gene Kranz recounts these thrilling historic events and offers new information about the famous flights. What appeared as nearly flawless missions to the Moon were, in fact, a series of hair-raising near misses. When the space technology failed, as it sometimes did, the controllers' only recourse was to rely on their skills and those of their teammates. Kranz takes us inside Mission Control and introduces us to some of the whiz kids -- still in their twenties, only a few years out of college -- who had to figure it all out as they went along, creating a great and daring enterprise. He reveals behind-the-scenes details to demonstrate the leadership, discipline, trust, and teamwork that made the space program a success.
Finally, Kranz reflects on what has happened to the space program and offers his own bold suggestions about what we ought to be doing in space now.
This is a fascinating firsthand account written by a veteran mission controller of one of America's greatest achievements.
Download Description
Perhaps best known through Ed Harris's Oscar-nominated portrayal in the film Apollo 13, Gene Kranz was a NASA flight controller throughout the entire manned space program. Kranz witnessed everything from Alan Shepard's and John Glenn's early flights in the Mercury program through the triumph of Neil Armstrong's giant leap for mankind in Apollo 11 and the near-disaster of Apollo 13. Kranz headed the "tiger team" that saved the Apollo 13 astronauts, and he provides new details about the urgent and successful improvising that brought the crew safely back to Earth.
Failure Is Not an Option is a thrilling insider's account of Mission Control from the early years of trying to catch the Russians to the end of the manned space program. It is filled with behind-the-scenes stories, including the painful self-examination that took place following the Apollo 1 disaster and the daring decision to schedule an Apollo flight to the moon before NASA had ever launched a manned rocket beyond earth orbit. Kranz's stories about the dedication and resourcefulness of the astronaut corps and Mission Control teams show how an organization dominated by young people only in their twenties could succeed in one of the boldest missions in human history, placing a man on the moon in less than a decade.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring reading for technical leaders of all kinds.......2007-08-15
While I confess to being a lifelong space buff, this book is the first of many memoirs I have had the pleasure of reading from the actual men and women who participated in one of the greatest adventures in human history. I read it nonstop from the moment I brought it home, and have reread many sections of it numerous times. I believe it is a useful historical record of the golden era of the space program, but also holds many lessons for those who find themselves in formal or de facto positions of technical leadership in all types of organizations - churches, consulting firms, technical contractors, manufacturers, and probably many others with which I am not personally familiar. Thank you Mr. Kranz for all you have shared!
a fist hand report of the early NASA years.......2007-06-30
I highly recommend this book to all the poor men who already believe today that APOLLO is a whole fake
KRANZ tell the truth it is obvious when you read him
The best way to learn about spaceflight is through this book.......2007-05-17
Failure is not an Option
The first time I heard this sentence is when I saw the movie Apollo 13 (Tom Hanks), when I was only 7 years old. I then read the book only when I was 11 years old. Gene Kranz is a great writer as well as a great Flight Director.
The book explains about everything from Mercury, through Gemini, to Apollo in great detail. The book taught me a lot of stuff that I did not know such as that Gemini 7 was before Gemini 6A. The book explains why did it happen and how. It will also explains what they were going to do about it.
The book has 21 pictures and 397 pages of knowledge. I recommend it for everybody
Failure Is Not An Option..........2007-03-15
The book arrived within the scheduled delivery time in excellent condition.
Thank you,
Mark & Francine Keehnel
Not a bad book - not a great one either........2007-01-16
"Failure is Not An Option" is not a bad book, but it is not a great one either. Kranz provides certain insight into the role of NASA Flight Directors and the book is interesting to the extent it serves that function. However, Kranz occasionally gives major events fairly short shrift, while writing at length on an array of banal topics which are of limited interest. The reader is often left wanting greater details about events that shaped the space program and less information on subjects such as Kranz's management style or his trademark vests.
Moreover, Kranz's writing style is a little too compact and terse to make this book a consistently engaging read. Kranz uses the word "crisp" in seemingly every other paragraph. His writing style might be described in the same way. Unfortunately, it can make sections of "Failure Is Not An Option" a bit tedious at times.
Lastly, although a small point, Kranz makes no attempt to hide his political bent. The book is replete with praise for Kennedy and obvious (though unarticulated) disdain for Nixon. Kranz speaks with almost boy-like ardor of Kennedy's far-sightedness and vision for the space program despite the fact that many regard Kennedy's interest in space to have arisen solely out of a political desire to beat the Soviets - not for scientific or human advancement as Kranz would have the reader believe. At times, the political commentary proves irritating and distracting and Kranz's idolatry of Kennedy excessive and simplistic.
That said, this book is worth the read for the information it does impart and to supplement other texts on the space program, but it is not as gripping or engaging as "Lost Moon" or a host of others.
Book Description
On 25 May 1961, John F Kennedy announced the goal of landing an American man on the Moon by the end of the decade. This challenge forced NASA to review the planned lunar landing of a three-man spaceship named Apollo in the mid-1970s. In 1962, it was decided that a specialized vehicle would accompany the main spacecraft, to make the lunar landing while the mothership remained in lunar orbit. To send these vehicles to the Moon would require the development of an enormous rocket. Development was protracted, but in December 1968 Apollo 8 was launched on a pioneering mission to perform an initial reconnaissance in lunar orbit. When Apollo 17 lifted off from the Moon in December 1972, the program was concluded. Now, at long last, there is a real prospect of a resumption of human exploration of the Moon.
This book provides an overview of the origins of the Apollo program and descriptions of the ground facilities, launch vehicles and spacecraft that will serve as an invaluable single-volume sourcebook for space enthusiasts, space historians, journalists, and programme-makers on radio and TV. It supplements tha other books that have focused on the politics and management of the Apollo program, the astronauts, and their training and exploits.
Customer Reviews:
Great Summary of Project Apollo.......2006-04-11
Excellent material covering all both unmanned and manned Apollo lunar programm flights. This is definitely not a technical stuff, this is factographical and chronological history of each of the Apollo missions from preparations to recoveries mapping all flight events in detail. Equiped with high quality b&w photos and a lot of tables covering - sometimes rather exotic - things like astronaut personal weights before and after the flight, rocket fuel consumptions and many others this book is a valuable source of Apollo missions facts. Highly recommended to all who want to have all basic flight informations in one place.
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- New Cosmic Horizons: Space Astronomy from the V2 to the Hubble Space Telescope
- New Moon (Twilight, Book 2)
- New Moon (Twilight, Book 2)
- Painting Sharp Focus Still Lifes: Trompe L'Oeil Oil Techniques
- Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
- Physics of the Earth's Space Environment: An Introduction
- Prayers of the Cosmos: Meditations on the Aramaic Words of Jesus
- Principles of Nuclear Magnetism (International Series of Monographs on Physics)
- Programming C#: Building .NET Applications with C#
- Quantum Dot Heterostructures
Books Index
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General
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
The Dictionary of Classical Mythology
The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
Lord of the Flies (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)
