Tag Archives: non-fiction

by | July 5, 2018 · 5:00 am

The Journey to Moonwalking – Book Spotlight

The Journey to Moonwalking by
Kenneth S. Thomas
Journey to Moonwalking cover

 

Summary:
By setting the goal for going to the Moon by the end of 1969, President Kennedy transformed the Soviet/U.S. arms race, with its escalating confrontations, into a “space race.” Perhaps the greatest obstacle to going to the Moon was the development of the spacesuit. This is the story of human efforts, specifically the innovation, struggle, and sacrifice carried out by otherwise ordinary men and women that culminated in the spacesuit that made the first human surface explorations of the Moon possible. The success of Apollo resulted in replacing the looming specter of a possible world-devastating war with peace and cooperation in space between these two great rival nations. However, few know of all the contributions that were required to allow the first humans to set foot on and explore the Moon. Most are not aware of the magnitude and abundance of challenges to such an endeavor, let alone the solutions needed. This book represents over two decades of research, interviewing original participants, and working with other spacesuit historians to determine Apollo spacesuit contributions and contributors. The author brings a unique expertise to this historic achievement. He was a spacesuit engineer for twenty-two years and has been a consultant to national museums since 1993. Additionally, performing knowledge-capture for NASA gave the author a micro-level view into Apollo history, which provided additional enlightenment. The result is a human chronicle of the challenges, achievements, and experiences related to the most watched historical event of its time.

Information about the Book
Title: The Journey to Moonwalking
Author: Kenneth S. Thomas
Release Date: 23rd October 2017
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Curtis Press
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39803598-the-journey-to-moonwalking
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-Moonwalking-People-Enabled-Footprints/dp/0993400221

Introduction

This is a story of people who struggled and sacrificed to make possible one of the greatest human achievements of the 20th century. As these people were part of the United States’ space effort, this could be viewed as an American story. However, the space race was a rivalry between the superpowers where otherwise ordinary men and women provided a positive influence on the course of world history at a time when it was desperately needed. Thus, it is also a human tale common to all humanity.

The Apollo spacesuit made history, and that history changed the world. However, most people do not understand the importance of spacesuits. If your spacecraft loses cabin pressure while going into space, while in celestial travel, or while returning to Earth, your spacesuit can keep you alive. If there is a problem with your spacecraft or space station, your spacesuit can allow you to go out into space and address a potentially life-threatening emergency. Even going out into space to conduct planned activities can have great significance. However, perhaps the greatest potential value is that a spacesuit can make it possible to venture onto planetary bodies and explore the secrets of the universe.

The goal of the space race was not only to go to the Moon but to conduct meaningful exploration once there. This required leaving the spacecraft and performing tasks on the lunar surface. At the start of this competition, no one had spacesuits capable of allowing people to venture outside a spacecraft, let alone explore the surface of the Moon. The craft and technologies to make such spacesuits were yet unknown. While some of the challenges that lay ahead were recognized, most were not. To appreciate the significance of contributions made by people working on spacesuits it is necessary to understand the challenges they faced.

For people to survive and function, they must be surrounded by a pressurized environment that contains sufficient oxygen. To work on the surface of the Moon, this meant being in a pressure suit. The first challenge comes from the pressure in the suit trying to make the pressure garment immobile. As a minimum, this suit environment had to be pressurized to at least 3.5 pounds per square inch (3.5 psi or 24 kPa) pure oxygen for an astronaut to effectively function in the vacuum of space. A typical pressure suit has over 1,000 square inches (6,452 cm2) of internal surface area. Thus, there are thousands of pounds of pressure trying to make the garment rigid and inflexible. Without effective mobility elements, the astronauts would be unable to move their arms, legs, waist, and fingers adequately enough to explore the Moon’s surface. Additionally, the pressure suit had to bend so it would follow their movement. Otherwise, the garment would restrict movement and cause injury. This required development and invention.

In the direct sunlight of space, the temperature of exposed items on the lunar surface can rise to 250F (121C). In the shade of space, things cool to approximately 140F (96C). Fortunately for space farers, highly effective space insulation was developed in the early 1960s. However, the success of this insulation caused another problem; it held both body heat and heat generated by equipment in the spacesuit. The life support system not only had to provide pressure and oxygen but also a cool working environment.

Rejecting heat from an insulated spacesuit is not easy. First, the spacesuit must remove heat from the user so that they remain comfortable and can effectively work. Pressure suits have to be reasonably tight fitting. This is not conducive to heat removal using circulating gases. Then, the suit’s life support, a.k.a. ‘‘backpack,’’ must collect the heat generated from the user and other sources, and reject all the collected heat to the vacuum of space. Of course, a vacuum is highly effective insulation there are no particles to carry away the heat energy.

The life support backpack also had to remove carbon dioxide so headaches, disorientation, and loss of life did not occur. The backpack provided oxygen to sustain life, and controlled humidity for both comfort and safety. All these backpack functions were provided in a system so compact that it and the pressure suit could pass through hatches and be light enough to be carried in lunar gravity for hours. Moreover, there were basic life considerations such as staying hydrated and ‘‘going to the bathroom’’ that had to be addressed.

However, the greatest spacesuit challenges were unknown. No one knew the correct design requirements as no one had ever designed, successfully manufactured, or certified the safety of a spacesuit capable of going out in space before. Then there was developing and making the spacesuits that would meet those requirements and perform well on the Moon. All these issues were great challenges to Apollo.

The journey that enabled humankind’s first footsteps on the moon is a collage of human experiences spanning over three decades. The ‘‘giant leap for mankind’’ was made possible by hundreds of small steps. Each step was a challenge. When the challenge was underestimated, a setback resulted. Thus, this story is of scores of iterations of effort by hundreds of people from a variety of organizations. Through perseverance and dedication, an army of workers all made contributions culminating in the spacesuit that made this historic feat possible. These contributions not only helped shaped world history but continue to leave influences as humanity advances toward its destiny of moving beyond our home planet in the future.

Author Information

Living in Manchester, Connecticut, Kenneth S. Thomas is a second-generation space engineer and has worked within the field for over four decades. His career has spanned the Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit program and the Lunar–Mars suit and he has been the sole inventor on two international advanced spacesuit patents. Kenneth has also taught his expertise at Central Connecticut State University, Johnson Space Centre’s NASA Academy and since 1994 has worked as a consultant to the National Air and Space Museum’s Space History Division. He was the primary author on U.S. Spacesuits (1st Ed. 2002, 2nd Ed. 2006, Springer Publications) that NASA uses as a textbook and co-wrote several International Conferences on Environmental Systems (ICES) and technical papers for NASA. He has also appeared as an expert on the 2008 Moon Machines TV series and is a regular speaker at Space Day at the New England Air Museum (NEAM).

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Monday 2nd July
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Tuesday 3rd July
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Wednesday 4th July
Reading… Dreaming

Thursday 5th July
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by | November 20, 2017 · 11:08 am

A-C-T Like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent – Blitz

A-C-T Like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent Banner

A-C-T Like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent cover

Non-Fiction – Self-help/Family
Date Published:  June 29, 2017
 
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Just for kicks, have you ever wondered what your parents really want from you in life? Is it you, or do your parents want you to have no real fun? On any given day, do you want to make your parents proud of you and still do what makes you feel really happy within yourself? Of course you do! But the real question has always been, and still is…how? How can we actually get this done?
Well, with A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent, a.k.a “the child-part consoler”, you will get past common misunderstandings by learning how to truly talk, hear, and listen to your parents, guardians or caregivers instead of feeling like you have to run to friends to find some sense of acceptance, understanding, and real connection.
In this book, chock-full of questions and answers gotten directly from the source, you’ll learn what your parents, guardians or caregivers really expect of you—and maybe you’ll even find out how to explain to them what you really expect from them! Not that this book could ever replace a parent, because it can not. But when it comes to openly communicating certain key ideas, this book comes really close.
This tell-all guide contains lots of enlightening explanations and helpful answers to many common kid questions like:
·      What do my parents really want from me?
·      Why do my parents do what they do and say what they say?
·      What do I really need to know about my parents’ parenting skills?
·      How can I keep my parents happy with me?
·      How can I help my parents to help me?
·      How can I get what I want from my parents every time?
A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent is an intro to the secret knowledge of adults which is a set of informations that is mainly covered in the book entitled Surrogate Re-Parenting: A.K.A. Get Your Mind Right, and even more thoroughly covered in the book The Secret Knowledge Of Adults. While this book, A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent is intended for kids 10 and up, the info in this book is beneficial and useful to the intelligent kid parts in all of us. Yes, this means you too.
The information in this book will help you and yours to start to see your parents, not as the enemy, but as the caring human beings they really are, and take the first step toward family unity, understanding, growth, success, and happiness! Both you and your parents really deserve this, and with this book, A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent, you and your parents can actually achieve this.
 
Excerpt
28) Earning Your Parents’ Respect.
As a kid, when it comes to parents, us having, earning and receiving their love, is almost guaranteed. You can be one of the most stubborn, unruly, wayward kids and they would still love their child and that’s for life. It’s fairly easy to have a parent’s love but it is a whole different thing to earn a parent’s respect.
This is because love and respect come from two entirely different places. The love comes from what they feel for you, almost through themselves. Respect  comes from what they think about the what, and the “way”, you are doing things, that you are doing in your own life. As a kid, you can disgrace your parents and they will still love you. But even though they do love you, if you disgrace them, they won’t respect you. As their child, you can act shamefully and your parents will still love you. But if you act shamefully, they won’t respect you. You can steal from them and lie to them and they will still love you. But if you steal from them, and lie to them, they won’t respect you. As a kid you can smell bad and look terribly messy and they will still love you. But if you smell bad and look terribly messy, they won’t respect you. As a kid it can be very hard to earn the respect of your parents. You can’t just smile your way through this one. If you want your parents’ respect, you are going to have to earn it, and fight for it. This is because it isn’t as easy as being loved by them. Your being respected by them is definitely worth a lot to them. When it comes to your parents, the “way” you do things, the “way” you get things, the “way” you live and the “way” you keep things, does matter to them.
As a kid, watch the “way” that is being promoted in your surroundings. A “way” that you have the power to use, choose or change for yourself, in your own life. They may not say it but they, as parents, look for proof of character in everything that you do as a kid. Proof that you have made a point of displaying character in all that you, as a kid, do or touch. Your parents watch your life for proof of honor and honesty, hoping to find both honor and honesty present, in the “way” you do everything as their child. They especially watch for decency, which is based mainly on how well you treat other living things in your surroundings. It’s about how you use the power that you have over others, including smaller kids and pets. Your parents look to see you show mercy on those who have messed up on you, that are also smaller than you, like your brothers or sisters. It makes them, as parents, very proud when they see you, as a child of theirs, showing forgiveness to those who have foolishly wronged you. As you are growing up, it makes your parents really proud of you when they see how powerful you have become. They are especially proud when they see how gracious, kind, merciful and considerate you can be. They marvel at how great you have become, when they watch you being able to share with those who have given you nothing. As a parent, it gives them great joy to see their child, you, stand up against opposition to preserve the rights, safety and freedom of those around you as a kids. And the thought that if you were around a place, even if you were just passing through, that when you left that place, it would be better and cleaner because you were once there.
These are the types of things that can help you as a kid who already has their parent’s love, to earn their respect. These are just a few of the actions that can help a kid earn their parents’ respect.
About Katherine Shears

Katherine Shears is a mom, graduate of Strayer University, and an executive consultant, who is dedicated to bettering the social function and overall visibility of all she encounters. She is a deep thinker with an open mind who stays on the cutting edge of learning, having read over one hundred self-help titles and counting.
About C.S Whitehurst

C. S. Whitehurst is a psychology-based UX/UI designer/tester, computer programmer, IT Project Manager, and self-help enthusiast, who is a student of science, philosophy, life, and NYU. As a native of New York, having been exposed to social diversity, he has been coached by life to respond to the issues plaguing inner-city youth.
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Katherine Shears Email: katherine_shears@yahoo.com
CS Whitehurst Email: author.cswhitehurst@gmail.com
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by | November 13, 2017 · 12:34 pm

Forgotten Warriors – Blitz

 

History
Date Published: May 2016
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
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Forgotten Warrios is the story of the aphibious march across the Pacific from the Aleutians to Okinawa from the experiences of shipmates aboard the USS J. Franklin Bell which includes the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the following battles: The Aleutian Campaign (Adak, Attu and Kiska); The Solomon Islands Campaign (Guadalcanal, Bougainville); The Coral Sea Battle (Naval Battle); The Battle of Midway (Naval Battle); The Battle for Tarawa; The Battle for Kwajalein; The Battle for Eniwetok; The Marianas Champaign (Saipan, Tinian, and Guam); The Battle for Leyte; The Battle for Iwo Jima; The Battle for Peleliu; The Battle for Okinawa. Refresh your memory with the what, where, when and why for each of these battles, the listing of the Medal of Honor Awardees for each battle, as well as a listing of casualties. Also included are the contributions made by Coast Guard, Submarine Service, and Seabees as well as the women of the USA toward victory over the Japanese in World War II.
It seem like we celebrate Normandy every year, which we should, but when have you heard about Peleliu, Tarawa, Tinian etc.During the invasion of Peleliu we had 3201 more casualties than D-Day at Normandy. At Tarawa 2 out of 3 marines never made it to the beach. Admiral Spruance called the invasion of Tinian the most brilliant amphibious operation of WWII. The two fake landings on the most suitable beach on the South caused the Japanese to move their troops in that direction, which allowed us to land on the North less desirable beach, with minimum resistance. I know this for a fact because I was there.
The book covers all major battles in the Pacific where statistic shows that when we are compared to our counterparts that fought in the European Theater we were 5 times more likely to be killed; 3 times more likely to be wounded and twice as likely to end up being a POW.
We fought a different kind of enemy in the Pacific. If the Germans or Italians were surrounded they surrendered. But, the Japanese would charge with or without a weapon. That explains why our wounded to death rate was 3 to 1. For the Japanese it was the reverse of 18 killed to each one wounded.
The book recognized all the Medal of Honor that were awarded in the Pacific with a brief description of why each was awarded.
About the Author


D. Ralph Young was born in central Kentucky in 1925 and was raised on a farm in Lincoln County. He served as a Gunner’s Mate on the USS J Franklin Bell for nearly 3 years during WWII.
After military service he obtained an engineering degree from the University of Kentucky. He was involved in developing electric power systems all over the USA as well as the Middle-east and South-east Asia. He retired to his place of birth in Kentucky 3 times before really calling it over from an active engineering career to become an author and write 2 books. The Power of a Mothers Prayer and Forgotten Warriors.
In 2006 he was inducted into the University of Kentucky, College of Engineering Hall of Distinction
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by | August 13, 2016 · 11:51 am

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT- DANE COBAIN

No Rest for the Wicked
(supernatural thriller)
When the Angels attack, there’s NO REST FOR THE WICKED.

Father Montgomery, an elderly priest with a secret past, begins to investigate after his parishioners come under attack, and with the help of Jones, a young businessman with an estranged child, Montgomery begins to track down the origin of the Angels.

When Jones himself is attacked, Father Montgomery knows he has to act fast. He speaks to the Angels and organises a final showdown where he’s asked to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Eyes Like Lighthouses When the Boats Come Home(poetry)

Eyes Like Lighthouses is Dane Cobain’s first book of poetry, distilled from the sweat of a thousand memorised performances in this reality and others. It’s not for the faint-hearted.

“I’ve never seen anyone do a stream of consciousness piece as talented as that. Very impressed.” – Mark Allard-Will, author of Saskatch-A-Man and co-founder of Cuckoo’s Nest Press

 


Former.ly: The Rise and Fall of a Social Network
(literary fiction)

When Dan Roberts starts his new job at Former.ly, he has no idea what he’s getting into. The site deals in death – its users share their innermost thoughts, which are stored privately until they die. Then, their posts are shared with the world, often with unexpected consequences.

But something strange is going on, and the site’s two erratic founders share a dark secret. A secret that people are willing to kill for.

Social Paranoia: How Consumers and Brands Can Stay Safe in a Connected World
(non-fiction)

Social Paranoia: How Consumers and Brands Can Stay Safe in a Connected World is the true story of how sometimes the updates that you post come back to haunt you. Filled with real case studies and practical advice, it’s a guidebook for everyone who has an online presence from consumers to massive corporations.

Sometimes, people really are out to get you. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

dane

 

Bio

Dane Cobain (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK) is an independent poet, musician and storyteller with a passion for language and learning. When he’s not in front of a screen writing stories and poetry, he can be found working on his book review blog or developing his website, www.danecobain.com. His debut novella, No Rest for the Wicked, was released in the summer of 2015.

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