In this definitive account of the quest to establish a human presence in lifeless outer space, award-winning space historian Robert Zimmerman reveals the great global gamesmanship between Soviet and American political leaders that drove the space efforts of both following the Apollo lunar landings in the 1960s and 1970s. Beaten to the Moon by their Cold War enemies, the Russians were intent on being first to the planets. They knew that to reach other worlds they needed to learn how to build interplanetary spaceships, and believed that manned space stations held the greatest promise for making that possible. Thus, from the very moment they realized they had lost the race to the Moon, the Soviet government worked feverishly to build a viable space station program - one that would dwarf the American efforts and allow the Russians to claim the vast territories of space as their own. Like the race between the tortoise and the hare, the ponderously bureaucratic Soviet Union actually managed to overtake the United States in this space station race. Their efforts - sometimes resulting in terrifying near death exploits - not only put them far ahead of NASA, it also served to reshape their own society, helping to change it from a communist dictatorship to a freer and more capitalist society. At the same time, the American space program at NASA was also evolving, but not for the better. In fact, in many ways the two programs - and nations - were slowly but inexorably trading places. Drawing on his vast store of knowledge about space travel and modern history, as well as hundreds of interviews with cosmonauts, astronauts, and scientists, Zimmerman has superbly captured the exciting story of space travel in the last half of the twentieth century. "Leaving Earth" tells that story, and is required reading for space and history enthusiasts alike who wish to understand the context of the space exploration renaissance taking place now, in the twenty-first century.

On August 1, 1933, two young women, the famous aviatrix Grace O'Gorman and the inexperienced Willa Briggs, take off in a tiny Moth biplane to break the world flight endurance record. Their plan: to circle above the city of Toronto for twenty-five days. So begins Leaving Earth, a haunting evocation of an era when heroic women defied the limitations of their sex by embarking on perilous ventures. Sponsored by the Adventure Girl Almanac, "Air Ace Grace" and Willa soar above the city while below the Depression takes its toll and the shadows of the coming war lengthen. But as the days pass, the women's ties to humanity fall away, and the growing intensity of their connection becomes as gripping as the perils that besiege them. For the two pilots, there is no speech over the wind's rush, only an elaborate sign language in which they must invent the world anew. All the while, the endurance test wears on, its outcome jeopardized by fatigue, weather, mechanical breakdown, and the lethal efforts of a saboteur. In this accomplished debut, Helen Humphreys displays the sensuous, shimmering language of a poet as she evokes the early days of flying and all that is fine--and base--in human nature.

Words of wisdom and incredible life stories, told through Gary Busey's unique Buseyisms. Take a wild ride through the life and mind of Gary Busey in his new hilarious, uplifting, tell-all memoir, Buseyisms. Gary transports you on a laugh-out–loud journey through the crazy twists and turns of his rise to fame, his descent into drug addiction, and his trip to the ‘other side’ after a near-fatal motorcycle accident. Gary also shares untold stories of his militant upbringing, surviving cancer in the middle of his face, and fun behind the scenes stories of his most popular movies and television roles including: A Star Is Born, The Buddy Holly Story, Lethal Weapon, Point Break, Under Siege, The Firm, Entourage, Celebrity Apprentice, and more. Included in this book are dozens of personal photographs from Gary’s early years up until now. Gary is a living testimony to the resilience of the human body and spirit. In his simply written but profound memoir, he shares his Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth to help others, who may be going through similar things, to realize that it is possible to survive challenging life events and come out a happy champion.

The Bible provides all the information we need for daily living. In fact, if we take the letters in the word Bible, we can come up with a phrase that describes its function perfectly: Basic Information Before Leaving Earth. The Bible outlines the information of Jesus Christ ministry, too. Jesus said; he who comes to Me will never go hungry and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty. Moreover; For He is the bread from heaven, the light of the world, the Living and Enduring Word of God. And from John 14:6, "Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". The Bible Scriptures will guide and teach about Righteousness, Faith, Grace, Salvation and many more. These are but a few things to learn and understand that are discuss on the Basic Information Before Leaving Earth. There is much to learn on this journey called life, and the Bible has it all. Want to know about love? It's in the Bible. Interested in knowing God's will? It's in the Bible too. And lot more things that you will enjoy to explore and to discover. Join with me now to discover the basic information you need before leaving this earth. Take a journey through the Bible and discover the answers to all the questions you've always had!

"There's something intriguing to be learned on practically every page... [How to Astronaut] captures the details of an extraordinary job and turns even the mundane aspects of space travel into something fascinating."––Publishers Weekly Ride shotgun on a trip to space with astronaut Terry Virts. A born storyteller with a gift for the surprising turn of phrase and eye for the perfect you-are-there details, he captures all the highs, lows, humor, and wonder of an experience few will ever know firsthand. Featuring stories covering survival training, space shuttle emergencies, bad bosses, the art of putting on a spacesuit, time travel, and much more!

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth is a translation of the King James Bible into a compilation of rap lyrics. Each of the 66 books in the Old and New Testament are summarized by a single hip hop artist expressing a similar theme represented in the respective book. BIBLE is an art book created by conceptual artist Steven Montinar. All credit goes to the cited musicians.

An easy guide to the most exciting development in space travel since the rocket. Stripped of the technical jargon, this is a laymans guide to the breathtaking developments surrounding the space elevator: a plan to string a 100,000 km from Earth to space, revolutionising space access.

The author helps us take a closer look at the Bible from Genesis to Judges. God is a clothing and jewelry designer. Noah's ark was not only boarded 2 by 2 but it was actually boarded 7 by 7. God designed the first cruise ship and why the materials were chosen. He created our legal system, one which has been in place thousands of years. Everything we do and say is "borrowed" from the Bible. God is the original rapper, Deborah was the first female rapper. The first barns, the first nun, the true meaning of Friday the 13th and common names and phraseology such as "beat down", God forbid, allies, confederate, and nicknames such as "Red" all come from the Holy Bible proving God is the original G. In depth discussion of how Noah's three sons populated the world. What happened to the golden calf? How was prayer really taken out of school? God said He divided the world in His word and scientific proof to back it up. Who created hieroglyphics and so much more.

Winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize, a breathtaking elegy to the waning days of human spaceflight as we have known it In the 1960s, humans took their first steps away from Earth, and for a time our possibilities in space seemed endless. But in a time of austerity and in the wake of high-profile disasters like Challenger, that dream has ended. In early 2011, Margaret Lazarus Dean traveled to Cape Canaveral for NASA's last three space shuttle launches in order to bear witness to the end of an era. With Dean as our guide to Florida's Space Coast and to the history of NASA, Leaving Orbit takes the measure of what American spaceflight has achieved while reckoning with its earlier witnesses, such as Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, and Oriana Fallaci. Along the way, Dean meets NASA workers, astronauts, and space fans, gathering possible answers to the question: What does it mean that a spacefaring nation won't be going to space anymore?