Bold Endeavors : Lessons from Polar and Space Exploration [Hardcover]

Jack Stuster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1996

The experiences of explorers, military personnel, and astronauts in long-duration confinement are distilled in this highly readable guide.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Bold Endeavors will be a classic reference in the field. -- Dr. Harry Wolbers

Jack Stuster is an excellent storyteller. There is a strong theme here of man against the elements, and his accounts of human endurance alone will attract many readers. I have never seen any one do such a good job of rooting out examples from expedition literature. This outstanding work should attract a general as well as a specialized audience. -- Dr. Albert A. Harrison, Professor of Psychology

Stuster certainly has done a remarkable job of research, which I hope may be very useful to future expeditions on and off the Earth. -- Arthur C. Clarke

Stuster engagingly analyzes the polar expeditions and their relevance for space travel... As a how-to analysis, Stuster's book may help planners design future missions. But his anthropological perspective reminds us that such planners will be charged with a weighty of space -- Martin Collins, Air & Space

Stuster has written an exceptional book that covers the exploits of explorers, military personnel, scientists and astronauts in long-duration confinement and isolation. -- Leonard David, Space News

Stuster is superbly experienced to undertake this first-of-its-kind analysis. His writing style is lucid and, beyond the serious results, the myriad mininarratives of human response to extreme conditions present an intriguing body of literature for the general readership. -- J.D. Ives, Choice Magazine

Stuster's book is unquestionably the best single source of information on how to design life-support capsules for human habitation. -- Dr. Peter Suedfeld, Professor of Psychology

This fine book has something for everyone--the physician, the psychologist, the manager, and people who are just interested in reading exciting stories of survival. I recommend it to all of those. -- Dr. William K. Douglas

This is the most comprehensive review and exposition of Antarctic research findings that I have seen. It is interesting as well as informative. -- Dr. Eric Gunderson

You'll find yourself living in a 9-by-13-foot hut in Antarctica with Admiral Richard E. Byrd, enjoying a theme dinner on a U.S. Navy submarine, and exercising on a Skylab treadmill. You'll witness what drives men crazy and what makes them strong. You'll see qualities of leaders and survivors... Bold Endeavors is a must-have for anyone seriously contemplating sending humans on long-duration space missions. It's also a great historical read. -- Kerri Dowd,Final Frontier

Product Details

• Hardcover: 377 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155750749X
• ISBN-13: 978-1557507495
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,672,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forward looking reseach that looks back, April 15, 2001

By 

Susan Paxton - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bold Endeavors : Lessons from Polar and Space Exploration (Hardcover)

Dr. Jack Stuster's "Bold Endeavors" distills a considerable amount of careful research into a book that is much more interesting than the usual dry study of this nature. By collecting data from a number of disparate sources, including Shackleton's 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Thor Heyerdahl's "Ra" voyage, years of military experience at bases in the Antarctic, and even undersea habitat experiments, Dr. Stuster has produced an exceptionally well thought out series of suggestions applicable not only to expeditions on Earth, but to future Moon settlements and Mars expeditions as well, assuming these ever happen (I would prefer to be more optimistic and I know Dr. Stuster is, but the current trend is not promising). In fact, this book has become required reading among the astronauts, who have recognized its value.

The book is organized into chapters that deal with a particular facet of human behavior as it applies to expedition settings, such as personnel selection, personal space, group interaction and the like. Dr. Stuster carefully illustrates each chapter's point with well-selected vignettes from previous expedition experience. For example, he discusses in-depth the importance of leadership by comparing and contrasting the successes of Shackleton, Admiral Byrd, Thor Heyerdahl and others to a particularly good example of a poor leader, Lt. Charles Wilkes, the commander of the somewhat fraught 1838-1842 US Navy expedition, noted only for discovering imaginary territory and the endless conflicts between Wilkes and the unfortunate men under his command. It is worth noting that while Wilkes' first reaction to leadership was to hoist a distinguishing pennant and basically promote himself to acting Commodore as soon as he was out of sight of land, Shackleton, Byrd, and Heyerdahl, though obviously in charge, led their men in as egalitarian and considerate a manner as possible. Stuster also points out the importance of little things in keeping an expedition's morale high - shared meals, opportunities for privacy, a good viewing window on a space station.

By including and discussing negative as well as positive expedition experiences Dr. Stuster has produced a very valuable book that will not only be of interest to our astronauts and persons planning expeditions here on Earth (read Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" for a recent example of bad expedition planning and personnel selection), but also to the general reader and even writers of fiction and science fiction dealing with small groups in dangerous situations.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing story of human relationships in the extreme., October 16, 1999

By 

Britta Sahlgren (Stockholm, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bold Endeavors : Lessons from Polar and Space Exploration (Hardcover)

Bold Endeavors by Jack Stuster proved to be a real page-turner! Since childhood reading about adventures and explorers had been my favorite literature. In this book the persons behind these endeavors came to life. They were of flesh and blood and you as a reader took part of their everyday life, their hardships and personal problems. A thrilling experience. A lesson in the importance of relationships not only among people in isolation A lesson of use at job interviews, schools and even in families. I am thankful for an added knowledge and understanding of the many problems associated with these Endeavors. This book should be a "must" to all young people.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply amazing research and story!, September 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bold Endeavors : Lessons from Polar and Space Exploration (Hardcover)

Perfect reading for anyone interested in the past or in the future. The insights the author puts forth regarding what it would be like to travel in such close quarters for an extended period of time where staggering. I found Dr. Stuster's writing to be "novice friendly" that is, not overly academic. The story was presented with clarity and with the fast action pace of a modern thriller. I could not put the book down, I was complelled to read on. I never felt like I was reading a historical novel but one that was soon to be a blockbuster movie instead. In fact, what a great idea! Someone contact Ron Howard immediately!