Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: space

  • Are They Out There?

    Are They Out There?

    Diving for Answers In a Sea of Cover-Ups 

    UFO’s, or Unidentified Flying Objects along with the innate desire to know more about the unknown, has lead the world of science and many people who are simply interested in the unexplained things in life to investigate, enquire ad dig deeper than the surface publicity, particularly when it comes to UFO sightings.

    Gene P Abel is highly qualified man, who during his time in the Military service became fascinated by an UFO incident that occurred in 1947 at Roswell, Mexico and the many sighting that may have occurred prior to and since that time.

    Now retired, he has put his thoughts and findings into a most informative and fascinating look at UFOS, and the paranoid secrecy surrounding anything to do with UFO’s that is legendary within the government of the United States of America.

    Are They Out There offers an educated understanding of what occurred, not only at Roswell but a number of other sites, the fear, possibly exacerbated by media and government driven PR, that the USA was about to be invaded by Aliens and the possibility that they, whoever they are, were interested in a number of the secretive nuclear sites within America.

    The big question posed over the course of the book is that there have been many documented sightings of UFO’s in the night skies, a situation which has been occurring for a very long time, without at this time, any indication these people are desirous of doing harm. That this can or could happen, may be a real possibility is also discussed.

    Stunning photographs illustrate salient points under discussion, detailed references populate the end of every chapter. Appendix A and B make enlightening reading and add yet another layer to the already intriguing complexity of Are They Out There.

    Well documented and researched, the purpose of this book is to encourage likeminded people to investigate further, to become interested in the many facets of Scientific knowledge, to question, observe and begin to understand what is out in the Universe that we as humans simply do not yet understand. 

    One would have to concur after reading the book and with the evidence presented, that Yes, they are out there, but the other aspect that needs to be considered is, are they there to keep us in! As they say these days ‘just saying’!

  • My Very Own Special Particular Private and Personal Cat

    My Very Own Special Particular Private and Personal Cat

    What a grand way to get a message across to children. Warning bells begin to ring with the text on the first page. “This is my cat my very own cat….MINE.”  Then begins the story of what happened between the boy and his cat. What the boy wants and what the cat wants are very different things, and it takes a while and a few scrapes before the cat makes his feelings known.

    Gradually the boy begins to realise that the cat is not his toy to command. He wants the cat on his lap, he wants the cat to play dress up’s, he wants the cat to ride in his wagon. Most of all he wants the cat to do as he says.

    Boy tries to explain to cat that “You belong to me. You’re mine you see?”  Cat has vastly different ideas and says, “I am the my of mine.” Cat explains what his life is for and that it is his own. Gradually the boy understands that the cat has the right to be a cat and therefore he has the right to be a boy.

    The author says that this story talks about our personal space needs and respecting each other’s boundaries. Her message comes across so clearly that everyone should read this. What a fantastic vehicle for discussions in classrooms. So many people take for granted that behaviour at home is common to all, but boundaries do need to be set.

    The combination of text and illustrations work perfectly. The skilful line drawings explain exactly how the cat feels and this allows the author to use a simple but powerful text. This is a book to treasure. Just marvellous.

  • The Six

    The Six

    The Untold Story of America’s First Women in Space

    There are few people who have not heard of Neil Armstrong, the first man to put his foot on the moon in 1969, however not many have heard of the first woman in space, Sally Ride. Acclaimed space reporter Loren Grush’s in her extensively researched book, ‘The SIX’, ensures that the six elite women, who entered the NASA programme in 1978, in a field often hostile to their gender, are truly recognised for their many remarkable achievements.

    During the 1960’s and 1970’s would-be-female astronauts were stonewalled by a bureaucracy intent on preventing change. However, with the rise of the women’s movement, social and political change, Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid and Rhea Seddon were selected from a candidate pool of 8,000 brilliant, courageous, passionate and driven women to join the America’s NASA Human Space programme. Despite attitudinal change, these women challenged by the male-dominated media of the day with its outright sexist attitudes, still had to overcome a sometimes chauvinistic work atmosphere.

    The author not only details their training, the missions each undertook, the significant contribution each made, the Challenger disaster and its investigation (the death of teacher Christa McAuliffe which was watch by her students), but also gives the reader insight into their lives and dreams before, during and post their involvement in the space programme.

    The author’s passion for this topic and her well-developed journalistic skills are very evident in this in engaging story of these six trailblazing women. She strikes the perfect balance between their wonderful personal stories of how their time at NASA affected them and their families and the technical details of their assigned missions.   

    This highly recommended book deserves to be on every school’s library shelves.

  • Infinite Universes

    Infinite Universes

    Each year around mid-year, Australian composer Jim Ottaway releases an album of carefully composed works that simply transport to another realm of delight not of this earthly toil, but of a place that is beautifully peaceful and tranquil. This gloriously wonderful place can be reached by allowing Infinite Universes to take you on a voyage of intimate mystery and beauty.

    This exquisite album commences with Beyond Heaven and Earth introduced with a slow mesmeric drone which gathers elements of intrigue as it deepens, going further into the dream state of endless space, laced with a light, ethereal singular series of notes before slowly drifting into the beautiful Ancient Starlight.

    Allow the mind to simply see what is hidden within the intricate, measured sounds as if each note represents faded starlight once so shiny bright and new, now slowly going forever before the Hidden Universes are reached.

    Sombre and reflective Hidden Universes brings to mind vast halls of massive arches and flagged pathways; hallowed halls where good souls float through the semi dark shadows, mysterious, fascinating leading further into the endless forever segueing into Until Eternity Passes Away. This absolutely exquisite piece is slightly faster, more up-tempo, encouraging a sense of playfulness, as if the darker aspects of the journey have lightened gracefully.

    Divided Skies ushers in a very attractive element with a lighter, slightly more intricate composition that simply delights with the drifting movement of sound, underpinned with a rapid, subtle pulsating rhythm.

    An Infinity Of Universes offers choices, pathways; piano notes lead to electronic bleeps, gentle, rich sonic sounds entice while maintaining a deliciously soft, relaxing and peaceful tone that guides the time of relaxation.

    A sonic sound of digeridoo leads into a new vibration created with layers of contrasting elements, deeper tones and yet lighter shades wound within, as Many Different Suns unfolds into the rich, full bodied and yet ethereal Voices of Universal Infinity.

    Slowly returning to reality from a captivating one hour of perfect bliss is accomplished with the Light From Perfect Darkness, a complete contrast of sonic sounds that reiterate there is more than one universe, which is able to be accessed via the incredible medium of relaxing, mediative and divine space music.

    An award winning composer, Jim Ottaway manages to push the limits of ‘space’ music to new heights with every new album he releases. Each year his work is lauded as his best series. Infinite Universes certainly is an outstanding work with each of the pieces recorded between 2008 and 2023, then selected from his vault of music with care, before being woven into another magical, mysterious and most refreshing journey into the outer limits of our Universe.

  • So What Does It All Mean?: The Secrets of Life: From Big Bang to Trump

    So What Does It All Mean?: The Secrets of Life: From Big Bang to Trump

    The final book the fascinating series The Secrets of Life: So What Does It All Mean in many ways presents elements of this massive work in a far from conclusive style, as O’Connor recaps much of the previous three books, in order to present what he considers is a pretty good forward projection as to where our world is headed.

    Inspite of our best efforts, he does not consider we are in for the Big Bang, but that we as an ever evolving species are moving towards the next phase of what could be considered, ‘this comes next’. Perhaps as he suggests all this turmoil is indicative of slowly moving towards a more Community based world which is more tolerant, kinder and less dependent on the “Big Man” telling the world what he wants to achieve.

    Although many of O’Connor’s theories seem to be a bit light and fanciful, the reality is that we are still a series of organisms wandering about, reforming to absorb the many facets of an ever changing world. This has been proven to be a slow but steady process, in some cases very slow, which has over the past 200 years, speed up to a pace which may not be sustainable in its present form.

    As with all of the previous books there is much to ponder over again, a considerable amount that challenges the very basis of entrenched beliefs and a massive amount which, when given serious thought, makes absolute sense.

    The future as O’Connor presents it, is a place that is exciting, involving many differing drivers to times past, as history will attribute too, but looking back over the past 50 years, life has changed, which is an undeniable fact.

    So What Does It All Mean is in essence a very positive view of the future of the world: a world many of us will not live to see, but in our own small way will have contributed to, in one way or another. But as always, time and only time, holds the answer and until then much of what has been theorised upon and researched will make for many excellent debates.

  • The Secret Science Society: In Space

    The Secret Science Society: In Space

    The cartoon like characters on the front cover The Secret Science Society.In Space give exactly the right feel for the story. A group of children have formed a science club at school and they have been encouraged to enter a science competition. The group consists of Zane, who narrates the story, Kikki, who suffers from anxiety, Mona, and Bart, also known as professor Know-it-all. What could possibly go wrong!!!!

    To begin with Zane decides to show an experiment that proves you can have fire under water. In the school science lab, he lights a whole packet of sparklers and places them in a beaker of water. When things go terribly wrong all the children are in trouble but are still allowed to go on an excursion to the Planetarium, although it must be in their own time.

    There are many outrageous ideas for the competition, but thanks to a neighbour’s dog, a rotten piece of steak and some quick thinking, this quirky group manages to put together a great plan. This short novel will capture the imagination of young readers as there are many very funny moments as they experiment their way to the Competition.

  • Lightbulb Moments in Human History

    Lightbulb Moments in Human History

    If you are a serious History nerd, or simply just someone who is looking for something a little, or a lot different, Lightbulb Moments in Human History, presents in a very tongue-in-cheek style, history as something that was really lived to the fullest extent, by peoples long gone, and in reality could not give a damn about what is written about them. Maybe some might……………….

    Scott Edwin Williams has spent a very long time trawling, or researching history to come up with the wonderfully mixed bits and pieces of history he has subjected to whit and whimsy, to create a book that is both informative and entertaining. For those of you fans of the BBC series Horrible Histories, this could almost be considered as the adult version of that popular children’s series, but slightly more serious.

    True, History to a degree has been ‘’whitewashed’ to make some truths apparently more palatable, but as you read your way through Lightbulb Moments in Human History, history comes alive with the real people who actually created history, which makes this a very intriguing read.

    The first chapter opens with the wondrous event of man first walking on the Moon; an event that made history in a very big way, later becoming subjected to controversy, but in reality it is an indisputable fact.

    Man did go into space and did walk on the Moon, which incidentally could almost have been predicted by Sir Isaac Newton in 1675, when he concurred ‘lightbulb moments’ to be the forward impetus of Science. In this incident also the Chinese rocket makers may have something to do with modern day rockets, people and space travel.

    As the book moves on through the years, it is laced with whit, skepticism, fascinating facts, whacky cartoons used to illustrate a point or several points with a very real love of the subject matter very obvious.

    Swizz author Eric von Daniken and his ‘lightbulb’ moment comes in for a real dose of skepticism, Ancient Egypt and the many ‘factual’ myths surrounding this civilization as well as the many medical and educational aspects of their society, also goes undergoes some serious investigation.

    History was always a groan subject, laced with nothing but dry details, immense amounts of dates, which meant absolutely not a lot to most students, which then meant so much really exciting information was left undiscovered until something triggered a desire to find out what really did happen, way back then.

    There is also a good dollop of scepticism in a number of chapters, but as with all books of this style, the information is for the eye of the beholder, so to speak and therefor yours to decide who is right and who is wrong. It adds a little spice or vinegar to the storyline which makes a refreshing walk down through history.

  • The Best Australian Science Writing 2022

    The Best Australian Science Writing 2022

    There are thirty Science stories in this eminently readable book, The Best of Australian Science Writing 2022. They vary from discussions about Aliens, Cats, Wombat dental gas, Mind machines, Time travel, Yeast rising, and many more.

    Each one is written with a sense of excitement by the author and a clarity and simplicity which involves the reader. The reader is taken on a short journey by a range of authors, each one passionate about their topic. It is quite a thrill to read some of these and realise that you have just had a fun and enjoyable Science Lesson.

    Dr Norman Swan’s foreword is a brilliant introduction to this world of science. He states that “The best science writing gives us agency- a sense of control over our destiny. …..it is the reader who reaps the benefit of a piece that might be fun, provocative and will take you somewhere new.”

    This is certainly the case with many of these articles. There is a wonderful poem by Alicia Sometimes, which outlines the action of peering through a telescope and what the viewer is hoping to see or discover. There is a story outlining experimentation with Hallucinogenic drugs, to help with mental illness. So many interesting tales.

    It seems as though The Best of Australian Science Writing 2022 should be in every household. Regardless of the age, gender, and interests of the people there is something to relate to or discover. It has been well written in its simplicity and range.

  • Somewhere In-Between

    Somewhere In-Between

    Somewhere in between heaven and earth is a place we all go to at one time or another, regardless of whether it is in our dreams or simply as a journey of the soul in times of despair or crisis, but that special place is somewhere wonderful things unfold.

    In his latest work, Somewhere In-Between Jim Ottaway has combed through his vast collection of pieces created over many years, selecting and in on several pieces, enhancing the songs to create a work that sees him in a space of reflection, or of joy and happiness, interspersed with some of the weightier periods of pondering life’s journey.

    Commencing with the delicate Dawn of Time a lovely orchestral introduction delivers a more spacey element which encourages entrance to a world of dreaming, of time floating, of peace and fascination.

    By complete contrast A Dream Within Reach is positively up-tempo, filled with life and a marvelous sense of fun, which lifts the spirit with the catchy collection of pulsating sound capturing Ottaway in a teasing, light-hearted moment of creation.

    Sacred Ground is a deeply resonating piece of music as it envelopes in the deep, almost digeridoo style base notes the heartbeat of mother earth,  elemental but once the overlay is threaded through the base melody a sense of mystique pervades.

    A lovely light filled piece Carried In My Heart charms its way into the favourite piece on the album which captures a more relaxed, up-tempo emotion reflecting on the many elements we all carry in our hearts in remembrance of those who have had great influence on life’s journey.

    The penultimate piece Somewhere in Between is haunting, dreamy and once again appears to have the influence of indigenous music, which adds a timeless element to a song which encapsulates so much of the various layers of life within the sound.

    Drawing to a close of what could be considered Ottaway’s best collection to date is the deeply resonating Shores of Eternity, a place we all will travel to and there find what is to be discovered, what is unique to the journeyman of immortality and beyond. 

  • Stephen Hawking

    Stephen Hawking

    Scientists Who Changed the World

    The Scientists Who Changed the World series is a great introduction to scientists and Science. We find that the famous men and women of science were once young boys and girls who played with their peers, often struggled at school, and came from families like ours. They were men and women who had a great intellect and were lucky enough to have their imaginations stimulated by someone. The common thread with these scientists is the burning curiosity which prompted them to seek answers to questions which intrigued them.

    Always for Stephen Hawkins, it was the love of Maths. Suddenly he realised that by measuring space objects he could show how things began and continued to grow. Physicists were beginning to show that the universe followed mathematical rules. The invention of the Hubble Telescope allowed a huge amount of information to be gathered and studied.

    Always aimed at a younger audience, this book is broken skilfully into areas of interest and colour. Interspersed with the story of Stephen’s life are chapters of his scientific works, always with the questions which he pondered. We learn about Hawking’s contemporary scientists who worked with him and brought fresh ideas to the study. Stephen also was curious about the probability of alien life forms and time travel.

    Even though Stephen’s illness was a great impediment for him, it didn’t stop him from bringing the “geeky” subject of Theoretical Physics into people’s homes. He appeared in shows on Television such as “The Simpsons, Star Trek and Futurama.”  Thanks to him, we have all heard of Black Holes, and dark matter. This is a fascinating read for all ages and set out so well that it holds the attention of the reader.