A futuristic, optimistic, and intellectually stimulating report for space enthusiasts or readers with celestial wanderlust.
Scientific and philosophical testimony on the possibilities of interstellar relocation.
In his third book, Nadis merges space science and technology in an intermittently fascinating exploration of the human quest to mine extraterrestrial lands for habitation. Admittedly “slow to warm to science fiction,” the author eventually came to appreciate the genre’s creative exploration of new worlds and how real-life space programs expound on those same ideas to make them a reality. Nadis discusses the increasing relevancy of human spaceflight and entertainingly details how the possibilities of space travel moved from the conceptions of astronomer Camille Flammarion, German aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun, and author H.G. Wells into the contemporary landscape, in which some believe in the possibility of terraforming Mars. Nadis smoothly weaves in the progressive history of artificial biospheres and space colonization. However impressive these details may read and despite ambitious modern technological advances, however, experts report the effort of “rejuvenating a dead planet and creating of it a new Earth” will remain an enormously costly and risky project fraught with unseen complications. Leading the way in the space tourism business is billionaire Elon Musk, a spaceflight visionary whom Nadis spotlights prominently for his aggressive pursuit of Mars colonization. The author shows how initiatives like his SpaceX international rocket, along with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin program and smaller-scaled NASA programs, are collectively remapping the future possibilities of space travel. Noting the ever evolving social acceptance of interplanetary spaceflight, Nadis stresses that what was once considered “fringe thought” has now become a cosmic race very much in the mainstream. Citing journals, exhibits, academic texts, and interviews with space innovators and other experts, the author provides a solid, sometimes wondrous introduction to a field that is just beginning to show signs of promise.
A futuristic, optimistic, and intellectually stimulating report for space enthusiasts or readers with celestial wanderlust. (16 pages of color photos)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64313-448-2
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Pegasus
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Perhaps not magic but appealing nonetheless.
Want to get ahead in business? Consult a dictionary.
By Wharton School professor Berger’s account, much of the art of persuasion lies in the art of choosing the right word. Want to jump ahead of others waiting in line to use a photocopy machine, even if they’re grizzled New Yorkers? Throw a because into the equation (“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?”), and you’re likely to get your way. Want someone to do your copying for you? Then change your verbs to nouns: not “Can you help me?” but “Can you be a helper?” As Berger notes, there’s a subtle psychological shift at play when a person becomes not a mere instrument in helping but instead acquires an identity as a helper. It’s the little things, one supposes, and the author offers some interesting strategies that eager readers will want to try out. Instead of alienating a listener with the omniscient should, as in “You should do this,” try could instead: “Well, you could…” induces all concerned “to recognize that there might be other possibilities.” Berger’s counsel that one should use abstractions contradicts his admonition to use concrete language, and it doesn’t help matters to say that each is appropriate to a particular situation, while grammarians will wince at his suggestion that a nerve-calming exercise to “try talking to yourself in the third person (‘You can do it!’)” in fact invokes the second person. Still, there are plenty of useful insights, particularly for students of advertising and public speaking. It’s intriguing to note that appeals to God are less effective in securing a loan than a simple affirmative such as “I pay all bills…on time”), and it’s helpful to keep in mind that “the right words used at the right time can have immense power.”
Perhaps not magic but appealing nonetheless.Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780063204935
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Harper Business
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Career and business advice for the hashtag generation. For all its self-absorption, this book doesn’t offer much reflection...
A Dumpster diver–turned-CEO details her rise to success and her business philosophy.
In this memoir/business book, Amoruso, CEO of the Internet clothing store Nasty Gal, offers advice to young women entrepreneurs who seek an alternative path to fame and fortune. Beginning with a lengthy discussion of her suburban childhood and rebellious teen years, the author describes her experiences living hand to mouth, hitchhiking, shoplifting and dropping out of school. Her life turned around when, bored at work one night, she decided to sell a few pieces of vintage clothing on eBay. Fast-forward seven years, and Amoruso was running a $100 million company with 350 employees. While her success is admirable, most of her advice is based on her own limited experiences and includes such hackneyed lines as, “When you accept yourself, it’s surprising how much other people will accept you, too.” At more than 200 pages, the book is overlong, and much of what the author discusses could be summarized in a few tweets. In fact, much of it probably has been: One of the most interesting sections in the book is her description of how she uses social media. Amoruso has a spiritual side, as well, and she describes her belief in “chaos magic” and “sigils,” a kind of wishful-thinking exercise involving abstract words. The book also includes sidebars featuring guest “girlbosses” (bloggers, Internet entrepreneurs) who share equally clichéd suggestions for business success. Some of the guidance Amoruso offers for interviews (don’t dress like you’re going to a nightclub), getting fired (don’t call anyone names) and finding your fashion style (be careful which trends you follow) will be helpful to her readers, including the sage advice, “You’re not special.”
Career and business advice for the hashtag generation. For all its self-absorption, this book doesn’t offer much reflection or insight.Pub Date: May 6, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16927-4
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Portfolio
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
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