Voice of Youth Advocates

It has been fifty years since the first successful Apollo moon landing but the drama has not faded. In this autobiography, Mitchell describes his experience as lunar module pilot for Apollo 14 and the sixth person to set foot on the moon's surface. Mitchell grew up on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico, and first flew as a four-year-old in a barnstormer's plane. He was immediately smitten with flight. As a teen, he washed planes at the local airport to earn flight lessons and soloed at sixteen. His career path led the farm boy into the Navy and eventually the astronaut corps. As Mitchell describes it, the stars he had studied since childhood drew him inexorably into space.Mitchell's account of his experiences as an astronaut is laconic and workmanlike, just like doing his job. The tension and excitement nevertheless shine through, especially in his description of the race to save the stricken Apollo 13 mission. The practicalities of life in space are inherently interesting, as is the minute-by-minute account of his time on the lunar surface with fellow astronaut Alan Shepard. During down times in the trip, Mitchell conducted experiments in ESP. He describes a profound experience of transformation on the way home, which led him out of NASA and into a new career in what he calls "inner space." Budding scientists will find the book useful, both for reports and for its description, straightforward and unadorned, of a seminal time in American history.Kathleen Beck.

ALA Booklist (Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2014)

Only 12 human beings have walked on the moon, and Edgar Mitchell, lunar module pilot of the 1971 Apollo 14 mission, is one of the fortunate few. This is Mitchell's inspiring autobiography, from his beginnings on his family's ranch in New Mexico, to a career as a navy combat pilot and astronaut, to the founding of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Mitchell returned from the moon transformed by an experience he calls his "metanoia," a Greek word meaning change of mind or heart, and he has spent his post-NASA career researching human consciousness. Meticulous in its details, the text skillfully translates the highly scientific aspects of Mitchell's work into easily managed sections that will perfectly suit casual readers and researchers alike. While less attention is paid to his personal life, no aspect of the space program is left unexplained. Younger readers may find his explanations of going to the bathroom in space and the ESP experiments he conducted while in orbit of particular interest. A time line and annotated list of additional resources follows the text.

Kirkus Reviews

A member of the Apollo 14 mission and the sixth person to walk on the moon chronicles his life experiences leading up to that defining event and how it changed him forever afterward. With an assist from Mahoney, Mitchell discusses his first solo airplane flight as a young teen, experiences as a Navy combat pilot, his time in Roswell, N.M., amid nuclear testing and the rumored UFO crash, and becoming a NASA astronaut. Following the disastrous Apollo 13 mission, there was plenty of anxiety amid the Apollo 14 mission, but the crew completed all they set out to do and returned safely to Earth. Mitchell returned profoundly moved, the experience prompting him to become a lifelong spiritual seeker. Readers will appreciate his wonderfully detailed account of his astronaut training, spaceflight and moon landing, describing everything from the practical—eating, sleeping and going to the bathroom in space—to the mystical, life-changing experience of gazing at the Earth from afar. The book includes informative sidebars and transcripts of NASA recordings from the Apollo 14 mission. This fascinating insider account of astronaut training and the transformative experience of traveling to the moon will especially appeal to readers with an interest in astronomy and space travel. (chronology, websites, bibliography) (Memoir. 12-16)

Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

While the centerpiece of the book is Mitchell's 1971 trip to--and walk on--the moon, he provides just the right amount of autobiographical and technological background for the achievement. The history of the Apollo program and details of the Apollo 14 mission are clear, and the inclusion of Mitchell's moon-based ESP experiment will intrigue readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.