2 out of 4 stars
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The NASA space program has always been, and probably always will be one of the most amazing things ever. The idea that humankind was able to get living human beings onto the moon over 45 years ago is mind-blowing! As such, there's always been a level of awesomeness associated with anyone who works with NASA; I honestly think I'd fanboy over people of ANY position in that illustrious company. It should be no surprise, then, that I jumped at the chance to read NASA, Behind-the-Scenes Snippets by James A. Henrie.
NASA, Behind-the-Scenes Snippets is a very short collection of recollections on events that James experienced in his time with NASA. This was back in the 1960s, when the Apollo program was working to get men on the moon. James himself was, as he says, a "public information specialist at the NASA-Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in eastern New Orleans". These twelve stories range from a couple pages to six pages at most; the entire book is less than 60 pages in fact.
Some of the stories are really amazing - there's one where he takes President Lyndon B. Johnson on a tour, ending with an absolutely hilarious conclusion. There are funny ones as well - the first story tells of how mosquitoes were detrimental to NASA by stealing news headlines from their hiring efforts. There are some that highlight just how amazing some of the people were that worked with NASA and even near James himself, or reveal interesting insights into how things worked. These are incredibly relatable, as James is as star-struck and nervous as anyone else would be. Within these stories there's adventure, humor, and almost always fascinating information.
However, for every two fascinating, funny or otherwise-enjoyable stories there's one that's too short to enjoy or just doesn't go into enough detail. Two stories are exceptionally short - both are less than two pages with one clocking in at three paragraphs and another at four. While these do get to the point quickly, they would do better interspersed between more meaty stories - if there were as many that were as weighty as the Lyndon B. Johnson one or the final story, or just more stories in general, this would may have been an excellent collection!
Overall, there are some stories that are very worth reading, and fellow NASA lovers will especially get a kick out of most of it. Overall, however, I have to rate it 2 out of 4 stars. I'd go 2.5 if I could, but I can't justify rounding up to a 3. It's an incredibly quick read, and if you can find it at a great deal it's definitely worth the hour or so it takes to read.
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NASA, Behind-the-Scenes Snippets
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