A methodical reference, if dry and lacking in visual appeal.
An overview of NASA’s growth and accomplishments, from World War I–era antecedents to a planned return to the Moon in 2026.
This work is of some value for tallying many of the spectacular successes and failures in both aeronautics and space exploration sponsored by the U.S. government through the 20th century and into the 21st. Unfortunately, Miller’s narrative quickly becomes an eye-glazing barrage of mission profiles and technical descriptions that are only rarely relieved by a photo or graphic image. Readers who would like to know what the cutting-edge Bell X-1 rocket-powered plane from the 1940s looked like—not to mention the Gemini capsule, the International Space Station, or any NASA satellite, space probe, or Mars rover—will have to be content with verbal descriptions alone. Still, the facts seem to be carefully researched, the author tells a coherent story, and the glimpses of upcoming and longer-range space missions send a reassuring message that the agency is resolutely keeping its eye on the future. Text boxes add interest by covering subjects such as experiments with sending animals into space (including the ill-fated dog Laika, who died of hyperthermia on board the Soviet Union’s Sputnik I) and the experiences and contributions of women and racial minorities.
A methodical reference, if dry and lacking in visual appeal. (glossary, source notes, bibliography, further reading, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9798765648063
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
Attractively designed and handsomely illustrated, this informative text introduces teens to many intriguing angles on a...
Will the world end in a bang or a whimper? Unless pre-empted by human-induced disaster or one of many scientifically possible catastrophic scenarios, life on Earth will end a billion years from now in a sizzle.
Predicting the end of the world is an old story, argues the author, presenting evidence in brief surveys of eschatologies from the world's major religions and mythologies of ancient civilizations. Miller also notes how end-of-world scenarios have captured humanity's imagination in their frequent appearances in science-fiction novels and motion pictures. (Disappointingly, the reasons for this ongoing fascination are not explored.) A chapter about imminent predictions for 2012 explains the Mayan prophecy and a theory about a phantom planet called Nibiru crashing into Earth. Another chapter examines pseudoscientific end-of-world theories such as planetary alignment and pole shifts. The primary focus is on scientifically plausible scenarios: self-destruction through nuclear war or continued environmental exploitation; humanity wiped out by a pandemic; an asteroid or comet strike destroying Earth.
Attractively designed and handsomely illustrated, this informative text introduces teens to many intriguing angles on a high-interest topic that should inspire many to further explore the subject. (chronology, glossary, bibliography, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-7396-4
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
Fans of all things martial will echo his “HOOYAH!”—but the troubled aftermath comes in for some attention too.
Abridged but not toned down, this young-readers version of an ex-SEAL sniper’s account (SEAL Team Six, 2011) of his training and combat experiences in Operation Desert Storm and the first Battle of Mogadishu makes colorful, often compelling reading.
“My experiences weren’t always enjoyable,” Wasdin writes, “but they were always adrenaline-filled!” Not to mention testosterone-fueled. He goes on to ascribe much of his innate toughness to being regularly beaten by his stepfather as a child and punctuates his passage through the notoriously hellacious SEAL training with frequent references to other trainees who fail or drop out. He tears into the Clinton administration (whose “support for our troops had sagged like a sack of turds”), indecisive commanders and corrupt Italian “allies” for making such a hash of the entire Somalian mission. In later chapters he retraces his long, difficult physical and emotional recovery from serious wounds received during the “Black Hawk Down” operation, his increasing focus on faith and family after divorce and remarriage and his second career as a chiropractor.
Fans of all things martial will echo his “HOOYAH!”—but the troubled aftermath comes in for some attention too. (acronym/ordinance glossary, adult level reading list) (Memoir. 12-14)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-250-01643-0
Page Count: 192
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2012
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