Rating: 
Summary: Required reading for all Space Cadets
Review: There seem to be two reactions to this book: pro-space activists think it's trash, while the normal people who seemingly read it by accident all love it. Here's a third perspective: I strongly believe that we need cheap, reusable, privately owned launch vehicles like the one Rotary Rocket tried to develop. But I love this book because it reveals exactly why none of the many Mom & Pop rocket companies have ever produced one. The main problem is that the people who are strongly motivated to start such firms are mostly impractical dreamers who lack the technical skills and business sense to make them work. Reading Weil's dispassionate description of the Roton development program is like watching the film "Ed Wood" -- you can't believe that these people actually existed and actually believed they were building a workable rocketship. The sane part of the space community always knew that the Roton would be a miserable technical failure for all the reasons given on p.167, but it is really scary to see just how out of touch with reality the major players like Gary Hudson and Walt Anderson really were. And these guys are still active in the alt.space community! I sure hope Elon Musk's SpaceX project succeeds so we don't have to watch any more of these painful failures.
Rating: 
Summary: don`t waste your money on this one...
Review: this book has major technical errors, and setting errors. On average there is at least one biased or negatively slanted characterization or poorly attributed comment - apparently thrown in to criticize non-NASA workers - per page. These faults are in addition to a writing style that is disjointed, at best.Don`t waste your money in buying it, or your time in borrowing it from the library.
Rating:
Summary: Missing the Point, and the Opportunity
Review: What a disappointment that Elizabeth Weil missed not only the point of space development and it's leadership, but the opportunity to communicate the importance of their cause. Weil obviously spent a significant amount of time with Gary Hudson and other leaders of the space activist community in her research for the book. Yet, she seems more interested in pointing out various human frailties and short comings of these dedicated individuals, than describing the true selfless vision that drives them every day. In this day and age of ENRON scandals it is unbelieveable that Weil does not recognize how much Gary and Anne Hudson have personally sacrificed in order to provide a better life and future for humanity. Gary's continued efforts to open space for future generations is nothing short of heroic. If he had put his significant talents to work at either NASA or the aerospace industry I have no doubt that he would have gained more financially and personally than he has working as a space entrepreneur. The reason he, and others, have chosen this path is because they truly believe it has a greater opportunity for success. The space community no doubt is characterized by its share of science fiction aficionados and techie-geeks. My experience has also proven to me that the majority of these people, and most assuradly Gary Hudson, are contributing to a better future for humanity. If that inspiration comes from science fiction, I'll buy Heinlein and Asimov rather than Weil for my kids' libraries any day.
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