From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond
CHOOSE ADVENTURE!
Publisher : Pawpress. Release date: June 21, 2022
Language : English Paperback : 334 pages ISBN : 978-1880882306 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1880882320 Kindle eBook: ASIN : B09W465P6H Kobo, Apple, other eBooks: ISBN : 9781880882313 Print versions, hardcover and paperback are available everywhere fine books are sold, worldwide! New! Check your fave eBook seller |
Escaping The Potato was just the beginning... Having had a number of odd brushes with death, Author Chester L. Richards has always boldly gone where few have dared. His mantra: view all that comes your way — the good, the terrifying, and the ugly — as a series of adventures. Judge for yourself how this works from a few snippets of From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond: Memoirs of a Rocket Scientist...the first of several books (look for more beginning winter 2023) ... “It took much practice, and many accidents, before I got the hang of it. Even then, The Potato, in its death throes, did not always behave as a Proper Sacrifice should and blazing hot molten lead would explode out from the bubbling caldron.” From The Potato “He swung his rifle around and pointed it towards my belly, his finger nervous on the trigger. I froze.” From Land of Troubles Read how this story began “One day, Judy and I were taken for a walk. We wandered around for a bit, climbed a narrow flight of stairs and were ushered into the Sanctum Sanctorum. There, waiting for us, was Gene Roddenberry.” From Star Trek “My last vision of the raft, before I was driven to the black bottom of the silty river, was of Terry, half overboard, his outside leg caught between a maverick oar and the side of the boat.” From Lava Falls “'Three...two...one...fire!'…Hisssss…Pop! ‘Uh, oh!’ said the technician as the meters all swung to zero and red lights lit up down the length of the long control panel. My signals also had disappeared…‘We just blew up the [rocket engine] test stand.’” From "Rocket Science." Read more. The loss of the love of his life, Sarah, knocked the stuffing out of Chet initially. But writing these, the stories she loved, brought him back. May reading them bring you the zest for life the author regained from recalling them. Read the story |
Praise for From The Potato to Star Trek
and Beyond
"I wholeheartedly recommend this book with 5 full stars, shining brightly! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great read. Some thoughts and reminiscences from a well lived (and slightly worn) life!
I’m sincerely glad that I read this book! The first page left me with a lump in my throat. The final page left me (literally) with tears in my eyes...He is so compelling that by the time he is telling us about his father, mother, and grandfather’s hernia, I’m committed and genuinely care about them, and I found myself rooting for their success even though they have already been gone by the time the book was written...He also describes the ‘potato’, but not until you’re 66% through the book, and it is the absolute LAST thing that you could possibly imagine it to be...The book is genuine, it is honest, and it is him!...I will never watch 'The Tholian Web' again without thinking about an orbital rocket defense network, how many mirrors and how much gas it takes to make a laser, or the dangers of hidden rocks and waterfalls in a river again...And I appreciate that...
Read full review by Thaddeus Tuffentsamer, Daily Star Trek News. Also an Amazon Vine Voice Review.
"In his captivating memoir, "From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond," Chester L. Richards invites readers on a rollercoaster ride through a life that defies convention. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Richards, a seasoned rocket scientist, shares a series of enthralling stories that not only detail his experiences with the unpredictable and the extraordinary but also serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The title of the book itself, which combines seemingly unrelated concepts like potatoes and Star Trek, alludes to the wide variety of experiences that take place inside its pages. Richards skillfully crafts a story that flows from almost fatal meetings with "The Potato" to unplanned contacts with Gene Roddenberry, the man responsible for creating Star Trek. The commonplace and the remarkable are juxtaposed to produce a lively and captivating story that has readers flipping pages with eagerness.
Read full review by Deb Patrick, TheBookReview.com
"Wisdom of Space and Time ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author Richards' memoir is classic storytelling through the eras. I liked the black and white photos of iconic moments coloured by the words and my imagination. I wanted to know the author beyond his external stories and he delivered his inner fears and triumphs quenching my curiosities about his life motives. I recommend this book.
--Tom Dutta, Host The Quiet Warrior Show, TedTalks speaker, Author, Business Consultant
"What a beautiful book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I returned to Solvang yesterday, following a three week absence, to find a copy of Chet's book. I could hardly wait to read it, and started flipping through some of the stories immediately. A modern epic!
Jeffery J. Puschell, Ph.D. Chief Scientist, Space Systems, Raytheon Intelligence & Space Division, AIAA Fellow (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics), SPIE Fellow (Society of Photo Instrumentation Engineers), NASA ESTO IRIS Principal Investigator
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Great read. Some thoughts and reminiscences from a well lived (and slightly worn) life!
I’m sincerely glad that I read this book! The first page left me with a lump in my throat. The final page left me (literally) with tears in my eyes...He is so compelling that by the time he is telling us about his father, mother, and grandfather’s hernia, I’m committed and genuinely care about them, and I found myself rooting for their success even though they have already been gone by the time the book was written...He also describes the ‘potato’, but not until you’re 66% through the book, and it is the absolute LAST thing that you could possibly imagine it to be...The book is genuine, it is honest, and it is him!...I will never watch 'The Tholian Web' again without thinking about an orbital rocket defense network, how many mirrors and how much gas it takes to make a laser, or the dangers of hidden rocks and waterfalls in a river again...And I appreciate that...
Read full review by Thaddeus Tuffentsamer, Daily Star Trek News. Also an Amazon Vine Voice Review.
"In his captivating memoir, "From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond," Chester L. Richards invites readers on a rollercoaster ride through a life that defies convention. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Richards, a seasoned rocket scientist, shares a series of enthralling stories that not only detail his experiences with the unpredictable and the extraordinary but also serve as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The title of the book itself, which combines seemingly unrelated concepts like potatoes and Star Trek, alludes to the wide variety of experiences that take place inside its pages. Richards skillfully crafts a story that flows from almost fatal meetings with "The Potato" to unplanned contacts with Gene Roddenberry, the man responsible for creating Star Trek. The commonplace and the remarkable are juxtaposed to produce a lively and captivating story that has readers flipping pages with eagerness.
Read full review by Deb Patrick, TheBookReview.com
"Wisdom of Space and Time ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author Richards' memoir is classic storytelling through the eras. I liked the black and white photos of iconic moments coloured by the words and my imagination. I wanted to know the author beyond his external stories and he delivered his inner fears and triumphs quenching my curiosities about his life motives. I recommend this book.
--Tom Dutta, Host The Quiet Warrior Show, TedTalks speaker, Author, Business Consultant
"What a beautiful book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I returned to Solvang yesterday, following a three week absence, to find a copy of Chet's book. I could hardly wait to read it, and started flipping through some of the stories immediately. A modern epic!
Jeffery J. Puschell, Ph.D. Chief Scientist, Space Systems, Raytheon Intelligence & Space Division, AIAA Fellow (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics), SPIE Fellow (Society of Photo Instrumentation Engineers), NASA ESTO IRIS Principal Investigator
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