Book Review: 'The Right Stuff' by Tom Wolfe

✰✰✰✰½ What is it that astronauts possess that makes them want to put their push their bodies to the limit and put their lives at risk? Is it courage? Bravery? A sense of adventure? Or is it patriotism? Author Tom Wolfe takes a look at this topic as he explores just what it was that the original astronauts had that set them apart from everyone else.

The Bottom Line: Although lengthy and detailed, this book gives the reader a look back in time when the American space program was young. With the technology we have today, it's easy to forget how different things were at that time. Recommended for readers interested in aviation, space, and biography.

Book Club Notes: This was a spirited discussion about what exactly the right stuff is. It's definitely up for debate considering the astronauts were so different from one another. It turns out that the right stuff is a combination of many things. As contemporary readers, our group found that the language and style of this book were somewhat dated. However, if you are able to use your imagination to transport yourself back to that era, then the style is more readable. On a scale of 1 - 5, the book received an average of 4.5, while the movie garnered a 4. Recommended for book clubs interested in science, space travel, American history, and aviation.

Discussion questions can be found at Teach with Movies and the Chicago Public Library.     .

Details: The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. Paperback published by Picador, Second Edition, Revised in 2008. 352 p. ISBN: 978-0-312-42756-6 

Book Review: 'Hidden Figures' by Margot Lee Shetterly

✰✰✰✰ In the era of segregation, the numbers didn’t lie. Math was math, as the professionals at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia knew. Long before machines crunched the numbers for space flights, there were female mathematicians who were known as “human computers.” They answered Uncle Sam’s call for duty to serve their country as only they could do by performing thousands of calculations with paper, pencils, slide rules, and adding machines.

When the pool of qualified white, female applicants dwindled, gifted African American women were encouraged to apply. These women came to the job with as much education and experience as their white counterparts, perhaps even more. At a time when Virginia’s Jim Crow laws required the human computers to be segregated, the “West Computers” held their own in the face of discrimination. The West Computers proved themselves time and again by producing outstanding work.

This book takes a look at nearly three decades of forgotten history starting in World War II. The author takes the reader through the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, the race into space, and Star Trek. This little known piece of history follows these amazing women as they served their country, changed their lives, and helped future generations follow in their footsteps.

The Bottom Line: With a focus on women in science and empowerment, this quick read is highly recommended for high school and college students and their parents. This is an excellent choice for Black History month as well. This inspirational read is filled with lots of informational gems. This forgotten piece of American history is well worth the read.

Book Club Notes: This book was well received by the group. Members enjoyed reading about a little known facet of American history that was interwoven with the stories of these fascinating and intelligent women. At times the book was a little technical, and a few of us got bogged down in names and name changes, but overall this book was a gem. It gave us an inside view of how complicated things were during the Civil Rights Movement. We appreciated the vast amount of research the author put into this book. On a scale of 1 – 5, with 5 being the highest, we gave it an average of 4.25 stars.

Additionally, many of us had watched the movie as well and thought it was well done. For insights into the topic of human computers, be sure to watch the scene extras that come with the DVD.

Books clubs looking for discussion questions can find them at HarperCollins and Techbridge Girls. For additional information to supplement your discussion, take a look at these documents on the Mesa Community College Book Club page. Finally, for those discussing the movie, here's the Hidden Figures Family Discussion Guide from Twentieth Century Fox.

Details: Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. Paperback published by William Morrow in 2016. 368 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-236360-2