Higher Education

Rating:
Summary: Almost as good as Heinlein's juveniles
Review: "Higher Education" is the best science fiction novel written for young people since Robert Heinlein stopped writing juveniles in the early 60s. Using a future history that is both shocking and sad in its predictions (the satire on education alone will make any student or teacher love the book), Pournelle and Sheffield quickly capture the reader's attention with a classic prank. Like all of Heinlein's juveniles, "Higher Education" is a coming-of-age story, rife with the hardships of that perilous journey. The science is dead-on accurate; the adventure is even better. This is just a first in a series called "Jupiter Novels" all set in this future; while the other novels aren't sequels in the strictest sense of the world (and when will we get that sequel, Dr. Pournelle? Dr. Sheffield?), they are just as wonderful to read. I've taught this novel to high school freshmen over the last several years, and most of them go on to read the other "Jupiter Novels." As an adult who grew up reading Heinlein's juveniles, "Higher Education" brought me back that same sense of wonder.

Rating:
Summary: A sf novel for young readers with a right-wing message
Review: "Higher Education" is a simple novel about a young man finding himself. It reminded me of the "Young Adult" novels I read as a teenager. However the sex and violence would have disqualified it for this category. The story did include the advertised hard science fiction. There was no warp drive, BEMs or contradiction of the laws of physics. However, there are some real leaps of faith about the relationship of business to society. Most disturbing was the right-wing diatribe embroidered into the story line. The message is: Social welfare undermines personal initiative. Although the reader is warned the story is a satire on the Education process, there is no humor involved

Rating:
Summary: Almost as good as Heinlein's juveniles
Review: "Higher Education" is the best science fiction novel written for young people since Robert Heinlein stopped writing juveniles in the early 60s. Using a future history that is both shocking and sad in its predictions (the satire on education alone will make any student or teacher love the book), Pournelle and Sheffield quickly capture the reader's attention with a classic prank. Like all of Heinlein's juveniles, "Higher Education" is a coming-of-age story, rife with the hardships of that perilous journey. The science is dead-on accurate; the adventure is even better. This is just a first in a series called "Jupiter Novels" all set in this future; while the other novels aren't sequels in the strictest sense of the world (and when will we get that sequel, Dr. Pournelle? Dr. Sheffield?), they are just as wonderful to read. I've taught this novel to high school freshmen over the last several years, and most of them go on to read the other "Jupiter Novels." As an adult who grew up reading Heinlein's juveniles, "Higher Education" brought me back that same sense of wonder.

Rating:
Summary: Almost as good as Heinlein's juveniles
Review: "Higher Education" is the best science fiction novel written for young people since Robert Heinlein stopped writing juveniles in the early 60s. Using a future history that is both shocking and sad in its predictions (the satire on education alone will make any student or teacher love the book), Pournelle and Sheffield quickly capture the reader's attention with a classic prank. Like all of Heinlein's juveniles, "Higher Education" is a coming-of-age story, rife with the hardships of that perilous journey. The science is dead-on accurate; the adventure is even better. This is just a first in a series called "Jupiter Novels" all set in this future; while the other novels aren't sequels in the strictest sense of the world (and when will we get that sequel, Dr. Pournelle? Dr. Sheffield?), they are just as wonderful to read. I've taught this novel to high school freshmen over the last several years, and most of them go on to read the other "Jupiter Novels." As an adult who grew up reading Heinlein's juveniles, "Higher Education" brought me back that same sense of wonder.

Rating:
Summary: The Return of the Golden Age
Review: Charles Sheffield and Jerry Pournelle have produced a feat of metallurgical wizardry: they took a plot worthy of the best of Golden Age hard science fiction and alloyed it with up-to-date characters, biting social commentary, and the best of modern space science. Given Dr. Pournelle's history in human factors studies in the space program and Dr. Sheffield's background in -- I believe -- satellite imaging, the realistic science is not surprising. Yet this book DOES surprise, in more than one instance. In a world of predictable plots, I find art that surprises me is GOOD art. "Higher Education" is good art. Because I think the surprises are integral to enjoying this book, I will praise them, but I won't describe them. For the plot, you can read the cover blurb, or the Amazon.com synopsis which covers the same essentials. In a nutshell: restless youth can't fit into the mundane world, and goes to space for a career and an escape. It's no coincidence that many reviewers have invoked the name Heinlein when discussing this book: readers of many of the late Robert A. Heinlein's works (especially his juveniles) can sketch out the broad outlines of the plot from there, as the protagonist grows and learns and becomes worthy of the appelation "hero". Said readers will expect one or more tough-but-caring mentor figures, at least one point where the protagonist realizes just how much he has changed, and a climax wherein his newly mastered skills are key to the resolution. Sheffield and Pournelle, both long-time Heinlein fans, haven't disturbed a formula perfected in works such as "Starship Troopers". Instead, they updated it, added in the aforementioned surprises, and underlaid the whole novel with a subtle primary theme which hides behind the more obvious Heinleinesque themes. And I think Heinlein would be proud: it's a theme he supported in many of his essays. There is one other reason why this book grabbed my attention, and why I expect to reread it very soon. It is my personal perception that the science fiction section of most bookstores is being inundated with the extremes: either fantasy, or else far future space opera that might as well be fantasy. Technological or "hard" science fiction, a staple of the Golden Age, has been a rarity for more than a decade; and hard SF set in the near future in the Solar System has become almost non-existent. It is as if this sub-genre, which in the Golden Age inspired the early pioneers of the space program, has lost its luster, as if this frontier-next-door isn't exotic or exciting enough for modern tastes, no matter how many exotic, exciting Golden Age stories prove otherwise. Recently, Allen Steele and others have been bucking this trend with stories of the next half-century in space. With "Higher Education", Sheffield and Pournelle have added another excellent counter-example: no aliens, no big explosions, no firefights, but a darn good story set in the day after tomorrow. We can only hope it inspires some future engineers like Heinlein inspired them.

Rating:
Summary: Great book, great message
Review: Concern over a "right-wing" message is excessive, I think. As far as I can tell, this series' purpose is to try to inspire the current generation of young teens to get a real education and try to _do_ something _real_. Considering the impact juvenile SF had in the 50s and 60s, and even on myself in the 70s and 80s, I applaud Sheffield, Pournelle, and the publisher for giving it a try.

Rating:
Summary: Well-intentioned But Disappointing
Review: I bought this novel because it has been compared to Heinleins juvenile stories, which I rather liked. The books feeling, in fact, is right, but apart from that it suffers from an oversimplified plot, rather wooden characters and a hard-to-believe background setting. The science seems correct, but that does not make this book "hard SF". I do not know about Sheffield, but if you want to read a good Pournelle, stick to "Prince of Mercenaries" or other books of his.

Rating:
Summary: Great science fiction, but not for teens.
Review: I found "Higher Education" to be a great read. It was entertaining on the surface and it discussed and made some evaluations of our society and education system that were enlightening and true. The only drawback of this book is the language and sexual conotations made throughout the book. Though it may be realistic, it is not the model that it should be for teens. If only we could see books that highlighted the good and the moral in people, rather than the bad and the immoral. This book almost reached that plataeu, but not quite.

Rating:
Summary: Great science fiction, but not for teens.
Review: I found "Higher Education" to be a great read. It was entertaining on the surface and it discussed and made some evaluations of our society and education system that were enlightening and true. The only drawback of this book is the language and sexual conotations made throughout the book. Though it may be realistic, it is not the model that it should be for teens. If only we could see books that highlighted the good and the moral in people, rather than the bad and the immoral. This book almost reached that plataeu, but not quite.

Rating:
Summary: Good solid story, why the language?
Review: I liked the book and was drawn by the title and 'Booklist's' review comparing it to Heinlein's coming of age books. Wish the crude language was toned down tho. Coming at this as a teacher and fan of 'coming of age' books to use with my students, I really liked the jabs at the education system, the idea of taking learning and education in your own hands and growing up. Looking forward to the next one....but my hope is that you realize the book can stand on its own without that kind of language. It seems to be stuck in there 'because its a book for teens'. It will be fine without it.