What do thermal gloves, robot hands, and cleaner jet engines have in common? They were all developed thanks, in part, to the American space program and its commitment to sharing research with the private sector. Inventions from Outer Space: Everyday Uses for NASA Technology is a flashy but informative overview of the products and processes that owe their existence to our pursuit of the final frontier. Author David Baker has worked with NASA on and off for 30 years, and he knows how to capture the most compelling aspects of seemingly dry topics like component testing, so they can compete fairly with sci-fi concepts like self-healing computers. Not everything you'd expect to find is in the book's 128 pages (where are Tang and Space Food Sticks?), but the many surprises, such as more comfortable beds, make for better reading than the same old stories. The book's design borrows from high-tech magazines like Wired pretty heavily, but does so without sacrificing readability. Each invention gets a two-page spread with a brief overview, several illustrations, and a generous description of the technology and its development. Boisterously pro-space and pro-tech, Inventions from Outer Space inspires surprise and awe even in the technophobic--the next time someone complains about NASA's budget, you can point to their gloves and say: "They came from outer space!" --Rob Lightner
From School Library Journal
YA-A fascinating book that succinctly covers products, services, and technology that were developed for NASA's space programs. It is colorfully done, with font changes, photos, and boxes drawing the eye across the two-page spread given to each item. After a brief synopsis of the space program's 40-year history, the book is organized into five categories: health, medicine, and public safety; energy, environment, and resource management; consumer, home, recreation, and art; computer technology and automation; and construction, transportation, and manufacturing technology. Readers learn why each innovation was needed for space travel, such as for protection from temperatures reaching nearly 2900 degrees Fahrenheit. That need led to the development of a ceramic and metal fiber alloy, a technology further advanced through a small business contract with a company in California into thermal products such as mittens, blankets, and insulation material. Exercise machines, infrared satellite imagery used to discover buried ancient civilizations, dolphin protection devices used on fishnets, tap-water purifiers, and even the newest design in exercise sneakers all stem from NASA research. Baker does a fine job of explaining where and why certain products that we often take for granted were created.
Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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