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Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space

Lynn Sherr

Discussion: 2014-Oct-Nov-Dec

Why we're reading this: October 2, 2014
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2014-Oct-Nov-Dec

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* December 2014
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 26 views

last updated Dec 24, 2014 10:14AM

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last updated Nov 27, 2014 05:17PM

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Nov 03, 2014 Nicholas rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015-history-theme-awesome-women

It's a testament to Sherr's extraordinary abilities as a writer that I found myself on the verge of tears when I closed this book. A biography, of all things! Is it entirely objective? No, but who cares? I thought it was incredibly even-handed, and it's not like Sherr was part of Ride's inner circle. Dr. Ride was an incredibly private person, and it's hard to argue that anyone that far outside her immediate circle of family or her life partner would try to distort or control the facts. Some revi It's a testament to Sherr's extraordinary abilities as a writer that I found myself on the verge of tears when I closed this book. A biography, of all things! Is it entirely objective? No, but who cares? I thought it was incredibly even-handed, and it's not like Sherr was part of Ride's inner circle. Dr. Ride was an incredibly private person, and it's hard to argue that anyone that far outside her immediate circle of family or her life partner would try to distort or control the facts. Some reviewers have expressed disappointment or opposition to the times Sherr inserts herself into Ride's story as they crossed paths in their careers. I thought it gave a personal touch and stands testament to the way that Ride made people feel included and important in the momentous things she was doing.

Sherr makes the reader feel as if they're tagging along on a journey through a pivotal point in the history of America and of space flight and exploration in general. She captures the excitement, the challenges, the frustrations, the disappointments, and the tragedy in vivid detail. My own memories of the 80s are heavily intertwined with the space program. And Dr. Ride's efforts at outreach and education (to "make science cool again") definitely impacted my life. Like other children of the 80s, I desperately wanted to be an astronaut (or a garbageman) and Ride's conquest of the type-A military culture of NASA to put a true civilian in space made that dream feel not so far fetched. For me, Ride's story is one part nostalgia, and one part lifting of the veil. I revisited a time in my life that was formative with the perspective of several years and with greater knowledge at the finer details and inner-workings of society and politics that shaped it. Sherr is a wonderful guide.

In addition to wonderfully covering Ride's life, Sherr hits on personality themes repeatedly, showing how certain events and relationships highlight elements of Ride's character in a convincing reconstruction of one of the most private public individuals of the latter half of the 20th century. What she uncovers is someone totally relatable. Shy and reserved, totally introverted, but with a mind like a steel trap and an incredible will. In a word, Ride was competent. And not in the derogatory "meets minimum standards" sense, but in the global sense. She handled her life, her business, her challenges with a steadiness and unflappability, a desire to get things done and give her all, that is simply remarkable. And how fortunate we all are to have had her be there at just the right time.

Beyond covering Ride's personality and life, Sherr also recounts the growth and development of the women's rights movement with an eloquence and perspective that gives you a true sense of the magnitude of what Ride achieved. One thing that stuck with me is the repeated refrain from several women, including Ride, that firsts in their fields have to be perfect. They have to be. If a guy screws up—makes a miscalculation, crashes a shuttle, whatever—it's his own personal mistake. If the first woman in space (or the first African-American president) makes a mistake, it's a commentary on the ability of the entire group. The experiment is immediately written off. Welp, we tried to put a woman in space, but you see, they just weren't ready yet. It's so true and completely unfair. I think that, more than anything, but Ride's achievements in perspective for me. She was perfect. The need to be perfect weighed upon her heavily and affected everything from her professional life to revelations about her personal life. She was aware of the meaning of what she was doing, and made incredible personal sacrifices for the good of humanity's exploitation of space and for women and young girls everywhere. And even after the weight was off her shoulders, as she retired from NASA to "private" life, she never really relinquished the burden or the crusade. Her story is perhaps one of the most heroic in modern America and deserves way more attention than it gets. There aren't enough medals in the world to pin on this woman's chest. Her name should be right up there with Sagan and deGrasse Tyson.

You need to read this.

And Sally, thank you. I wish you were still around. ...more

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