Hitting the Books: NASA's Class 8 broke color barriers and glass ceilings alike

America's first astronauts from the 1960s were all pulled from the highest ranks of the nation's military. As such, NASA's first few classes tended to conform to a rather specific demographic theme — white, male, flattop haircut you could set a watch too. By the mid-70's however, the space agency had gotten with the times and opened up the spacewalking profession to more than former Air Force and Navy test pilots. In The New Guys, author Meredith Bagby follows the exploits of NASA's Astronaut class of 1978 — "Class 8," America's first women, African Americans, Asian American, and gay person to fly to space — from the team's selection through their mastering of cutting-edge technologies aboard the Space Shuttle and their history-making orbital missions. In the excerpt below, Class 8 receives a brutal introduction to the dangers that await them. Harper Collins PublishingFrom The New Guys by Meredith Bagby. Copyright © 2023 by Meredith Bagby. Reprinted courtesy of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.Johnson Space Center, Houston. July 1978“Hey! We’ve got a fire in the cockpit!” a man screamed, then his voice cut out. Within seconds, another desperate voice cut through the static.“We’ve got a bad fire . . . !” the second man shouted in pain.“We’re burning up . . . !!!” a third howled.Then the transmission faded into nothing but static.In one of the many tiered seats in Mission Control, Ron McNair and his new classmates listened to a recording of the Apollo... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-02-12 15:30:30 UTC ]
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Hitting the books: Why you shouldn't blog about asking a cop to go shopping for you

You get free stuff, you get free travel, you get the nifty cool title of "brand ambassador," what's not to love about being an internet influencer? There's the consequences, for one. Not even just the warranted consequences of your actual actions, mind you, but also those arriving unbidden based... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-11 14:30:57 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Why we like bigger things better

We Americans love to have ourselves a big old time. It's not just our waistlines that have exploded outward since the post-WWII era. Our houses have grown larger, as have the appliances within them, the vehicles in their driveways, the income inequalities between ourselves and our neighbors, and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-04 14:30:20 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Renee Descartes had his best revelations while baked in an oven

Some of us do our best thinking in the shower, others do it while on the toilet. Renee Descartes, he pondered most deeply while ensconced in a baker's oven. The man simply needed to be convinced of the oven's existence before climbing in. Such are the quirks of the most monumental minds humanity... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-28 14:30:30 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: The abrupt and ignoble downfall of Sam Bankman-Fried

Seemingly overnight, Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, went from cryptocurrency wunderkind to wanted for questioning by the FBI. After years of unfettered success, the walls of SBF's blockchain empire came crumbling down around him as his tricky financial feats failed and his generalized... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-14 14:30:33 UTC ]
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8 Books About the Lives of Single Mothers

When I first became a single mother, I hid it from everyone, including myself. In my new book, The Leaving Season: A Memoir in Essays, I track the evolution of my relationship with motherhood, starting as a reluctant mother of two in a married household and ultimately ending as a single mother... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-05-12 11:10:00 UTC ]
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Book Riot’s SFF Deals for May 8, 2023

The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-05-08 13:34:09 UTC ]
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Illustrated children’s biography of King Charles hits No 1 on UK book chart

Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara’s book, illustrated by Matt Hunt, is the first of the Little People, Big Dreams series to top the standingsA children’s biography of King Charles III has topped the UK book chart before the coronation on 6 May.Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara’s King Charles is part of the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-05 09:57:25 UTC ]
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PW Picks: Books of the Week, May 8, 2023

Our favorite books coming out this week include new titles from Julia Wertz, Martin Cruz Smith, and Amy Key. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of May 8, 2023

Lloyd Deveraux Richards sells a thriller to Morrow, and Amistad buys a collection on the craft of Black writing edited by Jericho Brown. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A Little of Everything: 8 Comic Book Anthologies

Looking to read a lot of different comics by a range of creators in one place? Try these excellent comic book anthologies. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-14 10:32:00 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Sputnik's radio tech launched a revolution in bird migration research

"Birds fly South for the winter and North for the summer," has historically proven to be only slightly less reliable a maxim than the sun always rising in the East and setting in the West. Humanity has been fascinated by the comings and goings of our avian neighbors for millennia, but the why's... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-02 14:30:53 UTC ]
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Leigh Bardugo just landed a *reedy voice* 8-figure book deal.

Must be nice! We are happy for her! So glad that publishing can support artists with a livable wage! This week, Publisher’s Lunch dropped the news of Leigh Bardugo’s 8-figure 12-book deal with Macmillan Publishers. Bardugo published YA fantasy Shadow and Bone with Macmillan back in 2012,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-15 15:02:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #macmillan #macmillan publishers #livable wage #leigh bardugo


Hitting the Books: How 20th century science unmade Newton's universe

Science is the reason you aren't reading this by firelight nestled cozily under a rock somewhere however, its practice significantly predates its formalization by Galileo in the 16th century. Among its earliest adherents — even before pioneering efforts of Aristotle — was Animaxander, the Greek... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-03-12 14:30:52 UTC ]
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Religion Book Deals: March 8, 2023

Tim Keller, whose books have sold over two million copies, is bringing four new titles to Zondervan; Tyndale Refresh signs a debut author’s guide to intentions and wellness, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Could we zap our brains into leading healthier lives?

Deep Brain Stimulation therapies have proven an invaluable treatment option for patients suffering from otherwise debilitating diseases like Parkinson's. However, it — and its sibling tech, brain computer interfaces — currently suffer a critical shortcoming: the electrodes that convert electron... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-03-04 15:30:03 UTC ]
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8 Peruvian Books in Translation

I'm recommending eight Peruvian books in translation, from surrealist short stories to creative memoir to bloody historical fiction. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-02-22 11:33:00 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: Meet the man who helped Microsoft break into the entertainment business

Some of us are destined to lead successful lives thanks to the circumstances of our birth. Some of us, like attorney Bruce Jackson, are destined to lead such lives in spite them. Raised in New York's Amsterdam housing projects and subjected to the daily brutalities of growing up a black man in... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-02-19 15:30:33 UTC ]
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Religion Book Deals: February 8, 2023

A children’s book from a TikTok star lands at Zonderkidz; Baker Books takes three pastors’ wives “tell-all;” Moody’s guide to military marriage, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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It turns out that people don’t want a coloring book based on a novel about domestic abuse.

There’s no denying that Colleen Hoover has had an incredible year. Still, despite the relentless appetite for her novels, it seems that the people do not, in fact, want a coloring book based on her number-one bestselling book It Ends With Us, which centers on an abusive relationship faced by... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-01-12 17:27:54 UTC ]
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8 of the Best Science Fiction Books About Robots

Meet mechanical dragons, security units, and wild robots in these incredible science fiction books all about robots. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-01-09 11:32:00 UTC ]
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