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Right Stuff (Second Edition, Revised)
Right Stuff (Second Edition, Revised) | Tom Wolfe
From "America's nerviest journalist" (Newsweek)--a breath-taking epic, a magnificent adventure story, and an investigation into the true heroism and courage of the first Americans to conquer space. "Tom Wolfe at his very best" (The New York Times Book Review)Millions of words have poured forth about man's trip to the moon, but until now few people have had a sense of the most engrossing side of the adventure; namely, what went on in the minds of the astronauts themselves - in space, on the moon, and even during certain odysseys on earth. It is this, the inner life of the astronauts, that Tom Wolfe describes with his almost uncanny empathetic powers, that made The Right Stuff a classic.
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Eggs
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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🎤 I‘m not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no, no, no
I‘m a rocket man
Rocket man burnin‘ out his fuse up here alone🎶

The short story The Rocket Man, which is part of The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, inspired this song.

#RocketMan EltonJohn 🚀 👨‍🚀 🌏
#VolumesAndVocals @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Crazeedi Didn't know this! Cool! 2y
paper.reveries That story always makes me bawl 🥹🩷 2y
Eggs @Crazeedi ❤️💛🧡 2y
Eggs @paper.reveries 😢💔😔 2y
57 likes4 comments
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Oryx
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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The Right Stuff with The White Fluff.

Yuki_Onna 🤩😁😊 2y
Traci1 Aww 😍 2y
squirrelbrain Aw Daisy! ❤️ 2y
See All 7 Comments
TrishB 🐶♥️ awww 2y
Ruthiella 🐶❤️🐶❤️🐶 2y
LeahBergen 😆😆 2y
dabbe It's Delightful Daisy! 🩵🐾🤍 2y
56 likes7 comments
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JoeMo
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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The Right Stuff is a mostly accurate work of nonfiction about the original Mercury 7 astronauts picked to join NASA and to venture into space. The book is exciting and reads more like a novel than nonfiction work. My only complaint is the author‘s frequent references to individuals either being made of “the right stuff” or lacking “the right stuff.” It truly annoyed me for whatever reason! 😂

#AlphabetGame #TheLetterR
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm The movie is one of my faves, but I‘ve never read the book. I‘ll definitely have to stack this one and get to it someday! 2y
JoeMo @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm It‘s funny, I‘m the exact opposite where I read the book a few years ago, but haven‘t gotten around to the movie. I think there might even be a newer limited series that came out in the past year or teo. 2y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Huh, I had no idea! My Google search says it only has one season so far and that Warner Bros is trying to find another streaming service that might pick it up. The film is excellent. I remember renting it constantly from our local Blockbuster (totally dating myself 😅) when I was a kid. 2y
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sisilia Still in my TBR 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing 📚 2y
JoeMo @sisilia You‘ll get to it some day….hopefully. My TBR list is out of control. I always think “I‘m not going to add anything until I read a bunch of the titles already on it.” Then I get on Litsy and GR for 15 minutes and add five more books to it! 😂 2y
36 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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Ast_Arslan
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Eggs Truth!! 3y
32 likes1 comment
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TheSpineView
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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#WeRemember @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
Prompt: Tom Wolfe

I think a lot of people associate Wolfe with The Bonfires of the Vanities. I think of him instead as the author of one of my favorite space race novels. ❤🚀

Eggs Great choice! 3y
tokorowilliamwallace I have this one, too! I need to get to it, maybe as a summer read? 3y
TheSpineView @tokorowilliamwallace I urge you to read it. I thought it was well done. 3y
61 likes3 comments
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bookseller_cate
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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“…to have factory workers in San Diego agonize over your hide and every sweet little Konokai cookie on both shores lust over it…” 🤢

And it‘s not the first time in this book he‘s referred to women as cookies.

I‘ll likely finish reading because of the info on the X-15 program that‘s woven through. But I think I need to take a break before I destroy library property.

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bookseller_cate
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Due to the library moving into its new building over the next couple of months, all my due dates have changed to September 13th (even the ones with holds behind me). This is good, as I‘m severely behind in my reading.

Zelda asks: “Dis mean moar cuddles?” #catsoflitsy

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 3y
BookishMarginalia Such a cutie! 3y
GondorGirl She has the prettiest eyes! 😻 3y
35 likes3 comments
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ChrisBohjalian
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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"All the hot young fighter jocks began trying to test the limits of themselves in superstitious ways. They were [probing] their own experience to see if they were truly among the elect." -- Tom Wolfe, born on this date in 1930. This is my 1st edition of THE RIGHT STUFF.

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emz711
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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So I'm loving the #Halloween #scareathon mood on #litsy but I'm not ready anything #spooky !!

Love this book anyway and of course the movie!

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Verity
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Pickpick

Loved this. Edge of your seat stuff if you don‘t know what happened, or even if you do know about the space race because I was clueless about the rocket plane test pilots. Very good. Read as a pair with the Astronaut Wives Club and then watch First Man.

And yes, I‘m super behind on here, so it‘s Sunday night, here I come with a batch of reviews!

16 likes1 comment
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ssravp
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Pickpick

I didn‘t love this as much as a lot of people but it‘s still incredibly fascinating account of that time. Dennis Quaid‘s narration is stellar.

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ValerieAndBooks
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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My youngest has made up his mind! And this author happens to be this college‘s most notable (to me) alumni 😊

I have been reading and finishing books — just been really busy and will continue to be for a while. I miss Litsy 💖!

MicheleinPhilly YAY!!! And he won‘t be terribly far away! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 6y
DivineDiana Fantastic! 👏🏻👍🏻👏🏻 6y
Leftcoastzen Nice ! 6y
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ValerieAndBooks @MicheleinPhilly @DivineDiana @Leftcoastzen Thanks all 💖! He‘ll be 310 miles from home — not too bad!! 6y
Lynnsoprano I‘ve missed you. Life has been crazy here, too. I promise I‘ll email soon so we can figure out what and when for our annual buddy read. 6y
ValerieAndBooks @Lynnsoprano miss you too! I‘ll watch for your email when you have the time 😊 6y
66 likes1 stack add6 comments
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HippieChickHomeschool
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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My son and I watched the movie and he liked it so much he asked for the book. So far, the book, read by Dennis Quaid, is great. But skip the first chapter, unless you want an extremely graphic description of pilot deaths.

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EadieB
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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The Flight Room at The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia.

64 likes1 stack add
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Verity
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Fresh bedtime reading...

24 likes1 stack add
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Verity
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Book post! This has been on my list for ages, but got another bump with my trips to the air and space museum and the annexe in the autumn and I finally got around to buying it using some Christmas money!

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queerbookreader
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Back at grandparents for thxgiving. Her stack of current reads ✨ happy thanksgiving folks: remember the origin of this holiday, teach your kids the truth about it, and I hope you all enjoyed your turkeys 🦃 (related, did any vegetarian or vegan try Trader Joe's new meatless turkey roast??? It was so good 😭)

41 likes1 stack add
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Susanita
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Yes, James Michener also wrote a book about the #space race, but so did Tom Wolfe! #Augustisatrip

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 👍🏻👍🏻 6y
vkois88 👍 6y
40 likes2 comments
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Lova
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
Pickpick

This was the book that made me fall in love with NASA and with science in general. It introduced me to those 8 great heroes (we cannot leave Chuck Yeager out of that group) and made me dream of becoming an astronaut myself.

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Kimberlone
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Saddened to hear of Tom Wolfe‘s passing yesterday. He was an incredible writer, pioneer of “New Journalism,” and essential cultural figure of the 20th century. Surprisingly, the tagged book is the only of his I‘ve actually read, but it‘s excellent. A comprehensive look at the Mercury program and the “right stuff” that men like Chuck Yeager had. If you haven‘t read this one yet, I highly recommend.

#recommendsday

AmyG All his books are good. I loved this one, Kool-Aid Acid Test and Bonfire of the Vanites (maybe my favorite). 7y
Kimberlone @AmyG yes, I need to read Bonfire of the Vanities! Keeping my eye open for a used copy now. The film version of The Right Stuff is also SO GOOD. Sam Shepard as Chuck Yeager 😍 7y
26 likes2 comments
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LittleWonder
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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RIP Tom Wolfe - so strange that I came across a number of your works last week at a book sale, almost picked them up but regretfully did not. Time to add you to my TBR. Rest In Peace and thanks for the stories!

2BR02B He is certainly rocking that ivory suit. Very dapper. 7y
20 likes1 comment
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MissMoneypenny
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Whenever I go on vacation I like to visit an independent book store. This weekend I went to The Book Lady in Savannah. #therightstuff #booklady

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LauraBeth
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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I didn't realize that yesterday was the 55th anniversary of John Glenn's orbital mission. Watching Hidden Figures, I realized that I'd like to read more about Glenn, because I know too little about his humanity.

"Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you." Wendell Berry

Pinkmeghan Have you read The Astronaut Wives Club? It's fascinating and the details about John and Annie Glenn are total #goals 😍 8y
LauraBeth @Pinkmeghan I haven't! Thanks for the recommendation - will definitely read it 😺 8y
saresmoore Perfect Wendell quote! 8y
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ValerieAndBooks I agree with @Pinkmeghan on The Austronaut Wives Club. It's good! The Glenns were one of the few austronaut spouses who stayed married. 8y
LauraBeth @saresmoore Wendell never disappoints 😀 8y
LauraBeth @ValerieAndBooks I remember you posting about this book not too long ago - I'm going to the library tonight to get it 😀 8y
lamaman2boys The Astronaut Wives Club was fun- I liked the miniseries too, though there was a fair amount of artistic license. 8y
140 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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DogMomIrene
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Wear your support for Rogue NASA. Small amount of proceeds go to Girls Who Code and the National Math & Science Initiative. #Resist

https://cottonbureau.com/products/rogue-nasa

SuperPunkNinja Love it! ❤ 8y
Theresa Ordered! 8y
DogMomIrene @Theresa 🌟🌟🌟 8y
59 likes4 comments
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AEBowenPhD
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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I put together a reading list inspired by the late John Glenn (in the pic) and NASA's early years for the good folks at @bookriot! Enjoy! http://bookriot.com/2016/12/12/zero-g-and-i-feel-fine-a-john-glenn-reading-list/

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bookishkai
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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RIP John Glenn, last of the Mercury 7.

MrBook What an amazing man! 😢 8y
Gezemice RIP. Amazing man, amazing life! @MrBook 8y
moranadatter Oh no! 😢 8y
Melkyl True hero 8y
88 likes5 comments
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KVanRead
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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#octphotochallenge #90stoyinbookform I was the hero of my nephew's bday party back in the day when I showed up with the right stuff. 😂 @LibrarianRyan

bmsddk That's hilarious 😆 8y
37 likes1 comment
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GoneFishing
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe

In time, the Navy would compile statistics showing that for a career Navy pilot, i.e., one who intended to keep flying for twenty years... there was a 23 percent probability that he would die in an aircraft accident. This did not even include combat deaths, since the military did not classify death in combat as accidental.

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ValerieAndBooks
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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The closest thing I have to a #outofthisworld book. I don't read much sci-fi or fantasy. It's been a long time since I read this (the movie came out in 1983). I thought both were good; in the movie most of the actors were very easy on the eyes 😉. Looking through the book today I'm reminded that Tom Wolfe also represented how most of the wives and families rarely ever saw their men during their paths to becoming astronauts and afterwards also.

syasutake This is one of my favorite movies. I can't believe I've never read the book! 8y
Zelma Such a great movie! Haven't read the book yet though. 8y
Kleonard Love this book AND the film! 8y
ValerieAndBooks @syasutake @zelma @kleonard the book is definitely good. now I'm wanting to do both again! More likely the movie first because it'd take less time. 8y
58 likes7 stack adds4 comments
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wonga
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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for my #booksquad books I'm going in a different direction :) I've been more into history and nonfiction lately and these are all recommended, especially The Right Stuff (the movie is awesome too). #augustphotochallenge @thespinecrackersbookclub

brendanmleonard Love Right Stuff! 8y
TheBookDream Digging that pug! 8y
TheSpinecrackersBookClub Pug envy! It's so cute! 8y
wonga I have a real pug too (Tuna) 8y
11 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Oblomov26
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
Pickpick

A book which makes you question your masculinity, the Right Stuff tells the story of the early space program from the Yeager breaking the sound barrier through to the end of the mercury project. From Hohn Glenn humming the Marine Corp theme as he re-enters the atmosphere with a faulty heat shield

Oblomov26 To Gordon Cooper falling asleep on the launch pad, these are men's of a very different breed to us office workers. 8y
16 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Keryntalia
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
Pickpick

Thoroughly enjoyable high-octane stuff, though the tone of American imperialism feels a little dated now. Even so, a great, fizzing explosion of a book about fighter jock psyche & its impact on the space race.

5 likes1 stack add
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Keryntalia
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Burning through Tom Wolfe's classic non-fiction account of the fighter pilots who made the first supersonic and space flights. His style is, as always, is incendiary and thrilling, with a genuinely fascinating subject in the risk-taking astronauts.

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laurabradburywriter
The Right Stuff | Tom Wolfe
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Pickpick

If books could grow testicles, The Right Stuff would have a bull-sized pair. It is all sweaty, hairy, machismo but the story of the first group of test pilots turned astronauts is a breathless one that will keep you turning the pages well into the night. You might need a cigarette afterwards though.