5 comments about Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture.

1. I bought a cassette tape of Hidden treasures from Amazon.com for $17.95.
   
   Leslie and Leigh Keno take turns reading their chapters that they wrote for their book themselves. They do a great job and I greatly enjoyed hearing their story told in their own voices. I found them deeply engaging and I loved hearing their story of roaming the rural hills near their home in Mohawk NY, as they rode tautem on a small motor bike looking for long lost treaures near their home; in the form of old barn hinges, or digging through garbage dumps that were over a hundred years old. And their mom who'd see them leave and say, "their go the twins go, off in their own little world." And they do seem to go off in their own world a lot of the time.
   
   Leslie Keno went to an interview at the Mather House admissions building that he was applying to the University there, and ended up crawling around on the floor examining the undersides and legs of furnature. A little later he got a tap on the shoulder as it was time for the interview, and he remembered the concerned looks of parents as he walked by. He didn't say it, but I wondered if he was embarrassed?
   
   Later on in another chapter describing a highly stylized pier table complete with womanly head and upper torso figures that supported the top of the table--I think it was Leslie that time too--Even though he and his brother made a real effort to carefully pronouce each word and keep the pacing even; Leslie almost but not quite stumbled over the word bosom. Yes Leslie, it is a bosom and some call them breasts too. But I thought it was sweet that he almost flubbed. Leigh on the other hand had no trouble telling about an almost sensual moment he had as he was running his hands over a seat cushion(yes, I said a seat cushion), then turned it over to check the underside for the age of the piece.
   
   If you think that this book is a primer for how to be a antique dealer you would be mistaken, and you'd also be mistaken if you thought this would be a dry uninteresting book. Instead what we have here is a very honest look at how two young men grew-up in a very loving, and supporting family. And how their interest in antiques was nutured. It really is interesting seeing how these two brothers evolved into the top notch antique dealers, and appraisers that they are today.
   
   The only thing that disapointed me was; I would have liked to have heard more about their youth.
   
   I highly recommend the book on cassette or in book form. Right now I'm wondering what I missed not having the actual book? Probably a whole lot more pictures. Okay! I'm ordering the book right now!



2. I looked forward to this book but found it sorely lacking.
   
   My biggest gripe is that the brothers jump in a few pages from their modest upbringing to b ig shot dealers wheeling and dealing million(s) dollars items, There is no discussion of how this jump was made, or how they could manage to finance the huge purchase prices they describe. Further the books deals in antiques that only the top .00001 percent of the population could actually buy. Nor is there anything about the business end of things, like how one becomes a top line dealer.
   
   Instead of focusing on real tips and experiences acquiring items that a serious (middle class) collector could hope to acquire, they focus on items that most millionaires would find expensive.
   
   Don't expect this book to have any relevancy to you.



3. Honestly these two guys make my skin crawl, but they really know their furniture, they are like encyclopedias of knowledge, not quite the great Albert Sack, but getting there. This is a very interesting book on some amazing furniture, and the stories are amazing. These guys really have an eye for a treasure I must admit, but i cant help shaking the image of them on their show, they are just really odd, like some old money WASP, from Newport or Long Island, I have a feeling in thirty years they will have their own Grey Garden.



4. The Keno brothers are classic examples of what can happen when someone starts on something young and sticks with it through their entire life.
   We all saw Tiger Woods out-putt Johnny Carson when he was 3 years old... Warren Buffett had read every book on finance the Omaha Public Library had available by the time he was 11. The Kenos follow a similar path, only instead of golf or investing, they chose Antiquities.
   
   The one thing that rings very clear is that knowledge, much like interest, compounds at an impressive rate. How early you start your journey can very well determine how far you eventually go with it. The reader can easily imagine the two determined twins in their early teen years, scouting out flea markets for stoneware or "the good stuff".
   
   In reading this book, it provides the reader with a profound insight into who these guys are- how they can know SO much about this stuff and why they've both gone so far in this field.
   
   All in all, a solid four out of five stars. An easy, very interesting read that sheds light into a very exclusive world that was conquered by a couple of twins with endless enthusiasm and a desire to learn.



5. This is an excellent book, well-written and very entertaining as well as informative. The Keno brothers, Leslie and Leigh, are passionate enthusiasts for American antique furniture and their overall approach in this book is lively and down-to-earth. It is easy to see why the Kenos are such highly respected figures in the antiques world. Highly recommended also for it's crisp photos.

No comments about Calling the Horses (Hodder Headline Sporting Heroes).

2 comments about A Hero All His Life: A Memoir by the Mantle Family.

1. After reading this book on Mickey Mantle, it showed all of us what a true hero he really was. Yes there were the incidents of alcohol and unfaithfulness with his wife, but the ability to see his wrongs and his struggle to correct those earlier problems would make anyone root for this midwest small town icon.



2. If you are looking for a book on the baseball exploits of Mickey Mantle try another book. Mickey, his wife, and sons reveal the difficulties they endured as they each battled alcohol addiction which led to numerous other problems in their lives. It may seem like a depressing book, but the story is told in a way that other families might avoid the pitfalls the Mantle family suffered. They are to be commended for their candidness.

No comments about 2.5 Minute Ride.

5 comments about I Love Lucy : Behind the Scenes.

1. I'd like to start with a clarification: this book is not a biography of Lucy, it is the creator's (Jess Oppenheimer) memoir. As such, there are many parts of the book that have nothing to do with Lucy, including episodes from Oppenheimer's childhood and young adult life.

   However, this is still a GREAT book! It is well-written and full of entertaining annecdotes. "Laughs, Luck, and Lucy" follows Oppenheimer's slow rise to the top in the Hollywood radio industry. He describes Lucille Ball's program, "My Favorite Husband," which became the basis for "I Love Lucy." The book also includes some behind the scenes information about the making of "I Love Lucy."

   The included audio cd is fun because it has clips from both "I Love Lucy" and "My Favorite Husband."

   If you are only interested in information specifically about Lucille Ball, this might not be the book for you (try her autobiography, "Love, Lucy"). However, if you (like me) are fascinated with everything surrounding "I Love Lucy" and the Hollywood entertainment industry of the 1940s and 1950s, this is a great read!




2. I THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMTIVE! IT WAS HILARIOUS AND I JUST COULDNT PUT IT DOWN. IT ONLY TOOK ME THREE DAYS TO READ IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING HOW IT TOLD ABOUT THE LIFE OF JESS OPPENHEIMER AS WELL AS THE LIFE OF LUCILLE BALL AND OTHER CAST MEMBERS FROM THE SHOW I LOVE LUCY. I REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK AND I THINK EVERY I LOVE LUCY FAN SHOULD READ IT!!!



3. Out of print book came quickly and condition was very good, service was quick. I will be back.



4. This is an excellent informative book about the "I Love Lucy" show and a must have for any Lucy fan! The cd that is included is worth the price of the whole set alone. In the cd it includes hours of hilarious episodes from I Love Lucy and My Favorite Husband starring Lucille Ball, you will also receive lost scenes from the shows on the cd. I am not much of a reader but this book you just can't put down because it is so good and of course I love Lucy! The book doesn't look thick on the picture shown on Amazon but it is a nice thick paperback book and includes lots of wonderful pictures of the cast of I Love Lucy and fun information that you may have not of known about I love Lucy and how it became to be produced.



5. I loved this book! The entire time I listed to this book on cassette I felt I was hearing privileged information...yet Jess Oppenheimer shared his intellectual jewels freely as if they were common everyday thoughts. Well, for him, they were. What a genius. And what a witty, creative, generous, and responsible man! If he were alive I'd write him a fan letter.

5 comments about Man to Man: Surviving Prostate Cancer Cassette.

1. It's unfortunate this book is so one-sided, and so reflective of a person who obviously has lived a very sheltered life. While there is useful information in it, it is too colored by the author's personal fears and worries. I'm a survivor of this surgery, and doing quite well after one year. As a matter of fact, 3 days after surgery I was walking, slowly, 3.5 miles around the block, and I'm a certified couch potato. Also, my cancer was quite well along, but still within the prostate capsule, thank heavens. There are other books by much more qualified people available to the man diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is up to the individual to find them (it's not hard, try to get a few, hopefully written by doctors), read them and make informed decisions. The best of care is available in a lot of places in this country. No need to let a frightened bunny influence your personal decisions, or scare you into frantic searching for help. It's part of life, for heaven's sake. Again, this book is a disservice to men seeking unbiased, informed, rational information.



2. This is a gripping book that starkly conveys his emotions upon learning of prostate cancer as well as his experiences deciding treatment and the process. I could not put it down, but can understand how others find it a disturbing read ahead of dealing with this problem.



3. I had my surgery four weeks ago and found Mr. Korda's book fascinating to compare with my experience. It's an easy book to read and goes into the details and fears that other books mention in passing. Although Mr Korda's experience was a bit more dramatic than mine (I experienced relatively little pain and came home to an empty house after 5 days in the hospital)it was still interesting to me to compare how the surgery is done by the leading expert in the field at Johns Hopkins with how the surgery is performed at Baylor hospital in Dallas and to compare post surgery advice etc. Simply because he recounts an experience that was difficult for him is no reason to avoid reading this book. If nothing else, it gives the reader an idea of some of the questions to ask your surgeon. I was given a copy of the book by a stranger sitting next to me at my first cancer support group meeting and have enjoyed reading it.



4. Unless you are especially interested in Michael Korda, I strongly agree with those other reviewers in recommending that you DO NOT read this book before you decide on treatment or before you have surgery. The author of this book is a very sad case and far worse off than most opting for surgery. This book is worth reading AFTER surgery and you have begun to recoup a little. You'll at least feel good that you're not as bad off as this self-centered schmuck.
   For good personal accounts of surviving prostate cancer read Bert Gottlieb's and William Martin's books. Both of these books are deeply reflective and filled with hope and useful information. Also Robert Young's Phoenix5 web site has very useful personal accounts.



5. I don't think I would have wanted to read this book before my surgery. Even making allowances for Michael Korda's self-absorption and wealth, the plain facts of his case are scary. On the other hand, it was illuminating to see Patrick Walsh in other than uncritically worshipful light.

   Readers should understand at least a couple of things: (1) This book is at least as much about Michael Korda as it is about prostate cancer. He is candid in his description of his own shortcomings, but there is still a strong look-at-me undercurrent. (2) The technology and practices have changed dramatically since his diagnosis ten years ago. My nerve-sparing surgery was triggered by a PSA of just 4.6 and a thorough biopsy. The incision was only 4 or 5 inches, with dissolvable stitches. Anesthesia was general, with minimal blood loss. I was home two days after the surgery. Recovery (I'm less than a week post-op) has been uncomfortable but quite doable, with a terrific wife but without private nurses or special privileges.

   There are better, more thoughtful books out there, though this one was fun to read after my surgery. There are also many helpful Web sites.

   The advantage men have today is that there are many alternatives in treatment. This can also pose a great burden; it can be hard to make the final decision amid all the conflicting advice. The books and Web sites help. Just don't use Korda's book as your only guide.

5 comments about Silent Running: My Years on a World War II Attack Submarine.

1. This could have easily been a dull and difficult read, but Calvert was not a dull man. To the contrary, this story puts you right in the action. Just like the AAF's B-24 Liberator bombers, the naval subs were often just as dangerous to our soldiers as the enemy was. Especially at the beginning of their service, Calvert shares how the Jack had many problems with its engines, at one point nearly getting stranded with no operable engines. On top of that, they had to endure intense depth charging. With all of this action, it's hard to relax - even while in the comfort of an armchair.

   More than just a military tale, however; Silent Running has a real human side. Calvert takes the reader deep into his personality, allowing us to share in his fear and his courage. It is also a story of love and a sailor's struggle to stay faithful to his wife while facing death in a cruel war far from home. As he prevails over all, we are shown the tremendous character and tenacity of the men and women that fought and won the "Greatest War".

   If you like this book, you must rent/buy/watch Das Boot (The Boat) directed by Wolfgang Petersen. Although, it is told from the perspective of the German submarine crew, it is a great aid to visualizing the experience of 1930-40's submarine warfare conditions and technology. It is, also, considered one of the greatest WWII movies made to date.




2. This memoir is particularly well-written. It accomplishes the expected by displaying day-to-day life on a US submarine in WWII, but it does more by really capturing the voice of an innocent young man who still has a lot to learn about the world.
   
   Calvert went on to quite a distinguished career in the Navy, but this book never hints at that, instead it paints a portrait of a very specific period of time in the author's life and doesn't bog the reader down with too much 20/20 hindsight and reflections, instead relaying the feeling of being in your early 20s and being involved in one of the highest-stakes contests ever fought in human history.
   
   If you like memoirs, history, or WWII, this is a very well-told story that will appeal to you.



3. Great read.
   
   As the only prior reviewer who failed to give it five stars noted , it is written in a very straightforward style. Most of the discussions regarding emotions are off the boat. It is not Tom Clancey but rather an account of real heros, fighting an extremely dangerous war, 8,000 miles from home and often hundreds of miles from any friendly ship.
   
   I found the book captivating but it does require the reader to put himself into the account rather than having the book reach out to the reader with pages of descriptions of fear soaked sweat dripping from frightened sailors.
   
   It is a book about the true meaning of being a warrior at sea, combat leadership, life aboard one of the best attack submarines, wartime love and the emotional conflicts and the technology of the era.
   
   The book is also about the endurance of the men who sailed on the submarines. Although the author does not dwell on the issue, due to the importance of their effort the subs were only allowed to remain in port for the few weeks it took to attend to the most critical reparis and replenishment. Then they returned to a very dangerous mission which began almost as they left port.
   
   It's also a reminder of how much the strategy of submarine warfare has changed as our WW2 subs had very limited range and speed while submerged.
   
   The author's story of their premature entry into Tokyo was great.
   
   He only devotes a few words in the afterword to cover the balance of his distinguished military career which had seemed doomed by their prank trip to Tokyo.



4. I'll echo much of what has already been written. This book is an excellent account of one man's experience with WW2 submarine operations. The author made it to the level of executive officer on a sub by the end of the war (and went on to even more interesting events as told in his other book "Surface at the Pole").
   
   The author writes clearly, interestingly, and honestly. The author covers most of his patrols (of nine if I remember correctly) in detail and even some of his personal events while on shore. He covers everything from the horror of being depth charged to the boredom and tedium of patrol.
   
   Overall the author provides an interesting and enlightening account of US Submarine operations and what it was like to serve on a US submarine in WW2.



5. This book is a real page turner. I couldn't put it down. Calvert really pulls you into the action. I picked up this book after reading "The Terrible hours" and found that I enjoyed reading about submarines. I've also just started playing "Silent Hunter III" and wanted to delve into the WWII submarine environment. This books definitely puts right along-side Calvert. I really enjoyed the growth that the book follows as Calvert graduates from the Naval Academy, gets assigned to a new submarine as it is being contructed. His writing style that takes you from a young green officer to an experienced submarine warrior is a very nice touch. This really portrays the building of his character. After reading about Swede Momsen and James Calvert, I am ready to start building a WWII submarine library.

5 comments about Bad Blood: Crisis in the American Red Cross.

1. This book tells the honest truth about blood transfusions that so many people overlook when they critcize someone for not taking one. The Blood industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and yes the Red Cross profitted incredibly! That is why it has wrongly educated doctors that people need blood transfusions. There are so many ways to use the skills physicians have to prevent and treat blood loss instead of blood transfusions but instead it is the easy way out. This book shows how many times blood is given when it is completely unnecessary. It shows the real dangers of blood transfusions and how many many people are suffering because of agreeing to receive blood. It's incredible how many diseases can be acquired through blood transfusions, even today. If anyone thinks that blood transfusions are safe today, they need to think again and read this book!



2. A young man wanted to donate blood to a Palo Alto Blood Bank but they rejected him for having a super low t-cell count. His blood was later accepted by a Red Cross facility and his bad blood caused a recipient to get AIDs.
   This book is filled with similar horror stories as well as details about this one. The American Red Cross cut corners every chance possible and then fought like pitt balls to avoid taking any responsibility.
   The Ford Pinto and Dalkon Shield two famous product liability cases left a black mark on corporate America but the irresponsibilty of The American Red Cross is a black mark against the cross and what it stands for.
   A corporation that specializes in blood and relies on people's donations and uses the cross to engender peoples trust owes more then any car or iud maker.
   They owe nothing short of their blood because the Christian cross symbolizes Christ's blood on the cross.
   They sinned against God. The American Red Cross has been immortalized as one of the most greedy and ruthless corporations to ever exist!



3. I am the grandson of Robert Duane Jones. My grandfather received blood tainted with HIV and Hepatitis in the winter of 1989 from the bloodbank in Portland Oregon. He struggled on for more than a decade with this terrible disease, finally to succomb to it in January of 2002.
   
   Grandpa made national headlines when he and my grandmother sued the Portland Division of the Red Cross in the nineties, which helped to bring about many of the changes that we see today. It was not that the Red Cross is a bad organization, it is that the Red Cross was never before held responsible or accountable for any of it's actions. This book helps to show, like any other book of its nature, the truth about an organization. I still continue to donate blood, and I donate to the Red Cross. The organization does great things around the world, but this book helps us to realize that all things may not be what they appear. Anyone interested in the history of HIV and transfusions should definately read this book, but like anything, you have too look at the whole picture and realize that no organization is without faults.



4. There may be some truth in the statements contained in the book, at a time when HIV/AIDS was becoming a well known disease more than just the Red Cross was testing and supplying blood to hospitals, there are many blood banks that do the same thing as the Red Cross but they do it for a profit. However, it sells books to just state the Red Cross was the only one responsible for HIV/AIDS. The Red Cross does not make money on their blood supply. They charge hospitals for processing fees only to recoup the cost of the manufacturing, testing, processing, etc. of the blood it collects. It is the hospitals that are permited to collect the money, charge patients and insurances. Before criticizing the Red Cross, do some research yourself. FDA standards are met and exceeded for blood testing by the ARC.



5. This book is fabulously written, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a factual account about an organization who doesn't do so well in their hiring practices, but nonetheless is admired by a lot of people. My favorite quote from the book - Is anything more sacred then the ARC - yes the truth.

4 comments about Voyage to Mars.

1. Travelers often opine that the experience of a trip itself, the way stations and characters encountered, rather than the final destination, is the most exciting aspect of a journey. After reading Laurence Bergreen's latest offering, VOYAGE TO MARS: NASA'S SEARCH FOR LIFE BEYOND EARTH (hardcover edition), one may reasonably conclude that the peripatetic author is as fascinated with the personas and psyches of the various individuals he encounters along the way as he is with the ostensible subject of the book: Mars. Indeed, a glance at Bergreen's previous books, works covering the gamut from Al Capone to Louis Armstrong to Irving Berlin, shows that the author is a keen observer and no stranger to character studies; his most recent book is no exception.

   Bergreen's tour, which starts on Surtsey, a volcanic island off the Icelandic coast, eventually ends on Mars. Throughout, he manages to weave an interesting narrative, replete with detailed personal observations of the scientists and engineers he encounters along the way, which is interspersed with some fairly decent Mars science written in layspeak. The author recounts the often-rancorous Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) team meetings and the clash of egos between scientists pushing their own competing theories and hypotheses about Mars. He encounters scientists in the nascent astrobiology community, some of who are veterans from the Viking mission to Mars of the mid-1970's, and who have bittersweet memories of the main finding from that mission, namely that Mars was a lifeless world. He smoothly segues into the modern view (based on more recent analyses) that the question of life on Mars, either extant or extinct, may not be a closed issue. The reader is caught up in the excitement and the glimpses into the inner sanctum, which is made all the more fascinating because the subject is the Red Planet. The reading is pleasurable (I read the entire book in two sittings) and insightful, but there are a few problems. As a scientist, I am trained to be alert to what is termed "observational bias", which, upon careful reading, appears to raise its head in the pages of the book. It is almost axiomatic that scientists, as well as science teams, tend to be very competitive. So it is not surprising that Bergreen appears to view the world primarily through the prism of the MOLA team. Indeed, he seems to accept their characterizations of others (especially competitors on the other MGS science teams); an interesting parallel to Stockholm syndrome. Additionally, given that Bergreen is really not a "participant" in the normal sense of the word, there are the inevitable factual errors (mostly minor) that are sprinkled throughout the book. Without wanting to appear as a nitpicker, I'll list a few that came to my attention:

   Page 104: "...the same moment in 1993 when Mars Observer slipped behind Mars and never resumed contact with Earth." Fact: The failed Mars Observer spacecraft lost contact with Earth three days BEFORE Mars Orbit Insertion and Earth occultation.

   Page 104: "For the first time in twenty-one years, a spacecraft [Mars Global Surveyor] was orbiting Mars." Fact: The author is apparently unaware of the Soviet Phobos 2 spacecraft, which successfully entered Mars orbit on January 29, 1989, although the spacecraft was lost in March of 1989 when controllers lost contact while it was approaching its primary target, Phobos, the larger of the two Martian moons.

   Page 111: "...[Mars Observer] and finally launched in 1991." Fact: Mars Observer launched in 1992.

   Page 114: "He's [Malin] a member of the MOLA team." Fact: Dr. Michael C. Malin is Principal Investigator for the Mars Orbiter Camera team and a Co-Investigator for the Thermal Emission Spectrometer team; he is not a member of the MOLA team, and would therefore normally not be expected to attend their meetings. This "factual error" by the author is less innocuous than it appears and perhaps was colored by observational bias accruing from his association with the MOLA team. Moreover, the misidentification is used to strengthen his claims that Malin is secretive, elusive, one who holds onto data, and one who does not respond to email, etc., which do not appear to be well-supported by the facts, although one can easily believe that the MOLA team encouraged this view. In fairness, though, it is possible that the author simply confused membership on the MOLA team with membership on the much larger and more inclusive MGS Project Science Group.

   Page 138: "...and the Journal of Geophysics Review." Fact: After checking with the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) online database, I discovered that no such journal exists. It is likely that the author confused two separate journals, the Journal of Geophysical Research and Geophysical Research Letters, both of which are key publications for planetary scientists.

   Page 205: "Stardust will swing around Mars..." Fact: The Stardust spacecraft did not and will not "swing around Mars." It does, however, travel beyond Mars' orbit, but never comes closer than several million kilometers to the Red Planet at any time during its baseline mission.

   Page 216: "And a little camera will pop up..." Fact: The author, while apparently describing a portion of the mission profile for the two Deep Space 2 penetrators (part of the failed Mars Surveyor 98 mission), incorrectly describes their instrument packages. There was no camera aboard either of the impact probes; however, Bergreen may be referring to the Surface Stereo Imager, a camera system aboard the Mars Polar Lander.

   Despite these errors (which might have been eliminated by more careful proofreading and better research), the book is a fascinating read and, given the relative lack of publicity on the subject, a good source of information on the current state of Mars exploration efforts. If for no other reason, though, I would recommend the book for its introduction to the reader of some of the key figures in Mars exploration, past and present, which gives a personality to the often obscure names that are only found in science journals.




2. Although on the surface this is a book about the recent robotic missions to Mars, the book is really an exploration of the culture of the project scientists at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Bergreen paints very full portraits of many key people involved in NASA, JPL, etc including the scientists, graduate students, industry representatives, etc. The book reminded me very much of Jim Watson's excellent account of his work to elucidate the structure of DNA, "The Race for the Double Helix" in that it showed the human side of science. Jim Garvin, Jim Head, Sean Solomon, and the other scientists in this book seek good and solid data, but also (understandably) seek publications in prestigious journals to advance their careers. They worry openly about funding and grant support. Jim Garvin has what sounds like a strained relationship with his wife, who does not really seem to understand her husband's passion and dedication. Some of the investigators don't like each other, and show this openly. These sorts of interludes were very interesting as many books about science and scientists are sterile and portray scientists as absent-minded-professor types who are not grounded in the real world (which is only very rarely the case).

   The book is very readable and well written. My only complaint is that the book would have benefited from some illustrations. The images from the Mars Orbiter were discussed ad nauseum, but no representative images were between the covers of the book! Also, I would have liked to have seen a few photos of some of the hardware and researchers discussed.




3. Bergreen's book is a very intimate look at how science really works. In successive chapters, he takes us inside four groups of men and women: the team of scientists that worked on the Martian meteorite ALH84001; the Mars Pathfinder/Sojourner team, the team in charge of the Mars Global Surveyor's laser altimeter, and finally, inside Dan Goldin's NASA. What we see is a far cry from the polished interviews on TV, or the neatly written articles in Nature or Science. The truth is that scientists rarely agree on anything other than very broad assumptions, and often not even on those. Instead, scientists, even those working together on the same project, can heatedly disagree with one another's assumptions or interpretations, making it difficult to agree on the best way data should be released to the public.

   An example from the MGS laser altimeter team (specifically the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter or MOLA). This instrument shoots blasts of laser light from the orbiting spacecraft to the surface of Mars, and times their return to the sensor. By doing so, an incredibly accurate topographical relief map of Mars can be created. However, Mars has no absolute altitude marker like Earth (sea-level). Therefore, the scientists have to agree on an altitude reference against which all other measurements are compared. The specific reference chosen is critical because it will be used in all subsequent analyses of MOLA data. Any error could potentially be a spoiler for generations of future reserachers. Bergreen was there when they discussed whether they were ready to commit to an altitude reference and start releasing data (many team members argued "yes!") or whether more data and study were needed before the team published such critical information (other team members said "wait!").

   Also typical was the conflict in choosing a landing site for the Mars Polar Lander. Scientists pour over the data from MGS and pick a site that is geologically interesting. Engineers pour over the MGS data and pick a site that is safe. The two goals are often at direct odds with one another. The engineers want stastical rock-counts so that they can ensure their craft won't topple over a boulder. Scientists argue that the sites chosen by the engineers will nullify all the science objectives of the mission. Such discussions can quickly become personal as emotions boil over and passionate beliefs give way to shouting contests.

   Bergreen's book is in many ways reminiscent of Overbye's Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos, only directed at Planetary scientists instead of cosmologists. This book will be of extreme interest to Marsophiles, but will also be enlightening to those who want an inside look at Dan Goldin's NASA, or at the process actually followed by scientists in the trenches. I recommend this book highly to these two groups as well as anyone else who hasn't updated their knowledge of Mars exploration since Viking.




4. While Laurence Bergreen's book "Voyage to Mars" does contain some information about Mars space missions, robotic probes, and scientific study of Mars, it is primarily about the scientists, both men and women, who study Mars and design experiments for NASA robotic explorers and how they dedicated their lives to the study and exploration of this planet. Most of the book covers the people involved in Mars research since the Mars Observer failure in 1992.

   This book follows the lives (personal and professional) of several NASA scientists who study Mars, whether they're off in some remote location studying geology that's similar to Mars or designing an experiment for a robotic exploration mission. The book includes the many battles that each one fights, whether is with NASA bureaucracy, their personal lives, with each other for experiments to be flown on an upcoming Mars spacecraft, or dealing with each other's conflicting theories on Martian geological history. One of the things that I gleaned from reading this book is that while each of the people maybe specialized in a given area, they all have a board background in planetary sciences and spacecraft design. Also, there seems to be a lot jealously between scientists, especially for those people who worked on the "Life on Mars" Rock. It was also nice to see that a good portion of the people that NASA employs are women.

   Since I've known several of the people involved in Mars research who are described in this book for over a decade, I can definitely say that the stories presented are true and I found the personal descriptions of various individuals to be dead on as well as those of NASA facilities. The book could, however, benefit from some photos and illustrations instead of the detailed of various Martian geological features. It also would have been nice to some parts of the book devoted to the engineers who help make these missions possible, but that might be an inappropriate topic for this book.

No comments about Heretic Blood: An Audiobiography of Thomas Merton.