Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic book!
Review: Listening to this is like being there. The quality is good, the narrator is absolutely fantastic, and has a beautiful "Russian" accent, as well as a vibrant English-accented voice. It was a joy to listen to.The story is fabuluous, and well written. I agree with the other reviewer who said that Tsibliev and "Sasha" Lazutkin literally saved the station. This book is recommended reading. The contrast between Kaleri and Lazutkin and how they operate made me laugh.... The only problem with the audiobook is that it is "abridged" - it should NOT be! There are segments that leave you scratching your head and asking "And...?" For example, they mention a absolutely disastrous experience of Thagaard and Blaha - but never explain why their experiences were so bad. A quote from Blaha given (but never fully explained) was: "I will NEVER, EVER do that again!" Recently I noticed that Kaleri and Foale are due to go to the ISS, as did Frank Culbertson. Get this (audio) book! ...in unabridged format if it exists...
Rating: 
Summary: Drama, action, intrigue...
Review: It is said that truth is better than the best fiction. Bryan Burrough's "Dragonfly" proves that it's true. A blow-by-blow account of the Shuttle/Mir missions, "Dragonfly" roars along like a Tom Clancy thriller. We meet bumbling politicians, Machiavellian NASA administrators, egotistic astronauts, martyred cosmonauts, and clueless ground-support crews, American and Russian alike. Parenthetically, it's a wonderful comparison of the cultures of these space superpowers, and why International Space Station missions may have some built-in psychological risks. (Aside: considering the top-heavy committment and involvement of the United States, the "international" space station is about as "international" as an International House of Pancakes.) A must-read for anyone interested in space exploration. Especially a must-read for anyone unfortunate enough to have paid money for astronaut Jerry Linenger's book, "Off the Earth -- Surviving five perilous months aboard Mir." The reader may judge for himself the "peril" involved, especially in light of the dangers faced by Linenger's successor on Mir, astronaut Michael Foale. If anything, Burrough is perhaps too balanced and fair-minded in his prose. One suspects he had reams of material he couldn't use, as it would make the book more of a "kiss-and-tell" than it actually is. Nevertheless, some of the finest reporting about NASA (and public policy as a whole) in years.
Rating:
Summary: Politics, personal conflict and accidents on MIR.
Review: This book documents the middle of the MIR/NASA joint program. Lots of detail. Highly critical of NASA politics and management. The author has interviewed many of the people involved and gained access to a great many documents. The non-chronological ordering makes the reading unnecessarily difficult. The picture provided is of a joint venture that was primarily politically motivated with scientific research, and even crew, as after thoughts. It is implied that NASA learned little from the experience because they weren't watching closely. Which is too bad if true because what can be learned is the importance of attention to minute detail and extensive planning. The dramatic discription of the various accidents on MIR makes exciting reading. The view given of political manipulation in NASA's management and the bitter and acrimonious personal conflicts are disturbing (but interesting to read). The insight into political chicanery in NASA management is alarming for the space program if accurately portrayed.
Rating:
Summary: The nuts and bolts of a NASA Astronaut
Review: This book tells it like it is with little sugar coating. I found it to be highly informative and accurate. Very entertaining, much better than "Off the Planet".
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