On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follett

There are less than a handful of people I want to meet and talk to, just for an hour or so, because I am intrigued them, their work, or their writing – Michio Kaku, Jodi Piccoult, and Elon Musk. Now, I have another on this list, Ross Perot. I’d place him even before Michio Kaku, and that’s saying a lot.

This book is not fiction. It’s non-fiction. That fact blew me away.

This book chronicles the events of Iran hostage crisis as EDS employees, Ross Perot’s company, experience them in Iran. There are so many astounding FACTS associated with this event, but one that I find so inspiring and admirable is about Ross Perot himself. I was astounded by his dedication to his employees. His willingness to take gargantuan risks – to his reputation, to his fortune, and to his person, was jaw-dropping. He attacked his mounting problems with persistence, and his attitude of not taking no for an answer and continuing to search for a solution was remarkable. His moral fortitude was amazing, and I deeply regret not having considered him seriously when he ran for presidency.

These EDS employees and the rescuers who went into Iran did get lucky, but Oprah famously declared that she didn’t believe in luck. Luck only happens when one is ready, with all pistons firing, as the opportunities come along. Time and time again, this group of courageous and crafty men was ready to take an advantage of any and every opportunity that came along.

This book reads like a fiction. The only books of Ken Follett I have read are The Pillars of the Earth and World without End, so I can’t really compare On Wings of Eagles to any of his thrillers, but I bet it’ll rank high up there with the best of his thrillers.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history and a good read. It’s just startling that this is non-fiction (I know. I’ve said it before).

I’m a wavering democrat, but if I ever saw another Perot on ballot anywhere, I’d take a closer look. I don’t care if he or she is republican, independent, or some other party. To be raised by a father or grandfather like Ross and his moral fortitude, he or she definitely warrants a closer look.

Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

I love this book because it helps me believe in one of my biggest passions – space travel. After I had taken a class in Astronomy in junior high school, I wanted to be an astronaut. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be because I suffer from motion sickness.

In the previous book review (On the Wings of Eagles), I’ve mentioned that Michio Kaku is one of those people I want to meet and talk to, just for a while, because I find them fascinating. Well, the reason I want to meet him is because he has the uncanny ability to transform incredibly esoteric and hard to understand information to something quite accessible and easy to digest. Such is the case with this book.

I am curious by nature. I want to know about everything, albeit salt or germs or black holes or dark matter. And this book answers my questions in spades. Whether it’s about force fields or invisibility or perpetual-motion machine or precognition, this book answers all. The best thing about it is that the answers are anchored in science, and he gives his best guess time frame for them to become a reality.

As for accessibility and easy to digest part, my ten-year-old son, who is an advanced, precocious reader, and has been very interested in science, read this book. Yes. He did have trouble understanding parts of it, and I tried to explain things to him more in detail (most of it, I had failed). However, the important point is that he did finish the book, and said he thought it was interesting. This is a feat for any writer, let alone a science book writer.

This book helps me believe the possibility in things that are deemed impossible. He does frame some of them in very, very long time (might as well be impossible), but he gives us a realistic time frame. That’s the point I appreciate.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a long list of topics that seem to skirt the science fiction side of science (phasers and death stars, teleportation, telepathy, psychokinesis, robots, ETs and UFOs, starships, anti-matter and anti-universe, faster than light, time travel, and parallel universe, etc.). I’m not sure I’d recommend it to another ten-year-old, but you’d know if that child is ready for this or not, so I’ll leave that to you.

Enjoy and may the force be with you!