Charged with the ever-present potential for danger and occasionally punctuated by terrible moments of disaster, the history of space exploration has been keenly dramatic. The recent disaster of the Space Shuttle Columbia was a sad but certain reminder that space travel is an extraordinarily dangerous occupation. Oddly enough, it often takes a tragic accident to remind us that we still have a presence in space. In the decades between triumph and tragedy we tend to ignore the fact that there have been scores of space pioneers who have risked their lives to explore our solar system. Indeed, the International Space Station is sometimes referred to as â€œAlpha,â€ a moniker that implies that it is our first real permanent presence in space. But this notion is frowned upon by the Russians â€" and for good reason. Prior to the construction of the controversial International Space Station, a host of daring Russian cosmonauts, and a smaller number of intrepid American astronauts, were living in space for months, some of them for over a year. In this definitive account of manâ€™s quest to become citizens of the cosmos, noted space historian Robert Zimmerman reveals the great global gamesmanship between Russian and American political leaders that drove us to the stars. Beaten to the Moon by their Cold War enemies, the Russians were intent on being first to the planets. They believed that manned space stations held the greatest promise for reaching other worlds and worked feverishly to build a viable space station program â€" one that would dwarf American efforts and allow the Russians to claim the vast territories of space as their own. Although unthinkable at the time, the ponderously bureaucratic Soviet Union actually managed to overtake the United States in the space station race. Leveraging their propaganda machine and tyrannical politics to launch a series of daring, dangerous, and scientifically brilliant space exploits, their efforts not only put them far ahead of NASA, they also helped to reshape their own society, transforming it from dictatorship to democracy. At the same time, the American space program at NASA was also evolving, but not necessarily for the better. In fact, the two programs were slowly but inexorably trading places. Drawing on his vast store of knowledge about space travel, as well as hundreds of interviews with cosmonauts, astronauts, and scientists, Zimmerman has superbly captured the excitement and suspense of our recent space-traveling past. For space and history enthusiasts alike, Leaving Earth describes a rich heritage of adventure, exploration, research, and discovery. Table of Contents <ul>
<li>Front Matter</li>
<li>1. Skyscrapers in the Sky</li>
<li>2. Salyut: "I Wanted Him to Come Home."</li>
<li>3. Skylab: A Glorious Forgotten Triumph</li>
<li>4. The Early Salyuts: "The Prize of All People"</li>
<li>5. Salyut 6: The End of Isolation</li>
<li>6. Salyut 7: Phoenix in Space</li>
<li>7. Freedom "You've Got to Put on Your Management Hat. . ."</li>
<li>8. Mir: A Year in Space</li>
<li>9. Mir: The Road to Capitalism</li>
<li>10. Mir: The Joys of Freedom</li>
<li>11. Mir: Almost Touching</li>
<li>12. Mir: Culture Shock</li>
<li>13. Mir: Spin City</li>
<li>14. International Space Station: Ships Passing in the Night</li>
<li>Bibliography</li>
<li>Notes</li>
<li>Index</li>
</ul>

Leaving Earth: Space Stations, Rival Superpowers, and the Quest for Interplanetary Travel

Engineering & Transportation

Zimmerman, Robert

Transportation

Joseph Henry Press

The story of Apollo 8, the first manned vehicle to leave earth orbit and circle round the moon, is told in vivid detail, focusing on the mission's historical, scientific, and media importance. Reprint.

Genesis: The Story Of Apollo 8

History

Americas

Dell

The Hubble Space Telescope has produced the most stunning images of the cosmos humanity has ever seen. It has transformed our understanding of the universe around us, revealing new information about its age and evolution, the life cycle of stars, and the very existence of black holes, among other startling discoveries. The Universe in a Mirror tells the story of this telescope and the visionaries responsible for its extraordinary accomplishments.
 Robert Zimmerman takes readers behind the scenes of one of the most ambitious scientific instruments ever sent into space. After World War II, astronomer Lyman Spitzer and a handful of scientists waged a fifty-year struggle to build the first space telescope capable of seeing beyond Earth's atmospheric veil. Zimmerman shows how many of the telescope’s advocates sacrificed careers and family to get it launched, and how others devoted their lives to Hubble only to have their hopes and reputations shattered when its mirror was found to be flawed. This is the story of an idea that would not die--and of the dauntless human spirit. Illustrated with striking color images, The Universe in a Mirror describes the heated battles between scientists and bureaucrats, the perseverance of astronauts to repair and maintain the telescope, and much more. Hubble, and the men and women behind it, opened a rare window onto the universe, dazzling humanity with sights never before seen.
 This book tells their remarkable story.

The Universe in a Mirror: The Saga of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Visionaries Who Built It

Princeton University Press

The Hubble Space Telescope has produced the most stunning images of the cosmos humanity has ever seen. It has transformed our understanding of the universe around us, revealing new information about its age and evolution, the life cycle of stars, and the very existence of black holes, among other startling discoveries. But it took an amazing amount of work and perseverance to get the first space telescope up and running. The Universe in a Mirror tells the story of this telescope and the visionaries responsible for its extraordinary accomplishments.
 Robert Zimmerman takes readers behind the scenes of one of the most ambitious scientific instruments ever sent into space. After World War II, astronomer Lyman Spitzer and a handful of scientists waged a fifty-year struggle to build the first space telescope capable of seeing beyond Earth's atmospheric veil. Zimmerman shows how many of the telescope's advocates sacrificed careers and family to get it launched, and how others devoted their lives to Hubble only to have their hopes and reputations shattered when its mirror was found to be flawed. This is the story of an idea that would not die--and of the dauntless human spirit. Illustrated with striking color images, The Universe in a Mirror describes the heated battles between scientists and bureaucrats, the perseverance of astronauts to repair and maintain the telescope, and much more. Hubble, and the men and women behind it, opened a rare window onto the universe, dazzling humanity with sights never before seen.
 This book tells their remarkable story. A new afterword updates the reader on the May 2009 Hubble service mission and looks to the future of astronomy, including the prospect of a new space telescope to replace Hubble.

Describes the efforts of the Christian rock band Switchfoot to break into the mainstream, and highlights their message and the lives of the band members.

Switchfoot (Contemporary Musicians And Their Music)

Children's Books

Biographies

Rosen Young Adult

Fundamentals of Rock Mechanics

An extensively updated edition of the highly regarded book on rock mechanics fundamentals Widely regarded as the most authoritative and comprehensive book in its field, the fourth edition of Fundamentals of Rock Mechanics offers a thorough introduction to the subject before expertly delving into a fundamental, self-contained discussion of specific topics. It includes new and substantially updated chapters on poroelasticity, wave propogation, and subsurface stresses and features entirely new chapters on rock fractures and micromechanical models of rock behavior. The book also discusses fundamental concepts such as stress and strain.

Science & Math

Jaeger, John Conrad

Cook, Neville G. W.

Earth Sciences

Wiley/Blackwell

Krr'tip: The Clanless Series: Book 1 (The Clanless Series, 1)

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy

AuthorHouse

Conscious Choice: The Origins of Slavery in America and Why it Matters Today and for Our Future in Outer Space

Robert Zubrin: "Zimmerman's ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says."\nThe human race is about to go to the stars. Big rockets are being built, and nations and private citizens worldwide are planning the first permanent settlements in space.\nWhen we get there, will we know what to do to make those first colonies just and prosperous places for all humans?\nConscious Choice answers this question, by telling a riveting and accurate history of the first century of British settlement in North America. That was when those settlers were building their own new colonies, and had to decide whether to include slaves from Africa.\nIn New England slavery was vigorously rejected. The Puritans wanted nothing to do with this institution, desiring instead to form a society of free religious families, a society that became the foundation of the United States of American, dedicated to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.\nIn Virginia however slavery was gladly embraced, resulting in a corrupt social order built on power, rule, and oppression.\nWhy the New England citizens were able to reject slavery, and Virginians were not, is the story that Conscious Choice tells, a story with direct implications for all human societies, whether they are here on Earth or on the farflung planets across the universe.\nWhat others are saying:\nRand Simberg: 
"In its '1619 Project,' a false and libelous narrative of America's past has recently been promoted by the New York Times. In a useful corrective, Zimmerman's book provides well-documented and new historical insights into the true history of slavery in colonial English America, with a cautionary warning for future settlers off the planet."\nDouglas Mackinnon 
"When humankind finally does venture forth to colonize the moon, Mars, and beyond, it is essential that each colonist have this book downloaded onto their tablet. It will guide them and most likely save them."\nJames Bennett: 
"How was slavery born in the deep south of the United States? Robert Zimmerman's book Conscious Choice provides the answer, in a well-researched, detailed, but readable book free of academic jargon. He shows that slavery was not predetermined but was instead a series of conscious choices made by key individuals of that day. He also shows that it was not necessary, as demonstrated by the decision of the northern British colonies to reject it.\n"Zimmerman then uses this history to show how it provides lessons to future explorers when they found their own new colonies in space."

eBookIt.com

Robert Zubrin: "Zimmerman's ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says."\nThe human race is about to go to the stars. Big rockets are being built, and nations and private citizens worldwide are planning the first permanent settlements in space.\nWhen we get there, will we know what to do to make those first colonies just and prosperous places for all humans?\nConscious Choice answers this question, by telling a riveting and accurate history of the first century of British settlement in North America. That was when those settlers were building their own new colonies, and had to decide whether to include slaves from Africa.\nIn New England slavery was vigorously rejected. The Puritans wanted nothing to do with this institution, desiring instead to form a society of free religious families, a society that became the foundation of the United States of American, dedicated to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.\nIn Virginia however slavery was gladly embraced, resulting in a corrupt social order built on power, rule, and oppression.\nWhy the New England citizens were able to reject slavery, and Virginians were not, is the story that Conscious Choice tells, a story with direct implications for all human societies, whether they are here on Earth or on the farflung planets across the universe.\nWhat others are saying:\nRand Simberg: 
"In its '1619 Project, ' a false and libelous narrative of America's past has recently been promoted by the New York Times. In a useful corrective, Zimmerman's book provides well-documented and new historical insights into the true history of slavery in colonial English America, with a cautionary warning for future settlers off the planet."\nDouglas Mackinnon 
"When humankind finally does venture forth to colonize the moon, Mars, and beyond, it is essential that each colonist have this book downloaded onto their tablet. It will guide them and most likely save them."\nJames Bennett: 
"How was slavery born in the deep south of the United States? Robert Zimmerman's book Conscious Choice provides the answer, in a well-researched, detailed, but readable book free of academic jargon. He shows that slavery was not predetermined but was instead a series of conscious choices made by key individuals of that day. He also shows that it was not necessary, as demonstrated by the decision of the northern British colonies to reject it.\n"Zimmerman then uses this history to show how it provides lessons to future explorers when they found their own new colonies in space."

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Zimmerman, Robert. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Zimmerman, Robert

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Zimmerman, Robert. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Leaving Earth: Space Stations, Rival Superpowers, and the Quest for Interplanetary Travel

Leaving Earth: Space Stations, Rival Superpowers, and the Quest for Interplanetary Travel

Genesis: The Story Of Apollo 8

The Universe in a Mirror: The Saga of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Visionaries Who Built It

The Universe in a Mirror: The Saga of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Visionaries Who Built It

Switchfoot (Contemporary Musicians And Their Music)

Fundamentals of Rock Mechanics

Krr'tip: The Clanless Series: Book 1 (The Clanless Series, 1)

Conscious Choice: The Origins of Slavery in America and Why it Matters Today and for Our Future in Outer Space

Conscious Choice: The Origins of Slavery in America and Why it Matters Today and for Our Future in Outer Space