This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind

Book Description

This work introduced a major modern author to the reading public. Doig’s life was formed among the sheepherders and other denizens of small-town saloons and valley ranches as he wandered beside his restless father. New Preface by the Author.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-10-14

This book was one of the few memoirs I have written when in the end I placed the book down and sighed "wow." What a wonderful story. The author rolled experiences together in western Montana with his dad and grandmother and turned it into a lovestory for fathers and grandmothers, for people of Montana, and all that using very little dialogue. (That gave the book a sense of truthfulness, as who can recite full conversations that took place years ago?)

The constant struggle with man against nature, man against man and man against himself come alive in these pages. Montana and its bittersweet closeness never leave the reader; its isolation and wide open sky are always in the background. Thus the title is so perfect for this beautiful memoir.

This was my first Doig book and I will definitely read more of him. I definitely consider this book one of the top ten in American 20th century writing.

Great American literature.......2007-01-09

This is my all time favorite book. Period. Beautifully written, thought-provoking. It will make you want to move to Montana. It will make you love open sky and a horizon that goes on forever and the importance of family.

An excellent read!!!.......2006-12-31

This was my first Ivan Doig book, and I loved it! As a result, I've read most of the rest of what Doig has written and thoroughly enjoy reading about (and remembering) the areas of Montana where I used to live.

Strongly recommended.......2006-11-27

As soon as I started reading This House of Sky, I fell into Ivan Doig's world. By the end I was so mesmerized by his wonderful language and vivid characters that I was wandering around the house with the book up to my nose, bumping into things, trying to do chores one-handed while reading. I would never have believed that a book that starts out with the gasping, hideous suffocating death of one of the author's parents and ends with the gasping, hideous suffocating death of the other one could contain such boundless love of family, such joy, and such beauty. Doig's vivid writing shades perilously close to poetry, and he has an eye for the perfect anecdote to illustrate his point. Doig evokes in the endless drudgery of Montana ranch life a heroic struggle, and turns his hardworking, mercurial father into one of the great figures of modern literature. As a chronicle of Doig's childhood and its end and of the Montana sheepherding life in the early parts of this century, This House of Sky is a spectacular success; but as a tribute to his beloved family and especially his father, the book is a powerfully moving classic.

This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind.......2005-08-27

The author "Ivan Doig" introduces Montana through his youthful eye and shares his rememberances of growing up in Montana. If you have yet to read any of Mr. Doig's excellent books or are already a fan; this book is not to be missed.

Average customer rating:

A Story of Love and Treachery Set in 17th Century India
Historical Fiction at its Best
Interesting and entertaining, but just not believable. I kept turning the pages though.
Awesome adventure/love story
had a hard time putting it down!

Beneath a Marble Sky
John Shors
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451218469

Book Description

Journey to dazzling seventeenth-century Hindustan, where the reigning emperor, consumed with grief over the tragic death of his beloved wife, commissions the building of the Taj Mahal as a testament to the marvel of their love. Princess Jahanara, their courageous daughter, recounts their mesmerizing tale, while sharing her own parallel tale of forbidden love with the celebrated architect of the Taj Mahal. This impressive novel sweeps readers away to a historical Hindustan brimming with action and intrigue in an era when, alongside the brutalities of war and oppression, architecture and the art of love and passion reached a pinnacle of perfection.

Customer Reviews:

A Story of Love and Treachery Set in 17th Century India.......2007-10-02

"Beneath a Marble Sky" is a beautiful story of a forbidden romance between the Mughul princess Jahanara and the architect who designed the Taj Mahal. The Princess Jahanara, eldest daughter of the Hindustani ruler Shah Jahan, tells the story in flashback form to her two granddaughters. The story is one of great loves, great treachery, and the building of one of the world's greatest monuments, the Taj Mahal. This was a wonderful story which made me want to learn more about the building of the Taj Mahal.

After I finished the book, I did indeed check out another book about the building of the Taj Mahal. What I learned there was interesting too, and I was stunned by the beauty of this building. I did learn that "Beneath a Marble Sky" is only loosely based on the historical facts behind the building of this monument, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story one bit! After all, that what historical "fiction" is all about.

Historical Fiction at its Best.......2007-09-21

Beneath a Marble Sky is historical fiction at its best. Well researched and beautifully written this story of the building of the Taj Mahal is a beautiful story of love and its enduring qualities. Since very little is known about the actual story of the Taj Mahal, most of the story is indeed fiction, but based in what facts are known.

The story is told through the voice of Jahanara, daughter of the Shah Jahan and one of his wives Mumtaz Mahal. Jahanara relays the story of the building of the Taj Mahal to her granddaughters. In so doing she tells the tale of her parent's great love for one another and her own forbidden love for the architect who comes to build the Taj Mahal after the death of her mother. We also learn the story of Jahanara's two brothers Dara and Aurangzeb who vie for the throne even though their father is still very much alive.

Vivid details make it seem as if you are seeing not only the building of the Taj, but also the harems, bazaars and living spaces of 17th century Hindustan. Also the universal feelings of love, loss and betrayal are brought wonderfully to life.

Interesting and entertaining, but just not believable. I kept turning the pages though........2007-09-08

The Taj Mahal is the inspiration for this loosely interpreted love story. Princess Jahanara is the main character, and like many main characters in historical novels, she is highly intelligent and feisty and thinks like a modern woman.

Of course I knew it was all fiction as I let myself become involved with the story, and at times I actually found it quite silly. However, I was also captured by the tale and found myself thinking about the book and rushing back to it just to see what would happen next. The author did a good job of keeping the details of life in the empire interesting and engaging. Central to the story is Jahanara's forbidden love with the architect of the Taj Mahal. There are other love stories as well, especially that of Jahanara's father, the emperor who built the famous tomb for his favorite wife who died in childbirth.

Throughout, I was aware that this was a novel, and that many of the historical details were outright wrong, but that didn't make me put down the book. Something exciting happens on every page and the characters are defined early as either the "good guys" or the "bad guys". Aurangzeb, who later became emperor and ruled for a lifetime, is a bad guy and we see this cruel streak in him right from his childhood. We're certainly not surprised then, when later, he murders his brother and imprisons his father. The reader identifies with Jahanara, and we share the ups and downs of her life. She is treated terribly by her husband, adored by her father, and loved by the architect. She is imprisoned and suffers unspeakable horrors, but somehow has the quick mind to get her out of the most outrageous situations.

I resisted checking the facts about the Taj Mahal until after I finished the book. I soon learned that the author crafted the story out of the very barest of facts and as far as I am concerned, it was ALL fiction. But I must say that I really did enjoy reading it. It was great escape fiction on a hot summer's day. Understanding that, I do give it a lightweight recommendation. Just be aware of its limitations.

Awesome adventure/love story.......2007-08-26

A beautifully described account of the building of the Taj Mahal. A little of everything: love story, action & adventure, family feuds. We had a GREAT themed bbok club meeting with indian food and dress. Overall the book was rated 8.5 out of ten. Vey absorbing, well done.

had a hard time putting it down!.......2007-08-07

I truly enjoy reading historical events that have been fictionalized. The reader gets to learn some great historical and cultural facts and also gets to enjoy a beautiful love story. This book achieved both masterfully....It's not the "typical" romance book between a man and woman but also includes family love, love of one's culture/country, and friendships. I strongly recommend it!

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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Love those wee free men!
Pratchett at his worst....
Is this really for kids?
JUST what I wanted!
Not Pratchett's best story, but full of Pratchett's heart

A Hat Full of Sky
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060586621
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Book Description

Something is coming after Tiffany ...

Tiffany Aching is ready to begin her apprenticeship in magic. She expects spells and magic -- not chores and ill-tempered nanny goats! Surely there must be more to witchcraft than this!

What Tiffany doesn't know is that an insidious, disembodied creature is pursuing her. This time, neither Mistress Weatherwax (the greatest witch in the world) nor the fierce, six-inch-high Wee Free Men can protect her. In the end, it will take all of Tiffany's inner strength to save herself ... if it can be done at all.

A Story of Discworld

Customer Reviews:

Love those wee free men!.......2007-09-26

This is a great children's book as well as for adults. I love the wee free men as only Pratchett can describe them. The "sharkies" and "big job" are personal favorites. This book has been read several times in my household and we actually gave a copy to our nephew for his birthday one year. He liked it so much he has asked for more titles by Pratchett.

Pratchett at his worst...........2007-09-23

...would still be better than Rowling at her best. The 'Editorial Reviewer' that created this comparison is just covering him (her) self with ridicule. Pratchett was creating masterpieces when Rowling was still in kindergarten. For that matter, in many ways, she still is.

Is this really for kids?.......2007-07-05

I found this book to be immensely entertaining. Despite relatively clean jokes, this doesn't really seem all that different from the rest of the Discworld series, in terms of reading difficulty. However, I imagine I might say otherwise, were I still in elementary school.

JUST what I wanted!.......2007-05-07

It took me a little to find the right cover, but it was just what I wanted, and came in good time!

Not Pratchett's best story, but full of Pratchett's heart.......2007-03-18

As an avid Terry Pratchett reader, I believe there are two kinds of his book: good and great. A Hat Full of Sky is of the good variety, as it stands on its own. However, I believe it's a great chapter in the larger work of the Discworld series. He has something very important to say here about responsibility, about relationships within the community, and about deep morality . . . I think that Pratchett's sympathies lie deeply with his witches, and watching this witch grow up is his lesson to us . . . I laughed and cried, and went away for the better.

(And ignore the Harry Potter comparisons. While I think Rowling is a fine author, Pratchett is the better storyteller, in the old, old sense of the term. His stories crackle with the energy of seeing all the parts of ourselves leaping back at us.)

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No way does this deserve a Newbery Award
Fall into the time period!
Hooray for Hattie Big Sky
What? No shock value?!
Hattie Big Sky

Hattie Big Sky
Kirby Larson
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385733135
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

Alone in the world, teen-aged Hattie is driven to prove up on her uncle's homesteading claim.
For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie's been shuttled between relatives. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late uncle's homestead claim near Vida, Montana. With a stubborn stick-to-itiveness, Hattie faces frost, drought and blizzards. Despite many hardships, Hattie forges ahead, sharing her adventures with her friends--especially Charlie, fighting in France--through letters and articles for her hometown paper.

Her backbreaking quest for a home is lightened by her neighbors, the Muellers. But she feels threatened by pressure to be a "Loyal" American, forbidding friendships with folks of German descent. Despite everything, Hattie's determined to stay until a tragedy causes her to discover the true meaning of home.

Customer Reviews:

No way does this deserve a Newbery Award.......2007-08-05

I waited for a very long time until I finally found Hattie Big Sky at the library. Hearing some very good reviews and reading the general synopsis for the book, I was excited about reading this story. And now, once again, I'm going to veer from what everyone else has said and give my part.

Hattie Big Sky follows the story of Hattie, who catches some luck when her uncle, Chester Brooks, unexpectedly sends her a will deeming her the sole owner of some new land in Montana. This is particularly fortunate because Hattie, orphaned very young, was on the brink of having to work at a boarding house. The story basically follows her path and journey in making her home her own.
First of all, kudos to the author for keeping everything clean. I do greatly respect that.

Now, the bad part. Hattie is a little too perfect for my taste. I'm not saying I wanted her to break out and rob someone or anything, but like many stories I'm so tired of reading because of the protagonists' syrupy sweetness, this made her extremely dull. At several points in the story, Hattie makes a remark that if her aunt could only see her, she would have been disapproving. This made me flip back and go disapproving of what? One of the times, the author did make the source clear and the others were just kind of thrown in. So Hattie's constantly saying I'm doing things people won't like and none of the things she's doing really seem wrong at all. And I don't get the impression it was about her taking care of her home all alone...
Then of course there is Hattie's quicksilver change of feelings that I believe was a mistake on the author's part. She contradicts herself constantly, saying she feels a certain way and then two paragraphs later the author writes something going against that.
----SPOILER----
Hattie is asked to sell her land right after a kind of heat spell as if the person is too eager to wait until she isn't weak. Her first reaction is anger, and the author verifies this. "I fought down the hot anger boiling up in my stomach..." This one is not as contradictory as some others, but she quickly changes her feelings, going from anger to, oh, he's so right. She immediately, only a sentence later, begins to take on another thought process entirely. I should really be thankful he's doing this...yadayadayada...This was annoying.
----END SPOILER----
I think all characters should be rock solid in their development. Hattie seems too vacillating when it comes to her own choices and is too good, which I hate hearing and saying, but it's true.

Continuing on a note of characterization, I also found major problems with the character of Perilee, who quickly becomes friends with Hattie. I kind of felt like I was reading a Stepford Wives-Little House on the Prairie blending. Perilee is also too perfect, although her character remains one-dimensional the whole story. She mentions horrible things that happened in her past and stays absolutely, sickly pleasant about it all. Also, at times she seems overly kind and childish. I don't know why. She wasn't developed enough. Perilee's husband (And I just knew they'd have something like this.), Karl, who just so happens to be a foreigner and living in Montana during World War I, is generically ostracized and is thrown through the usual torment of these types of characters, mainly there, I am beginning to think, to fill in the empty pages that needed filling. Everyone in the town refuses to help or even be seen with his family...blah, blah, blah. I'm so tired of this type of plotline that I didn't even care; plus, he wasn't very well written either.
My biggest problem with this story was the way everything flashes by so fast. Hattie mentions some major hurdles, like moving across several states just to reach Montana, having to learn, after living in the city, how to plant and take care all of the inherited land by herself, building a fence that reaches regulations, and farming her land. But each of these problems never lasts long and is quickly done away with. Hattie's journey to Montana is barely even mentioned; she arrives to a house that looks more like a shed and that fades away. She states that she knows nothing about farming, gets some manuals on the subject and only a paragraph later is an expert...Nothing is ever drawn out. Also, she has money problems which, like everything else, is resolved immediately. This became so annoying to me that I wanted to jump into the story and strangle the main character. Basically, following Kirby Larson's writing, homesteading seems very simple, more than simple, child's play...I say, if you're making a point of writing a story about a young girls' difficulty in surviving and raising her own land, there needs to be some evidence, not the miraculous sponge that Hattie turned out to be, reading and using her read knowledge with precision.
It sounds like I hated this book and after writing this review and reviewing the many issues, I almost do, but not quite. I am just very picky about everything, from plotlines to miniscule details. While Hattie's character was too nice, she was not unlikable, and while I didn't take too much of a shine to the story it was okay. I did feel like I wanted to keep reading although most of the time I was frustrated and wondering just where exactly I've heard this story before, finding familiar, overly-used elements that have been written much better over the years...

Overall: Okay read, nothing worth a Newbery, which I find incredibly hard to believe and almost impossible to believe; but the facts speak for themselves. I would not have read this if I knew beforehand what it would turn out to be like, nor would I recommend it. Waste of time.

Fall into the time period!.......2007-07-01

Within the first few pages I felt like I was right back in 1918 Montana. Enjoyable book, well written.

Hooray for Hattie Big Sky.......2007-03-26

I love historical fiction, and this is one of the best books I have read in a while. I couldn't put it down and felt connected with the characters. It is about a simple 16-year-old girl who has moved around from relative to relative ever since her parents died. Then one day she gets a letter with her Uncle's will that he left her his claim in Montana. Hattie goes along with the journey and meets very exciting people along the way , dealing with troubles of proving up her claim and being friends with a German in WWI. This is a great book and anyone who loves historical fiction will love this book.

What? No shock value?!.......2007-03-23

It's refreshing to read an elementary/middle school appropriate book (award winning or otherwise) that does NOT rely on shock value tactics such as inappropriate language or behavior. Just proves that the opening lines or paragraphs of a novel do not have to be filled with swear words or questionable words or acts worthy of a much older audience. Thank you.

Hattie Big Sky.......2007-03-09

HATTIE BIG SKY is a wonderfully written story with likeable characters. Larson portrays both the pioneer life and America during World War I very well. However, the book failed to wow me.

Sixteen-year-old orphan Hattie Brooks is tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, so she was so happy to learn that her deceased uncle whom she never knew has left her his Montana homestead. Off she goes from Iowa to Montana, basically to the middle of nowhere, to begin her own life in her own home. With the help of her neighbors, most especially the Muellers, Hattie works to prove up on her claim so that the land is hers forever. Meanwhile, Hattie deals with the anti-German sentiment in the community as well as sacrifices what cannot be sacrificed to help in the war effort. By the end of the book, Hattie has grown up considerably and has learned the truth about home and family.

This book was sweet, but I've read bits and pieces of it in other books. In many ways, HATTIE BIG SKY reminded me of MONKEY TOWN by Ronald Kidd, which I enjoyed more. The questions that faced Frances, the heroine of MONKEY TOWN, were deeper. However, I'd still recommend HATTIE BIG SKY as an enjoyable story about one young woman's search for a place to call her own.

PS. I absolutely love the cover.

Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them

Average customer rating:

Best Book for Prospective Telescope Owners
Good but...
Not the book for me!
Don't get frustrated with your small scope!!!!!!
Get this book for ASTRONOMY buffs.

Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them
Guy Consolmagno , and Dan M. Davis
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521781906

Book Description

A superb guidebook described in Bookwatch as 'the home astronomer's "bible"', Turn Left at Orion provides all the information beginning amateur astronomers need to observe the Moon, the planets and a whole host of celestial objects. Large format diagrams show these objects exactly as they appear in a small telescope and for each object there is information on the current state of our astronomical knowledge. Revised and updated, this new edition contains a chapter with ten new spreads describing spectacular deep sky objects visible from the southern hemisphere, and tips on observing the upcoming transits of Venus. It also discusses Dobsonian telescopes, with hints on using personal computers and the Internet as aids for planning an observing session. Also new to this edition are redrawn "Guidepost" figures at the beginning of each season chapter that allow readers to visualize a three-dimensional view of the sky's dome; redesigned seasonal object layouts that provide more space for the naked-eye charts; a new spread on double stars near Boötes has been added to Spring, replacing the "Shrinking Double" spread; and a unique "When and Where to Look" table has been added to the last page, among other new features. Unlike many guides to the night sky, this book is specifically written for observers using small telescopes. Clear and easy to use, this fascinating book will appeal to skywatchers of all ages and backgrounds. No previous knowledge of astronomy is needed.

Customer Reviews:

Best Book for Prospective Telescope Owners.......2007-09-25

Most astronomy books and magazines for amateurs are filled with highly-processed, color photographs of planets and deep sky objects taken with long-exposures through observatory telescopes. I call these photos astroporn because they raise new telescope owner's expectation to unrealistic levels. One cannot see full color detailed images through a small telescope with the naked eye. "Turn Left at Orion" accurately describes with sketches what one will actually see.

I recommend that prospective telescope buyers check out "Turn Left at Orion" before they fork over their hard earned cash. If you decide to buy a telescope anyway, this book gives clear directions on how to find and observe over one hundred objects in a non-technical way making it the best book to start with. While this book may be too simple for experienced amateurs, I highly recommend it for it's accurate descriptions and clear instructions.

Good but..........2007-09-01

Many have sung the praise of this book...I'm somewhat of a "newbie" had a 13" Dobsonian "light-bucket" 20 years ago, but never really did much...just bot a 102mm Celestron spotting scope. So have been buying books to aid me in getting into Astronomy better this time...This book is good for children...but a better book for adults is Neil Bone's Deep Sky Observer's Guide. It's also set up for small scopes under 100mm. The Orion book has very simple finder maps and is organized by season. Bone's book is organized by type of object, such as "open cluster" and then by easy to difficult to find. Bone's finder charts are much better in artistic value and use, being white stars on blue background, where as most of Orion's are black stars on white background. Orion has 100 objects to view, Bone has over 200...At the end of Bone's are: 8 very nice star charts as well as each constellation listing objects and a Messier List and a list of Objects by Magnitude and finally a list of Objects by Seasons (to view). All in all 215 power packed pages!...Yes the Orion is a hard back, but the binding is glue-injected pages, will the binding crack and pages fall out??...Bone's is a paperback, but the leaves are folded and stitched, so pages will NEVER fall out. Bone's book is 5X8, Orion is 9X11 1/2 much bigger to take outside and pack around. I woun't be using Orion much. Bone I will use a lot.

Not the book for me!.......2007-06-22

I am an amateur and bought this book based on the other reviews and ratings given. I was looking for a book to help me locate some of the more interesting night sky objects and this one seemed to be "the book." Well, when I got the book, I opened it up and immediately felt a little overwhelmed by all of the text-and I do mean there is a lot of text. More than I wanted. This book just wasn't what I was looking for in a guide to the night sky. Perhaps later on, I will find this book more helpful.

Don't get frustrated with your small scope!!!!!!.......2007-04-30

I've read a series of astronomy books, but Left at Orion and Nightwatch (by Dickinson) are at the top of my list. If I had a small refractor, Left at Orion would be the best pick. Nightwatch by Dickinson is best for picking the right scope and accessories and learing the celestrial objects (e.g. planets and stuff). However, Left at Orion is the best for learing how to locate objects in the night sky USING A SMALL TELESCOPE. I've been pulling my hair out about not being able to locate objects for the longest, but now I have a great tool that will help me. This is the book you use in the dark. I sit down by my scope with my RED flashlight and this book that is such a great guidance. So don't get frustrated and throw away your small scope just yet. Get comfortable and use this guide. You can always upgrade and have the small scope for for any company who wants to join you. I wish I didn't return my small scope so quickly. Anyways, after reading this book, I bought an 80mm refractor to travel on the plane with because I can't lug that big Newtonian Dob around. Yes, Left at Orion and Nightwatch are the best picks whether you have a small refractor or a big reflector. However, Nightwatch (by Dickinson) is a book to buy when you want to upgrade your telescope. Be ware: Dickinson does NOT have the nicest things to say about the small telescopes, however, if you want to upgrade, BUY NIGHTWATCH FIRST BEFORE PURCHASING A NEW TELESCOPE!!! Please read the other reviews to help guide your purchase.

Get this book for ASTRONOMY buffs........2007-02-12

This book was given to an ASTRONOMY buff along with a telescope.

Beneath the Diamond Sky: Haight Ashbury 1965 1970

Average customer rating:

4 1/2* Psychedelic Music and Culture in 1960's S.F.
Quite Disappointed
Yawn and great disapointment!
It's beautiful, man!
beautiful addition for all libraries

Beneath the Diamond Sky: Haight Ashbury 1965 1970
Barney Hoskyns
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0684841800

Customer Reviews:

4 1/2* Psychedelic Music and Culture in 1960's S.F........2004-10-25

This nicely illustrated musical history explains how the "psychedelic" sound of mid- to late- 60's San Francisco bands (e.g., the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Janis Joplin, Country Joe and the Fish, Moby Grape, and others) were an extension of folk music with roots in 1950's beat culture. Thus, Kesey, Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burrows figure prominently in the book, giving the music its foundation, it's apolitical ethos, and (as Hoskyns repeatedly emphasize) its acid and other drugs. The author's most fascinating and best writing occurs when he explores the roots and evolution of the San Francisco sound, and its love/hate relationship with the subcultures in which it was embedded.. For example, his analysis of the tension between the Berkeley radicals and the hippies is surprisingly astute and well documented (especially since there is inadequate analysis in much of the book).

The end of the psychedelic scene is a familiar and shallow account that includes legions of teen runaways, rampant drugs and violence, and, (must we hear this again?) the conveniently symbolic disaster at Altamount. More instructive is his description of how the music industry co-opted the scene (with help from musicians who actually wanted to make money!), the organizational talent of promoter Bill Graham who competed with the established but looser "Family Dog" outfit, the overdoses, and the dissolution of the beat-inspired ethos. Hoskyns writes that some of this was dissolution was inevitable, as the once young hippie musicians became the establishment, and a new generation rebelled against it. However, while San Francisco was a major part of the 60's scene, it was not the only part, and Hoskyns doesn't place it within the national context of the Nixon presidency, the increasing military/police complex, and the growing politicalization and militancy of women and other disenfranchised groups.

More importantly, for a music history Hoskyns' musical analysis is fairly weak, you don't get an idea of what the music was like, nor is there much discussion of how the groups differed. But that would have required a more serious, even scholarly book. "Beneath the Diamond Sky" is meant to appear a bit trippy, with different fonts and font SIZES and various tie-dye colors thrown in to replicate the feeling of the period. This mostly doesn't work; it's too much artifice, but at least you get some feeling for the creative impulse of the time. Finally, the book would have been better with a epilogue tracing what more of what happened to the S.F. musical and cultural leaders after the 60's ended, and what their influence has been on others.

However, that's not really what this book is about (despite its excellent early cultural analysis). The book is best for its great photographs of these seminal musicians and cultural icons in their prime, including pictures of street scenes, posters, and free concerts at Golden Gate park Still, the book can be annoying because of typos and other mistakes, and seemingly contradictory statements. It appears there was no single Haight Ashbury scene, and that's why this book may offend some who were actually there. However, I can strongly recommend this for its photos, and as an introduction to the subject (especially if you can find it used or discounted}. A short bibliography--but no discography!--may encourage further research into "Hashbury" history. Note: The book title is taken from Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tangerine Man."

Quite Disappointed.......2001-08-30

I am quite pleased I ordered a used copy of this book, and would have been quite disappointed if I had paid the [money on the] price tag.. Nice photos and much ado about music. In short, I lived in the Haight-Ashbury during those wonderful years. And this book reflects nothing of what life was really like. At all, to us that were not directly tied to a band. I partied at ...Ashbury and other places. I had hopes this would address what street life was truly like back then. It does not.

Yawn and great disapointment!.......2001-08-30

...Great photos and much ado about music. In short, I lived in the Haight-Ashbury during those wonderful years. And this book reflects nothing of what life was really like. At all, to us that were not directly tied to a band. I partied at 710 Ashbury and other places. I had hopes this would address what street life was truly like back then. It does not.

It's beautiful, man!.......1999-07-10

If you are like me, the subject matter of Beneath the Diamond Sky will be quite familiar turf: Haight-Ashbury in the sixties. In this case familiarity does not breed contempt. It breeds Love (as in "Summer of"). This bygone pop culture big bang has never been more concisely or attractively typified as in this book.

I fell in love with this book at first sight. I held it in my hands and yea, it was beautiful. I paged through it's rainbow-hued, lavishly illustrated pages and was filled with Satisfaction. I read the text and it was Righteous, dude. I admired the posters and buttons, rare photos and it was all very far out. This is a very reassuring book, a chronicle of the time when the universe swirled psychodynamically around Haight-Ashbury. It betokens all things Hippie and San Francisco without being sugar-coated.

Previous books addressing this topic have not found the right mix of form and content. "Summer of Love" by Joel Selvin, for instance was a pop history document which lacked the design and illustrative qualities of this book. Also, Selvin tended to rewrite things to the chagrin of the psychedelic cognoscenti enough to bring doubt upon the enterprise. "Diamond Sky" tends to neglect revisionism in favor of what is actually known.

Hoskyns does an admirable job of running all of the characters across the page for our scrutiny. The quotes, the deeds, the legends are all covered. I can't quibble with any of it, it's there and its familiar and as I stated before, it is beautifully presented. Hello to Jerry, Janis, Skip, Grace, Chet et. al.

Barney Hoskyns is a very adept pop music writer whose work appears quite often in 'serious pop music' magazines like Mojo. What I like about him here is that he doesn't seem to intrude upon the luminous subject matter at all. He lets the Haight speak for itself, which it continues to do quite well.

beautiful addition for all libraries.......1999-07-03

This book is small in size only! Author Barney Hoskyns' historical narrative of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury 1965-1970 reads like a fascinating novel. I read this book in one siting and when I reluctantly turned the last page I suddenly realized that I had just received an intense lession in California history and the world of music. What a joy! I went out and bought three more copies for some close friends. Buy it!

Dragons of the Highlord Skies (Dragon Lance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 2)

Average customer rating:

DRAGONS OF THE HIGHLORD SKIES
15+ Years in the making and well worth the wait.
A great read, leaves you wanting more
Nearly as good as the rest
Great Reading

Dragons of the Highlord Skies (Dragon Lance: The Lost Chronicles, Vol. 2)
Margaret Weis , and Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786943335
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Book Description

The story starts in the Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthus, which is under assault by the forces of the Kingpriest. The wizards, knowing they must surrender, remove as many valuable artifacts as they can. An elven wizard named Feal-Thas takes a dragon orb to the distant land of Ice Wall. That orb is sought by the Dragon Highlord Ariakas, who assigns the task of its recovery to Kitiara Uth-Matar, half-sister of the sickly mage Raistin and his good-natured twin Caramon. Kitiara, who is rising up the ranks of the dark forces, must undertake the journey to the Ice Castle of Feal-Thas, where she will have a dramatic confrontation with Laurana, a leader of the forces of good.

Customer Reviews:

DRAGONS OF THE HIGHLORD SKIES.......2007-10-10

Dragons of the Highlord Skies is the second in a trilogy fill-in novels for the original Chronicles trilogy, which had some narrative gaps due to space constraints. These gaps weren't major, and they didn't wreck the series, and so they come across as somewhat unnecessary. But as I'm a huge fan of the original Weis and Hickman novels, I picked this up. Highlord Skies fills in portions of Dragons of Winter Night. It tells how Kitiara got Lord Soth on her side and how the Companions got the dragon orb out of Icereach.

The longer I spend as a professional writer, the more I tend to read like an editor. I have to say I haven't read any of the other Dragonlance books in a long time (except Dragons of the Dwarven Depths, which also had major editorial issues), so I don't know if the narrative here is significantly different from the old books. There are editorial concerns here as well, including a few things spell-check should have caught, since there some non-words here.

The "previously on Dragonlance..." introduction was nice. I was reminded that the Dragonlance world has some of the best fantasy place and deity names around. Coming up with good ones is a skill in and of itself.

The second thing I noticed is that the narration is heavy-handed and repetitive, as though we can't remember what we read early in this same book, and can't figure out somebody's attitude. The book has a ton of adverbial modifiers (as have all the Weis/Hickman Dragonlance novels), which are generally considered poor writing, and which serve little purpose (it's telling rather than showing). Their use creates a fair number of minor Tom Swifties. "I'm mad," said Tom angrily. See? There are other problems. You can't use the word "capacious" as a descriptor twice in five pages. Put down the thesaurus and walk away.

The authors seem overly sentimental with the characters, who at times seem like caricatures of themselves. You can only go to the well so many times, and it's about dry. Flint never had a lot of depth to him (he just does everything "dourly"). Even Tasslehoff, who seems to appear in every Dragonlance book ever written, has his comic relief styles starting to feel old.

One of the things that makes the book rough to read is that it's bogged down by a lot of characters you don't root for. There's Kitiara, who you don't root for because you already know what happens to her, and there's Derek Crownguard, who you don't root for because he's a jerk, an ass and a low-IQ moron who's completely oblivious to the world around him.

The book is slow at the start (there's a reason some of this stuff wasn't in the old books), but picks up nicely at the end, and we get a few humorous moments of "behind the scenes with Fewmaster Toede." But ultimately, the whole book feels unnecessary, because we already know what happens to every character. And Kitiara's ending was lame. All build-up and no payoff.

So this was disappointing. What every really wants is more of everybody's favorite black-hearted hero, Raistlin. Good thing the last book in the trilogy is about him.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

15+ Years in the making and well worth the wait........2007-09-24

I have been reading DragonLance for well over 15 years of my life. This book finally answers some of the long lost questions that must be in present in every readers mind after Dragons of Autumn Twilight. Well written, good characterization(what else could you expect from margaret weis and Tracy Hickman!)

A great read, leaves you wanting more.......2007-09-13

This second installment of Lost Chronicles is a great read. The characters are essentially written in the same way that they were in the original trilogy, and their growth as characters, unlike in Dragons of Dwarven Depths, seems to flow quite well with Winter Night.

The only downside to the book is that if you were looking for a story focusing on the companions, this isn't it. That being said, learning the story of Kitiara during the early part of the War of the Lance as well as learning more about the three Knights the companions meet in Tarsus is very enjoyable. Especially considering that two of the knights are basically an after thought in Winter Night.

It does challenge some preconceived notions I had about Sturm's relationship with Derek prior to Winter Night, how the knights end up in Tarsus searching for information on a Dragon Orb, and how Derek goes insane (which doesn't seem to jive with some things from the original books). That being said, since those plot points were never explored in the original trilogy, who is to say that my notions were correct anyway?

The story of the Ice Wall doesn't go well with the short story from Tales, but then that wasn't written by Weis or Hickman, so they get a pass on that! The rest of the story did at times feel like it was being written by one of the countless Dragonlance authors that ignore certain facts when they are not convenient to him/her, but in general this was not anything like the extent it was in Dwarven Depths.

So all in all, if you already love Dragonlance, this is a great addition to the series.

Nearly as good as the rest.......2007-09-05

Another great offering from Weis and Hickman. Was well-written and excellent as always. Would have been 5 stars, but Kit and Soth were never my favorite characters. Can't wait for Hourglass Mage to come out. Should be fantastic.

Great Reading.......2007-09-05

This book is mesmerizing. Full of action and conflict which makes for great reading

The Inner Sky: How to Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life

Average customer rating:

Great .....no spectacular book to have in your astrology library~
A Great Book
Highly recommended
The best beginner astrology book
A Very Useful & Methodological Approach to Understanding Astrology

The Inner Sky: How to Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life
Steven Forrest
Manufacturer: Astro Communications Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0935127046

Book Description

Dynamic new astrology! The author's treatment in this introductory text is noteworthy for its compassion, humor and common sense. All of the basics are covered - planets, signs, houses and aspects - emphasizing how they reflect the rich complexity of life. Steven teaches the reader how to be fluent in the language of astrology, rather than merely following rote methods of interpretation. The stars are only the beginning; here is your complete guide to the universe of potential within each of us.

Customer Reviews:

Great .....no spectacular book to have in your astrology library~.......2007-03-19

Basic fundamentals.....and you think you know them.....but still, as I'm reading....I'm learning more and more.

A Great Book.......2006-11-09

I knew nothing about astrology before this book. Nothing about signs, planets and houses. Now I know what I bought this book for: read my own birthchart.
The author explains everithing you need to understand and read the informations in a birthchart.
Besides this, the author uses a very easy language and style.
The best thing in this book is that you don't get confused. The author teaches you a sistematic way, step-by-step, to read a birthchart and not to be a "fortune teller".

Highly recommended.......2006-04-01

The Inner Sky is the best book I have found on learning how to read and interpret birth charts on your own. It doesn't contain already written interpretations, instead it teaches you step by step what each planet and sign represents and shows you how to put it together and form your own interpretation, and it is so basic and do-able! I recommend this as the starter book for anyone wanting to learn to read birth charts - hands down!

The best beginner astrology book.......2006-03-26

Steven Forrest introduces what he calls evolutionary astrology. The main idea is that astrology is not fortune telling. It is a tool to happy and fulfilling life. The horoscope is a map to follow to achieve your highest potential. I have used astrology for years, and believe this is the only way to use it. Nothing in the chart is good or bad, it is there only to point the way.
The book is written in a poetic, easy to understand style. It takes the reader thru the process of reading natal charts, step by step. You will not be able to be a professional astrologer after reading this book, but if you spend enough time and energy reading charts with the tools provided in the book, you'll be well on the way.
I just love this book!

A Very Useful & Methodological Approach to Understanding Astrology.......2005-09-02

As someone who has been interested in understanding various concepts in astrology, I have often been displeased with the amount of information overload that is all too often given in typical "cookbook"-type astrology books. Many astrology books provide lengthy lists of descriptions that explain the meaning of when particular planets appear in specific signs or houses in an individual's birthchart, as well as some information about aspects between planets. Unfortunately, too many of these "cookbook"-type astrology books don't provide sufficient (or any) explanations as to how to synthesize the information from the numerous lists into a concise and unconfused birthchart interpretation, or how to recognize which features in a birthchart are more important than others.

Thankfully, this is not the case with Steven Forrest's 1988 book "The Inner Sky: How To Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life". In his book, Mr. Forrest provides an elegant set of guidelines that enable novice students of astrology to grasp what the most important features in a birthchart are so that a concise synthesis of the lengthy amount of information contained within it can be effectively navigated and understood without falling prey to information overload. (In my opinion, information overload is probably the single largest impasse that most students of astrology face when attempting to interpret a birthchart.) Mr. Forrest advises that to begin a birthchart interpretation, an individual should only focus initially on three key features: the sun, moon and the ascendant; which is what he refers to as the "primal triad". By using the archetypes of the signs in which the sun, moon and ascendant occur, a basic understanding as a starting point for developing a more comprehensive interpretation of a birthchart can be more easily remembered as more features of the birthchart are slowly and methodically taken into consideration. This includes something that no "cookbook"-type astrology book that I had previously read effectively addresses: how to understand a planet's position in a sign and house taken together. The next step that Mr. Forrest suggests is to then consider whether the birthchart in question has any hemispheric emphasis by observing how many planets are contained within each birthchart hemisphere. Then, one of the most beneficial descriptions (in my opinion) that Mr. Forrest describes in the book comes into play: identifying the focalizers. Focalizers are those planets within a birthchart other than the sun and moon that should be given greater emphasis (or priority) in interpretation. No "cookbook"-type astrology book that I had previously read had ever provided a clear way to identity which planets in a birthchart should be regarded as the most important. This alone makes "The Inner Sky" stand out as an extremely useful resource. Other guidelines that Mr. Forrest suggests should follow understanding the primal triad, the hemispheres and the focalizers include understanding the moon's nodes and looking for common themes among everything that has been studied thus far. Mr. Forrest also addresses how to resolve seemingly irresolvable conflicting bits within a birthchart because his approach to interpreting a birthchart involves psychology, not fortune telling; and is commonly referred to as evolutionary astrology.

Before Mr. Forrest discusses the interpretive techniques that I listed above, he begins "The Inner Sky" with some basics in his first part of the book that he names "The Territory", which contains three chapters. The second part, named "Words", contains four chapters where he gives vivid and extremely useful understandings of the individual signs, planets and houses. The third and final part, named "Sentences", contains five chapters and is where Mr. Forrest explains the guidelines as I mentioned in the previous paragraph and then proceeds to give a well-written interpretation example.

Consequently, with its 12 chapters, four appendices, comprehensive glossary, index and wonderful writing, I rate Steven Forrest's book "The Inner Sky: How To Make Wiser Choices for a More Fulfilling Life" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding a methodological approach to interpreting astrological birthcharts. In my opinion, this is probably the best book to read first to begin a study of astrology.

Average customer rating:

A fantastic book that will entertain and inspire the reader
One of the best Christmas gifts
Inspirational True Story
Boyhood dreams become reality
A Love Letter from a Son to his Father

Rocket Boys
Homer Hickam
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385333218
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Amazon.com

Inspired by Werner von Braun and his Cape Canaveral team, 14-year-old Homer Hickam decided in 1957 to build his own rockets. They were his ticket out of Coalwood, West Virginia, a mining town that everyone knew was dying--everyone except Sonny's father, the mine superintendent and a company man so dedicated that his family rarely saw him. Hickam's smart, iconoclastic mother wanted her son to become something more than a miner and, along with a female science teacher, encouraged the efforts of his grandiosely named Big Creek Missile Agency. He grew up to be a NASA engineer and his memoir of the bumpy ride toward a gold medal at the National Science Fair in 1960--an unprecedented honor for a miner's kid--is rich in humor as well as warm sentiment. Hickam vividly evokes a world of close communal ties in which a storekeeper who sold him saltpeter warned, "Listen, rocket boy. This stuff can blow you to kingdom come." Hickam is candid about the deep disagreements and tensions in his parents' marriage, even as he movingly depicts their quiet loyalty to each other. The portrait of his ultimately successful campaign to win his aloof father's respect is equally affecting. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir that inspired the film October Sky, Rocket Boys is a uniquely American memoir—a powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the dawn of the 1960s, of a mother's love and a father's fears, of a group of young men who dreamed of launching rockets into outer space . . . and who made those dreams come true.

With the grace of a natural storyteller, NASA engineer Homer Hickam paints a warm, vivid portrait of the harsh West Virginia mining town of his youth, evoking a time of innocence and promise, when anything was possible, even in a company town that swallowed its men alive. A story of romance and loss, of growing up and getting out, Homer Hickam's lush, lyrical memoir is a chronicle of triumph—at once exquisitely written and marvelously entertaining.

Now with 8 pages of photographs.

A number-one New York Times bestseller in mass market, brought to the screen in the acclaimed film October Sky, Homer Hickam's memoir, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, comes to trade paperback with an all-new photo insert.

One of the most beloved bestsellers in recent years, Rocket Boys is a uniquely American memoir. A powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the end of the 1950s, it is the story of a mother's love and a father's fears, of growing up and getting out. With the grace of a natural storyteller, Homer Hickam looks back after a distinguished NASA career to tell his own true story of growing up in a dying coal town and of how, against the odds, he made his dreams of launching rockets into outer space come true.

A story of romance and loss and a keen portrait of life at an extraordinary point in American history, Rocket Boys is a chronicle of triumph.

Download Description

With "October Sky" (originally titled Rocket Boys), Homer Hickam introduced millions of readers to Coalwood, West Virginia, a 1950s haven of small town charm and hometown magic:
-- "October Sky" was a three-week #1 New York Times paperback bestseller and has spent a full uninterrupted year on the New York Times extended list.
-- By popular demand, 8 pages of photos have been added.

Customer Reviews:

A fantastic book that will entertain and inspire the reader.......2007-06-20

I cannot believe it has taken me so long to getting around to reading this book. Our community had one of those reading together projects and the paper back version of this book was free. I cannot remember exactly when I got it (it was either the fall of 2001 or 2002) but I got it because I had seen and enjoyed the movie.

Well as is often the case the book is far superior top the movie. I found it hard to stop reading this at times keeping me up way past my bed time at times. I haven't had a book that grabbed my attention like this one in decades. It is moving and inspiring. It truly shows what you can accomplish with hard work and determination.
The book adds depth that the movie doesn't have time to cover. IT explores the family dynamics of Homer, Elsie, Jim and Sonny. It makes you feel like you are a part of that family living in Coalwood, WV in the late 50's. I have read many other books about NASA by people who were Astronauts or worked at NASA but this was by far the most engaging. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

I would recommend this as a read to anyone, but especially to teens. It deals with the struggles of going through adolescence and trying to find your place in life.

One of the best Christmas gifts.......2007-03-26

As I have nephews, I'm always looking for something to share with them to encourage them to dream big. My friend gave me this book over Christmas after I talked about how great a movie that "October Sky" was.

Homer Hickam's memoir is a wonderful story of a young man growing up in Coalwood, West Virginia during the late 50's and early 60's just as the space race was in full bloom. However, Coalwood was in the process of dying.

Hickam beautifully describes how his life was growing as he decided that he wanted to build rockets. Even though, he was not doing so well in some subjects like algebra, once he discovered that understanding math and science would help him to build his rockets, then he definitely had a desire to understand both subjects to help him reach his goal.

From all of the reports about how the United States is lagging behind in math and science, this book should be a must read to help inspire young people to pursue a path in math and science.

Hickam shows with his memoir that it is always possible to dream big and that with persistence and determination you can achieve anything that you want. I would definitely recommend this book to adults and teenagers.

Inspirational True Story.......2007-03-22

This is the story of a boy growing up in a coal-mining community in West Virginia. In this town it is expected that every boy who grows up will eventually go into the coal mines to work. This is especially true for Homer, because his father runs the coal mine. But Homer has other ideas. He is enthralled with the idea of space, and after seeing the Russian launch of Sputnik that put so many Americans into a panic, he decides that he would like to build rockets.

Homer recruits several of his high school classmates to help him to gather supplies and build his rockets. They start off with crude designs that don't really fly and actually end up being dangerous. But Homer and his friends become more dedicated to building good rockets. With the encouragement of Homer's mother and his science teacher, Homer begins to take rocket-building seriously. The boys invent rocket fuels, build specialized nozzles, and Homer even teaches himself calculus so he can do the calculations for his rockets. The ultimate goal becomes the science fair. Can a group of boys from West Virginia actually will and gain national attention?

There is a lot more to this book than the story of rocket building. This is really the story of Homer growing up, and I enjoyed reading about his thoughts throughout high school. It made me a bit sad to read about how Homer described his town and how he related to his father and his brother, so that was a smudge on the inspirational story.

Boyhood dreams become reality.......2007-03-18

This is one classic must-read for anyone, child or adult, who thinks they can't live their dreams. Homer did, supported by his loving mother and his begrudging father.

Homer describes a life in West Virginia dominated by coal mining, Communist superiority with science, and 1950s norms of what one can and can not do. It was this setting that inspired this rocket-obsessed boy to go against the grain--within limits--to pursue his dream of making rockets. He tells this story with a boyish humor, a juvenile naivete and an adult's sense of reality in the end. He never gave up to pursue his dream no matter how many walls he broke with his rockets, or how many times he was banished to his room for creating a ruckus as one of the town's Rocket Boys. When other boys played football and lived to be heroes, Homer was a hero-in-waiting.

How can one even deny a boy presidency of the Big Creek Missile Agency? Reading about the BCMA reminded me of my own childhood fantasies of being Super Teacher or Super Explorer of the backwoods around Chicagoland, my hometown, all that was destroyed for new land development by the time I was a young adult.

Coalwood, WV knew what they had with this boy. Even though Homer did his share of scaring the begeesus out of some of the townsfolk, the town supported him anyway, knowing that Homer possessed something that many others in Coalwood didn't have: a chance to pursue his dreams. The narrative of this book, always written with that childish sense of humor, leaves the reader wanting more. I was hooked after just a few pages.

The final chapter was also touching, describing what happened to all the Rocket Boys, what they were doing now, and what happened to all those Football Fathers and boys. In the end, they all didn't achieve nearly as much as Homer did.

I can understand why this book was made into a movie (a movie I've yet to see). We need more such stories of childhood dreams and fantasies, childhood loves and community idealism.

Too many memoirs today are about adults who describe their negligent parents, their alcoholic father or their abusive mother, memoirs that are often filled with anger or pain. This story is non of that, and because of this uplifting tale, a must-read for everyone who even doubts they can not fulfill their dreams.

A Love Letter from a Son to his Father.......2007-01-31

I don't tend to read many memoirs - too romanticized, too maudlin, too many happy (or unbearably terrible) endings. *Rocket Boys* is an incredible exception. While there is much nostalgia, there is no overly romantic sentiment. Just reality, as it appears through the eyes of a man looking back to his boyhood.

There are many key elements that make the story work - Sonny Hickam's alternating love and repulsion for his town, his relationship with his mother and father, the coming-of-age dynamic in finding his rockets - but the facet that draws me in most deeply is the father/son relationship so powerfully depicted in his work. It is complex, painful, dynamic and stagnant . . . rewarding and unfulfilling . . . the paradox that lies at the center of many parent/child relationships.

It is easy to assume that the elder Homer understood nothing about Sonny, and that it is to his mother that he owes his personality and drive. And yet, if you read the book as it is written and don't rely too heavily on the film, you see a man who is much like his youngest son. Perhaps as a young man he WANTED to be Jim, and therefore he lives vicariously through the accomplishments of the star athlete, but it is Sonny with whom he shares his major accomplishment - his career, a position of prestige without the benefit of education, at the mine. And it is from Sonny that he feels the ultimate rejection when his son does not wish to follow in his footsteps.

It is this rejection, at war with his ambitions and dreams, that makes him deny Sonny help with his words while supporting the cause with his actions - allowing the supplies to be procured, etc. In the closing chapter, at the final launch, those dreams win out and he chases the rocket that his son has built. It is an ultimate moment of elation and understanding. And you wish it was the foundation of a close-knit tie between them. Yet, as the reader learns in the epilogue, it wasn't. Just another chain in the struggle.

For all of the complicated emotions, an adult "Sonny" seems to see his Dad as a whole individual. It is that portrayal that elevates this memoir to something very special, even if you don't know or care much about rockets.

But . . . a word about the rockets. In my region, manhood is defined by the "Jim"s in the crowd. What sports do you play