Rocket Religion

Rating:
Summary: Adventures of a Nerd
Review: First, the title. There is a running joke throughout the book: rockets are sacrifices to the god of rockets; if the sacrifice is not prepared properly, the god refuses to accept the sacrifice and blows up the rocket. How can a rocket not be prepared properly? Seymour cleverly works in a lot of information about rocket engines and their ways of going wrong, in this tale about Russell Moore, rocket propulsion engineer.

Moore is a nerd. His life revolves around rockets. However, he also has a sense of adventure. He is a weekend warrior in the National Guard, and enjoys night parachute jumps.

Unfortunately, Moore's life beyond rockets and parachute jumps is pretty much of a mess. For all practical purposes, he has no social life, and his only close friends are his fellow Guardsmen. He abandoned one woman who would have loved him, then falls for one who is ultimately out of reach.

Seymour has portrayed his characters well. Moore shares characteristics with many of my fellow engineers. His National Guardsmen ring true to the men I served with. The vacillations of the woman he falls for are portrayed plausibly. The other characters, although less fully developed, are all recognizably human, with their own peculiarities.

I enjoyed the story. Space buffs and engineers are especially likely to enjoy it, and perhaps even see themselves in it. However, you don't have to be a space buff or an engineer to enjoy it. Seymour has portrayed some realistic characters facing and conquering some real problems, and done it in an entertaining way. I think you'll enjoy it too.

Rating:
Summary: Get religion
Review: I really enjoyed Rocket Religion. The author has an acute eye for character and place that, combined with a disdain for genre, leads to a story that is involving and takes unexpected turns. And at the center of this story is Russell, an earnest and goofily likeable man whose desire to build rockets and be a part of humanity's journey into space is matched only by his desire to connect to the humans that surround him. It's hard not to root for him as he travels across the globe in pursuit of the stars, all the while struggling to make sense of soldiers, engineers, rockets and relationships.

Especially impressive for a first novel, hopefully more to follow...

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read!
Review: Once I started reading this book I was truly captivated by this introduction into a world of week-end worrior military ventures and the life behind the creation of rocket engines. At first glance, Russell Moore would seem like an ordinary Joe, but his story told in Rocket Religion is enthralling. Seymour's description of both Russell's surroundings and emotions brought me into the moment. His impossible relationship with a woman, his bond to the military, and his passion to see his project from start to finish, made me both sympathize with his story and want to shake the man. Reading Russell's struggles and journeys, I enjoyed jumping into the night sky with just a parachute, feeling the heat of the rocket's flame, and learning about love and life with this wonderful character.

You should read this fascinating book filled with a great human story that will both entertain you and teach you a bit about what it takes to fly.