Customer Reviews

"Is Peckerhead Hyphenated?" Building the International Space Station

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is great in the way that it tells some of the truths behind NASA and its contractors better than any other book like it, especially during the development of the International Space Station. The way that de Cordoba presents such truths, in a humorously sarcastic way, makes the reader really want to know what exactly went on.

I like how de Cordoba describes the typical engineer during this time for NASA by the attitude and dress of some of his colleagues and how systematic and traditional the engineering business really was. All the engineering norms that you must have to be an engineer like ties, pocket protectors, etc. Then he describes Archie D'Arc, who shows up to work not wearing a tie and describes how drastic of a change is. I also think de Cordoba does a unique job with the geographical and communicational skills of the NASA engineers. The choice of words that people use are often questioned in this business, obviously, and are either ridiculed or taken up from someone to use themselves. Being a student in engineering I can really relate to this because you lose some of your vocabulary to engineering talk and sometimes forget if things like "logicated" is really a word. And usually it is not because you are from another part of the country or world. De Cordoba sets a great picture in the introduction of the book with these things in order to accept the truths behind the scenes. His descriptions of the attitude felt by himself and his coworkers about telecons and design reviews really show the enthusiasm, or lack there of, they have. "Anytime on this program is a funny time to have a CDR, " illustrates the idea of what the engineers really feel. His idea about design issues, such as, requirements, research, deadlines, proposals all have one common thing: they change rapidly! The mood that he gives the reader about engineers is that they must be able to work under pressure and fast and accurately while they do so. De Cordoba really does an excellent job explaining the way of engineers at this time.

The down point of this book, I think, was the introduction of so many characters and the idea that he really focused on what the people around him thought, which were all engineers. I think that de Cordoba introduced certain characters into certain context just to give the reader more insight about the particular air of that subject, which is understandable and he did a good job of it, but there was a lot of room for confusion and throughout the book it could have been difficult to remember if he already introduced a certain character or if it was just a new one. The other down side of this book being the point of view that it comes from can differ greatly for the reader. Since it is from a engineering point of view, more or less, a lot more engineers can relate taking the content a little more seriously. For the non-engineers, this book is great from an engineering point of view because they get a first hand experience of what it was like inside of NASA at this time, but only from the opinions from the workers. I think it would have been nice to actually read more about the International Space Station rather than the difficulties of organizational, communicational, and personal skills. Maybe that's me just being technical and wanting to know who designed what and what particular hardships actually happened during the processes, but then again I'm in engineering and like that kind of thing.

Overall, I think this is a great book especially for those who want to read about the engineering aspects of this business and how traditional it used to be. The book gives you opportunities to laugh at the characters and sympathize with them as well, whether you are an engineer or not.

I am sorry to say that I really didn't enjoy this book as much as the other reviewers, but having read it as an assignment for my "History of Space Travel" class, I believe I read it in a different context.

Expecting more of a technical overview of the background work in building the International Space Station, I was surprised and disappointed in the early chapters of the book that most of the content was the telling of people's names and their funny and/or (what seemed to be) private jokes between themselves and the author. I'm also more apt to be interested when real names of real people and places are used, instead of some of the silly pseudonyms given. I guess it did add some comical aspects and insights into who these people really are (my favorite character name is Jose Cabesagrande), but after growing up not too far from Huntsville, AL, I'd be more interested in knowing exactly which big corporation and who did what. (While growing up, a lot of my friends' dads worked with NASA.)

As the book moved along, it did get somewhat more interesting and insightful with the explanations of the horrendous amounts of paperwork and the numerous presentations given. It certainly didn't surprise me that more time was spent on organizing and preparing and scheduling things than actually getting them done! I guess it also didn't help that when certain aspects were being finalized, one more change would come down the line. Then another change, and another, and another...

While writing this review, I am realizing the book wasn't so bad, especially if it were to be read for interest, not as an assignment. It either a) enlightens us as to how NASA has actually been working over time (through the successful Gemini and Apollo programs) or b) shows how much things can change over time.

After reading this text, I genuinely believe that workers didn't feel they had an actual goal to work towards, as there was in the Apollo program. No one (in the public, at least) seemed to really care about the space program anymore, as it has become routine to daily life. It is easy to see that too much time was spent on preparing and pitching the goal than actually trying to reach it.

**Although not associated with my history class or anything from the book that should be considered important, my favorite point de Cordoba makes in the book: the "engineer dress code". My dad is an engineer and (I love you, Dad) it is SO true. Although my dad dresses decently now, during the eighties and early nineties... whoa.

As a small boy watching my first space shuttle launch I have always, and continue to dream, of working for NASA and our U.S. space program someday. This book provided me with a different and much needed perspective on what life was like working on one of our greatest space achievements within our lifetime. The author does a fabulous approach on describing what life was like as the "insider" working on the international space station project. If you have a love for space, engineering, history, politics or just one person's perspective on what they experienced in their life, then this book is for you! It was both a detailed look at very complex problems our NASA team faced and how they solved them to a humorous chronological flow on one process within the project and how we can relate on dreading red tape within any organization (Read Appendix P!). This book should be a required read at all major universities but should be a go forward historical artifact that needs to be preserved for all time by the Smithsonian. Looking forward on seeing if the author will produce additional books related to his experiences within our space program.

Vince De Cordoba has written a brilliant text. I found his record of events working on the space station project to be very intriguing, unique and (of course) funny.

Some other reviewers have stated that they were disappointed about the book not being a technical reference for work on the space station, however just by its title, it is clear that De Cordoba had a different intention.

For me, there were many lessons learned from this reading, most importantly, the book uncovers how core human interactions in any life scenario are the biggest challenge as well as being the most powerful influences for achieving goals and objectives.

As a project management professional, I can embrace and completely relate to the stories and interactions of characters in this book. My only surprise was that for NASA, I would have expected less "illogical behavior" than what I already experience in my own industry. Seems their challenges for efficient process and objective management were are equally matched to my industry.

For me, this book was not about the space station at all. It was all about human relationships and how, under any circumstances we personally encounter in daily life, are always are exposed to a mix of conflict, partnerships, opposing forces, and radical shifts in feelings (i.e. happy one minute and psycho the next).

This book shows that in any work situation, people find their groups and partners and when there is a strong relationship of trust, teams are formed and those are the true members of the organizational entity who become the catalyst for achievement. Others who are opposing forces, essentially become bulky furniture figures, which you have to maneuver around and would find very uncomfortable to sit on.

Most importantly, it sends a clear message about humor. When life is extremely hard and you have to deal with ridiculous and erratic directions from others (PDPs - paranoid delusional personalities), you always can have fun and laugh it off. The book show a strong bond of the trusted team members to confide in one another, support one another, and laugh at it (all in an effort to ultimately avoid the reduction of 30 years from their lifespan).

If your are member in a large corporation or manager in any capacity, I highly recommend reading this book. Think of it from the human position and how some characters act based on the human dynamics. It makes much better sense when you look at it this way instead of expecting clarity around how effective NASA was in building the space station.

Jacques San Dimas

An engineer who headed up a task group that worked on the control system for the Space Station wrote this book, a sort of roman-a-clef narrative of 10 years building the International space station. It is structured around comments overheard and recorded by the author. The primary thesis seems to be that it is a miracle that a project of this magnitude ever gets off the ground with all of the bureaucracy and departmental in fighting involved in the process. The book is valuable as history that otherwise wouldn't be recorded. It is written in a breezy informal style, not at all what one would expect from an aerospace engineer. Quite readable, it avoids engineer-speak except when necessary to get across a point. The characters, based on real people, are almost interesting enough to be in a novel. Perhaps Mr. Cordoba has missed his calling and should take up writing full time in his later years.

Vincent de Cordoba is one of the few people who apparently did more than his part to get the International Space Station (ISS)up in Space. His book is easy to understand despite all of the organizational names and the function each performs. His humorous example of how the Government spends more money on trying to spend less amazes me and still happens today. de Cordoba has many insightful examples that makes one wonder how the ISS has made it so far. So many documents and paperwork to filter through is bound to make one frustrated. He writes that many people did not make it because of the frustration and the constant layoffs that occured. He is very quick to point out that many people in the program are "do nothings" and that they just look busy. Most of those people are eventually culled out in this program only to be replaced by other "do nothings." de Cordoba's book has many quotes that go along with each personality he describes. It amazes me how accurate he has described them. He described their characteristics so well it made me realize that I actually work with a few of them myself! If you want a book that really tells the truth of how people react in different situations and how they respond when put on the spot in a humorous writing style, then be sure that you read "Peckerhead." This is truly a genuine book that reveals much knowledge of the building of the International Space Station and the hard work that it took to get it up and running.

Mr. De Cordoba provides a vivid and detailed...not to mention humorous insight into what it was like to participate in one of the most technically challenging projects of this century...and now the next, (yes, they ARE behind schedule). In spite of all the constantly-changing technology, and not to mention specifications which are a Moving Target, he humorously relates how matters are complicated even further by layoffs, budget crises, mountains of "documentation", and plain-old cultural differences between all of the different international players. Although Mr. De Cordoba warns us at the start of this humorous tale, that "Engineers are not supposed to be able to write", he has done a great job of boiling-down this highly technical world to its essential elements of blind ambition, personality clashes, and bureaucratic paperwork nightmares. Most importantly, he has related this all in a wryly humorous way that even the lowest-level layman, (i.e., me) can appreciate. I found this book very enjoyable

The inside skinny on building the space station, the quotes, the jokes, the frustrations, the people. The author has a keen eye for people, their quirks, dress sense, and sense of humour. Makes you wonder how the thing flew at all.....

One of the earlier reviewers opined that this book should only be read by those desperate for more information on the International Space Station (ISS). I agree with that, but I don't see it as a negative. I mean, who is going to read a book about the design of the ISS except people who want to know more about the ISS?

It's true, this is not a "general audiences" sort of book. If you know something about engineering, working with engineers, or the space program in general, you'll probably get a kick out of it. (As someone who worked on the ISS myself, I got flashbacks.) If you hope to become an engineer, or manage engineers, it may not be funny (yet), but it might be enlightening.

This book is about how spacecraft really get built. It's not a bunch of A-list stars with the right stuff throwing things together in a garage so they can save the planet from a meteor that's due to hit next Tuesday. It's smart, dedicated, often frustrated people trying their best to make a functional vehicle from within a dysfunctional system. Remember, spaceflight was (and mostly still is) the business of governments and large corporations, and neither type of organization is famous for intelligence or efficiency.

The writing can get repetitive at times, and it's sometimes hard to keep track of all the pseudonyms (the author doesn't use real names, not even for companies, probably for legal reasons). This is a book best read a chapter or two at a sitting, not all at once. That said, it can be funny, educational, even inspirational. It's much closer to Dilbert than to The Right Stuff, but as long as you know that going in, it's worth a read.

This book is a rarity - as a story and stylistically. It reveals the story behind the story - the frustrating, yet funny, naked truth about building the international space station. It does not follow any formulae (non that I could detect, anyway) and its existence seems to be as yet undetected by the mainstream. For you readers out there who are only comfortable with the "popular fare" that the publishing industry feeds you, go ahead and pick any other book about the space station. For those of us who appreciate original works of art that defy the system, "Peckerhead" is a beaut!