can see how smart you really are. tonight borders is pleased to welcome mike mullane. the firstckets is book by space shuttle astronaut to talk about his experiences for adult audiences. unlike prior astronaut looks which tend to be g rated, technical and sanitized, his story is refreshingly human and candid. mullane becomes the story of an amazing dreams quest. mullane was commissioned into the usa apps. the firstected as group of space shuttle astronauts. he currently lives in albuquerque, new mexico. please give a warm borders welcome to mike mullane. [applause] mullane: thank you very much, and good evening. i thought i would start by explaining what a shuttle launches like. launch is like. i will read from a few passages, but extemporaneously i want to describe to you what it s like to blast off into space. was iequently asked, afraid sitting on that launchpad. and i replied, no. i was not afraid. i was terrified. it goes beyond being afraid, folks. unlike a fighter jet
friends on booktv who will be filming tonight s discussion. we look forward to hearing any questions you have from mike tonight. we want fewer booktv viewers to hear your questions is also. please wait for the microphone to come to you before asking questions so the booktv viewers can see how smart you really are. tonight borders is pleased to welcome mike mullane. riding rockets is the first book by space shuttle astronaut to talk about his experiences for adult audiences. unlike prior astronaut looks which tend to be g rated, technical and sanitized, his story is refreshingly human and candid. mullane becomes the story of an amazing dreams quest. mullane was commissioned into the usa apps. he was selected as the first group of space shuttle astronauts. he currently lives in albuquerque, new mexico. please give a warm borders welcome to mike mullane. [applause] mr. mullane: thank you very much, and good evening. i thought i would start by explaining what a shuttle launch i
first book we are discussing here is devoted to education and competing visions of how children learn. amanda s book, the smartest kids in the world and how they got that way takes us to north and poland. rland, she does this through the eyes of three american kids learning in those school systems. analysis r a unique of this. l the washington post says is is the most iluminating book i ve seen, and the new york times says this managed to make our culture look strangely new. trust me, the conclusions have insights for kids of all ages as important parents. amanda is an investigative journal with the times. he s also the author of the unthinkable who survives when disaster strikes and why. please join me in welcoming amanda ripley. thank you. is great to be here on many levels. one reason is this is the city in which i live. the other reason is i grow most of my articles in the library of congress. it was the only place where i could find some focus and peace. i ha
you re watching booktv on c-span2 with top non-fiction books and authors every weekend. booktv television for serious readers. from my father i inherited my confidence my resilience, my passion, and my audacity, looking back although it was never explained to me in this way, he taught me the spirit of which is greek idea of honor and doing the right thing, even when one s own interests or even one s own life is in peril. growing up while i never fought anything but australian there were two stories about the second world war and greece that i always kept close to my heart. the first was in 1940 when benito mussolini italy s prime minister asked the greek prime minister for free passage through greece and on the spot at 3:00 in the morning without hesitation, without consultation he said oy he said no. it was spirited defiance and quite incredible when considering just how vastly outnumbered the greeks were by the italians. it prompted sir winston churchhill, the greatest
more than happy to talk about h them and that book another time. you, sometimes today hug someone or something you love. as that only happens to be a book that s okay, too. we love books. i also want to point out tomorrow february 15th is the birthday of one of my heroes, susan b. anthony, who of course led the great campaign in the 19th century to get us women not only the right to vote but every other single right as well. [applause] yes, thank you very much. so happy birthday to susan b. anthony in advance. susan b. anthony shares that birthday with the as stronger in astronomer galileo who came along on february 15th centuries earlier. his crime was revealing the earth is not the center of the universe. susan s was revealing men are not. [laughter] [applause] both of these things are the sort of revolutionary thoughts that have guided most of my professional life, whether as a reporter in print or on television or in writing books. and yes, i have witnessed a lot of rev