From the Bookshelf of The Athena Project…

[close] This book has many long paragraphs of stream-of-conscious from Mr. Sammler, who, at the twilight of his time, finding the world around him a riot of discomforts both physically and mentally. The writing is witty and biting, unsparing, and often with long sentences with sonorous adjectives strung together moving toward a crescendo of contempt or anger, which dominates the first part of the book.

In mid book, things start to take shape. Sammler's relatives were given full play in their own acting, reacting, scheming and pursuing. All imperfect human beings, some have more faults and flaws than other, yet all striving toward some humanly destination -- with the exception of Sammler and Dr. Lal, who jointed and separately considered the human striving -- physical, technological, and psychological -- with its own metaphysical meaning. Should we land on the moon? What does it mean if we choose to do so?