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Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best History & Biography (2014)The definitive biography of Sally Ride, America's first woman in space, with exclusive insights from Ride's family and partner, by the ABC reporter who covered NASA during its transformation from a test-pilot boys' club to a more inclusive elite.
Sally Ride made history as the first American woman in space. A member of the first astronaut class to include women, she broke through a quarter-century of white male fighter jocks when NASA chose her for the seventh shuttle mission, cracking the celestial ceiling and inspiring several generations of women.
After a second flight, Ride served on the panels investigating the Challenger explosion and the Columbia disintegration that killed all aboard. In both instances she faulted NASA's rush to meet mission deadlines and its organizational failures. She cofounded a company promoting science and education for children, especially girls.
Sherr also writes about Ride's scrupulously guarded personal life-she kept her sexual orientation private-with exclusive access to Ride's partner, her former husband, her family, and countless friends and colleagues. Sherr draws from Ride's diaries, files, and letters. This is a rich biography of a fascinating woman whose life intersected with revolutionary social and scientific changes in America. Sherr's revealing portrait is warm and admiring but unsparing. It makes this extraordinarily talented and bold woman, an inspiration to millions, come alive.
Sally Ride made history as the first American woman in space. A member of the first astronaut class to include women, she broke through a quarter-century of white male fighter jocks when NASA chose her for the seventh shuttle mission, cracking the celestial ceiling and inspiring several generations of women.
After a second flight, Ride served on the panels investigating the Challenger explosion and the Columbia disintegration that killed all aboard. In both instances she faulted NASA's rush to meet mission deadlines and its organizational failures. She cofounded a company promoting science and education for children, especially girls.
Sherr also writes about Ride's scrupulously guarded personal life-she kept her sexual orientation private-with exclusive access to Ride's partner, her former husband, her family, and countless friends and colleagues. Sherr draws from Ride's diaries, files, and letters. This is a rich biography of a fascinating woman whose life intersected with revolutionary social and scientific changes in America. Sherr's revealing portrait is warm and admiring but unsparing. It makes this extraordinarily talented and bold woman, an inspiration to millions, come alive.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2014
About the author
Lynn Sherr
15 books19 followersBroadcast journalist and writer Lynn Sherr has been swimming since she was a toddler, learning first by watching frogs in a Pennsylvania lake. She has since expanded both her strokes and her waterways. For more than thirty years, she was an award-winning correspondent for ABC News. She is the author of many books, including Tall Blondes: A Book about Giraffes; Outside the Box: A Memoir, and Failure Is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words. She lives in New York.You can contact her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter@LynnSherr and at Facebook.com/SallyRideBio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
February 22, 2015
1.5 stars
Overall my rating for this book does not reflect my opinions on Ride but simply the biography itself and the author. The author was the issue here, not the subject matter.
First of all, the author clearly is not subjective when it comes to her topic. This would have been fine but the author spends entirely too much time speaking of knowing Ride and praising Ride overall. Even the author's adjective choices were annoying and more in a manner of a friend writing about her than a subjective biography, which is what I was wishing for. The author included absolutely unnecessary details, at times seemingly to only show her connection to Ride, such as publishing a letter Ride wrote for Sherr to get a chance to go to space.
Sherr was also apparently obsessed with Ride's sexuality. Ride was very private and few knew her well it would seem and the author never quite seems to get over the fact that *gasp* Ride never told her she had a female partner. The author at one point states that she reacted by saying "Why didn't I know?" and then thought "Why did it matter?" But unfortunately the author clearly was hung up on the "Why didn't I know?" question for the entire book rather than focusing on the fact that it did not freaking matter.
Overall Sherr came across to me as obsessed with Ride's sexuality and it overshadowed the entire book. Whenever it could be mentioned it was, even as she was discussing Ride's relationships with men. Overall I did not think her personal relationships should have been harped on as much as they were, whether they were with men or women. Sherr missed a great opportunity to focus on Ride's scientific endeavors. I mean consider a biography about someone heterosexual where the author constantly mentions that they were heterosexual or in a relationship with the opposite sex at any given moment. Sounds rather ridiculous right? Well it is ridiculous whether someone is gay or straight or pansexual or however they identify themselves! I was also irritated that Sherr insisted on calling Ride "gay" despite Ride being in numerous relationships with both men and women. Ride did not seem to be one for labels but if she were to define her sexuality, I don't know if she would call herself "gay" rather than other possibilities and it seems absurd to assume when bisexual or pansexual and others could easily apply.
I also found the childhood and tennis aspect dull and too lengthy, I would have preferred more on Ride's studies and doctorate research and her knowledge in general. This clearly felt written by someone with limited scientific knowledge.
I did enjoy the parts focusing on Ride being an astronaut and investigating the shuttle accidents, though these parts seemed too short. I also enjoyed the feminist aspect included when discussing women being forbidden from being astronauts early on and the ridiculous reasons/excuses behind it (women can't curl their hair in space! GAH!).
Overall a great disappointment, I wish there had been more astronautic and scientific focus and had been written by someone else.
Overall my rating for this book does not reflect my opinions on Ride but simply the biography itself and the author. The author was the issue here, not the subject matter.
First of all, the author clearly is not subjective when it comes to her topic. This would have been fine but the author spends entirely too much time speaking of knowing Ride and praising Ride overall. Even the author's adjective choices were annoying and more in a manner of a friend writing about her than a subjective biography, which is what I was wishing for. The author included absolutely unnecessary details, at times seemingly to only show her connection to Ride, such as publishing a letter Ride wrote for Sherr to get a chance to go to space.
Sherr was also apparently obsessed with Ride's sexuality. Ride was very private and few knew her well it would seem and the author never quite seems to get over the fact that *gasp* Ride never told her she had a female partner. The author at one point states that she reacted by saying "Why didn't I know?" and then thought "Why did it matter?" But unfortunately the author clearly was hung up on the "Why didn't I know?" question for the entire book rather than focusing on the fact that it did not freaking matter.
Overall Sherr came across to me as obsessed with Ride's sexuality and it overshadowed the entire book. Whenever it could be mentioned it was, even as she was discussing Ride's relationships with men. Overall I did not think her personal relationships should have been harped on as much as they were, whether they were with men or women. Sherr missed a great opportunity to focus on Ride's scientific endeavors. I mean consider a biography about someone heterosexual where the author constantly mentions that they were heterosexual or in a relationship with the opposite sex at any given moment. Sounds rather ridiculous right? Well it is ridiculous whether someone is gay or straight or pansexual or however they identify themselves! I was also irritated that Sherr insisted on calling Ride "gay" despite Ride being in numerous relationships with both men and women. Ride did not seem to be one for labels but if she were to define her sexuality, I don't know if she would call herself "gay" rather than other possibilities and it seems absurd to assume when bisexual or pansexual and others could easily apply.
I also found the childhood and tennis aspect dull and too lengthy, I would have preferred more on Ride's studies and doctorate research and her knowledge in general. This clearly felt written by someone with limited scientific knowledge.
I did enjoy the parts focusing on Ride being an astronaut and investigating the shuttle accidents, though these parts seemed too short. I also enjoyed the feminist aspect included when discussing women being forbidden from being astronauts early on and the ridiculous reasons/excuses behind it (women can't curl their hair in space! GAH!).
Overall a great disappointment, I wish there had been more astronautic and scientific focus and had been written by someone else.
February 10, 2021
I've read yet another biography about space and yet again it was a five stars read but I think is was my favorite one so far. Sally ride was the first American woman up in space which is really cool but hopefully more common now. Her life was just as interesting as her NASA life and probably a biography I will come back to someday.
July 4, 2016
A good book about Sally Ride. It sometimes made me a little uncomfortable, though, because the author emphasizes the fact that Sally was a deeply private person, while simultaneously revealing intimate details of her sex life. Sally not only kept her same-sex relationships a secret during her NASA career in the 1980’s, she was still keeping them a secret when she died in 2012, just as she concealed her final illness. That doesn’t sound to me like a woman who would be pleased with this book. The author was a friend, albeit not one of those privy to any secrets, and she consulted with Sally’s partner about this biography, and supposedly Sally gave permission for these disclosures on her deathbed. I hope it’s true.
The book is strictly chronological and begins with Sally’s ancestors and her childhood, which is of minimal interest. It covers Sally’s college years, and her tennis - she was a very good player, and considered going pro. It covers her first love affairs.
The story picks up, of course, when Sally turns her eyes to NASA. She was finishing her graduate studies in astrophysics at Stanford when she spotted a front-page article in the campus newspaper: “NASA to recruit women”. The story of Sally’s participation in the first American astronaut class to admit women and minorities is fascinating. The author focuses on her experience as a female pioneer in this field - how she was treated by the press, and by NASA, and by her fellow astronauts. Like all astronauts, she was enormously accomplished and highly ambitious, and then she became very famous.
(For a different perspective, I’d recommend the memoir Riding Rockets, written by Mike Mullane, one of the “invisible” white guys in Sally’s class. His book is really good, and has a lot more details about being an astronaut, although Mullane was not exactly a feminist and in particular did not get along with Sally Ride.)
The book continues to follow Sally’s career after her last shuttle flight: The Rogers Commission and the Ride Report for NASA; then she became a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. She spent the rest of her life using her fame in various ways to encourage girls to enter science and engineering fields.
The book is strictly chronological and begins with Sally’s ancestors and her childhood, which is of minimal interest. It covers Sally’s college years, and her tennis - she was a very good player, and considered going pro. It covers her first love affairs.
The story picks up, of course, when Sally turns her eyes to NASA. She was finishing her graduate studies in astrophysics at Stanford when she spotted a front-page article in the campus newspaper: “NASA to recruit women”. The story of Sally’s participation in the first American astronaut class to admit women and minorities is fascinating. The author focuses on her experience as a female pioneer in this field - how she was treated by the press, and by NASA, and by her fellow astronauts. Like all astronauts, she was enormously accomplished and highly ambitious, and then she became very famous.
(For a different perspective, I’d recommend the memoir Riding Rockets, written by Mike Mullane, one of the “invisible” white guys in Sally’s class. His book is really good, and has a lot more details about being an astronaut, although Mullane was not exactly a feminist and in particular did not get along with Sally Ride.)
The book continues to follow Sally’s career after her last shuttle flight: The Rogers Commission and the Ride Report for NASA; then she became a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego. She spent the rest of her life using her fame in various ways to encourage girls to enter science and engineering fields.
February 19, 2020
Turns out I didn't know very much at all about Sally Ride. I mean, what I knew about her was very limited, and half wrong. I knew she was the first woman in space (she wasn't, she was the first American woman in space; the first woman was cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who Sally once met covertly), and that her name was Sally Ride. So this book was very interesting for me, just in terms of learning about this fascinating woman, even though the writing itself wasn't the greatest.
(A more skilled author could have done so much more with the material, but Sherr got the job because she was friends with Sally for decades and had the blessing of Sally's partner Tam, and had connections with Sally's friends and colleagues from her years as a journalist. Anyway the book was fine, but it could have been better. Less workmanlike, more poignant.)
This is a straight up biography, which charts Sally's life from her birth (actually, before that, as it goes into a little bit about her ancestors) to her death from cancer in 2012 at age sixty-one. It's organized in the traditional biographical way, in chapters about significant moments in her life. The best bits were of course all those to do with Sally's time as an astronaut: the process of becoming one, her time with the shuttle program, and afterwards when she acted as a consultant for them on several tragic occasions (she was part of the panel investigating what caused the Challenger explosion).
An interesting book, despite its flaws, because Sally was an interesting lady. Especially recommended if you like books about space and astronauts.
[3.5 stars, rounded up]
(A more skilled author could have done so much more with the material, but Sherr got the job because she was friends with Sally for decades and had the blessing of Sally's partner Tam, and had connections with Sally's friends and colleagues from her years as a journalist. Anyway the book was fine, but it could have been better. Less workmanlike, more poignant.)
This is a straight up biography, which charts Sally's life from her birth (actually, before that, as it goes into a little bit about her ancestors) to her death from cancer in 2012 at age sixty-one. It's organized in the traditional biographical way, in chapters about significant moments in her life. The best bits were of course all those to do with Sally's time as an astronaut: the process of becoming one, her time with the shuttle program, and afterwards when she acted as a consultant for them on several tragic occasions (she was part of the panel investigating what caused the Challenger explosion).
An interesting book, despite its flaws, because Sally was an interesting lady. Especially recommended if you like books about space and astronauts.
[3.5 stars, rounded up]
June 4, 2023
So good. Incredibly inspiring. It's a great insight into a great woman, it's accessible and it leaves you wanting to be just as smart and inspiring as Dr. Ride.
June 12, 2014
Lynn Sherr has written a riveting biography rich in detail, largely because of the co-operation of family, friends and colleagues in sharing reminiscences and correspondence. Sherr also had access to NASA, University documents as well as newspapers and so on. Sherr was an ABC News reporter covering NASA and became a friend of Sally Ride. This is not a hagiography. I felt as if I was sitting down with Sherr over a cup of tea while she related a story about a friend; instead of feeling like I was reading a biography. Sherr cover Rides early life as a rising tennis star to gifted student. This is done by intertwining remembrances of family and fellow students. Ride graduated from Stanford University with a Ph.D. in physics and with a goal of becoming a university professor. She saw an ad in the Stanford University newsletter stating NASA was hiring women. She applied and was accepted. Sherr covers the time at NASA in great detail. She married Steve Hawley a fellow astronaut and they remained friends after their divorce. Sherr tells how difficult it was for Ride to give speeches and be in the public eye because she was such an introvert. Ride was a member of the commission that investigated both shuttle accidents. After leaving NASA Ride returned to Stanford then went on to University of California San Diego where she was a popular professor for many years. She felt that the poor performance by students in science and math was a threat to America’s future so she founded Sally Ride Science to make science cool for girls and boys. She encouraged women to enter science, math and engineering careers. Toward the end of the book Sherr reveals that Ride was in a lesbian relationship with Tam O’Shaughnessy for twenty-seven years. The relationship was known only to a tight circle of friends. Sherr states that Ride was intensely protective of her privacy. On her death bed she gave permission to O’Shaughnessy to reveal their relationship or not. Tams choose to reveal their relationship in the obituary and via interviews in this captivating biography. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Pam Ward did an excellent job narrating this book.
June 10, 2014
An excellent biography of a fascinating yet elusive persona. The author, Lynn Sherr, who knew Sally since her NASA days was totally unaware of Ride's homosexuality. Sherr had access to Ride's inner circle and was able to explore Ride's life, including her life in the closet. Sally's ex-husband was totally unaware of Ride's previous lesbian relationship and was unaware (until Ride's death) that Ride actually left him for another woman. I wish that Ride had left a more introspective documentation. However, her fame is well deserved and one hopes that her legacy--making science accessible to women continues.
August 25, 2023
the author kind of got on my nerves but sally ride was cool af
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May 27, 2021I feel really bad that this has been the definitive biography of Sally Ride. Sherr overstates and overemphasizes her relationship with Ride, which is irritating. But she uses that to state, over and over again, how surprised she is that Ride never told her specifically about her romantic relationship. Maybe you're not as chill and open as you think you are Sherr?
Of course, culture has changed rapidly from when this book was first published, but I also couldn't believe the outdated language Sherr was using to describe not only Ride, but just people in general. An Asian American person was referred to as "Oriental," and if people weren't referred to as gay, they were called homosexuals or hedged as having alternative lifestyles. Middle class upbringing and lifestyle was also frequently pitched as the antithesis to a "homosexual lifestyle." It wasn't in an overtly bigoted way, but the result is still there, that middle class and being gay are binary things that cannot coexist. While this may not have been the bulk of the book, it cropped up enough that I was annoyed more than I was paying attention to the details of Ride's life.
I think this highlights the importance of Own Voices, not just when it comes to fiction, but when it comes to history and biographies as well. Sherr had interviewed Ride previously and they had spent some time together, them and their spouses. But clearly Sherr wasn't a close enough friend to be trusted with all of Ride's identity. Not only that, but what insight can Sherr provide to the life of a woman who felt the need to keep that identity so private? Why delve into it at all when Ride likely would not be comfortable with it?
This was most evident towards the end, when Sherr details the sadness and anger many in the LGBTQ+ community felt at learning that Ride had been closeted until her death. I don't want to hear a straight/cis person's opinion on the nuances of being closeted and the grief of a community still marginalized, despite marriage equality passing. She doesn't understand why it's a natural reaction for other LGBTQ+ folks to be upset that there was this incredible icon and powerful voice that could have been lent to the fight for equality. There's just a lot there to unpack that isn't, it's okay or not okay and Sherr is not the one to do that.
She also kept referring to Ride as gay, even though Ride herself was never comfortable with a specific label. It was a bit irksome because Ride had relationships with men and women, so it felt very inaccurate. Again, I think this aspect would have been not so much a sticking point if the author had a better understanding of not just the community, but gender and sexual orientation in general.
So beyond ALL THAT, Sherr is also bad at paring down to the necessary details. She begins with Ride's grandparents and great-grandparents, which feels like an elementary school essay approach. I don't need to know and I definitely don't really care where Ride's ancestors hailed from. The best parts of the book were nearer the end before Ride's death, when she goes into Ride's work trying to highlight and end the stupid gender biases that take root in young girls. Ride discussed the inane comments that parents and teachers make that can have a lasting impact at turning girls off from math and science because it's not widely accepted culturally. There was a great part where Ride would talk to kids about what scientists were actually like, dispelling the myth that they were all loner men hiding in dark basements with no appreciation for art and creativity. That's really cool and powerful and still relevant today!
Overall, I really wouldn't recommend this. Sherr inserts herself a lot and is clearly thinks that, because she is cool with gay people existing, she has no biases included in her writing. But she does! Hopefully someone from the LGBTQ+ community writers something about Ride in the future, because this just left the worst taste in my mouth.
Of course, culture has changed rapidly from when this book was first published, but I also couldn't believe the outdated language Sherr was using to describe not only Ride, but just people in general. An Asian American person was referred to as "Oriental," and if people weren't referred to as gay, they were called homosexuals or hedged as having alternative lifestyles. Middle class upbringing and lifestyle was also frequently pitched as the antithesis to a "homosexual lifestyle." It wasn't in an overtly bigoted way, but the result is still there, that middle class and being gay are binary things that cannot coexist. While this may not have been the bulk of the book, it cropped up enough that I was annoyed more than I was paying attention to the details of Ride's life.
I think this highlights the importance of Own Voices, not just when it comes to fiction, but when it comes to history and biographies as well. Sherr had interviewed Ride previously and they had spent some time together, them and their spouses. But clearly Sherr wasn't a close enough friend to be trusted with all of Ride's identity. Not only that, but what insight can Sherr provide to the life of a woman who felt the need to keep that identity so private? Why delve into it at all when Ride likely would not be comfortable with it?
This was most evident towards the end, when Sherr details the sadness and anger many in the LGBTQ+ community felt at learning that Ride had been closeted until her death. I don't want to hear a straight/cis person's opinion on the nuances of being closeted and the grief of a community still marginalized, despite marriage equality passing. She doesn't understand why it's a natural reaction for other LGBTQ+ folks to be upset that there was this incredible icon and powerful voice that could have been lent to the fight for equality. There's just a lot there to unpack that isn't, it's okay or not okay and Sherr is not the one to do that.
She also kept referring to Ride as gay, even though Ride herself was never comfortable with a specific label. It was a bit irksome because Ride had relationships with men and women, so it felt very inaccurate. Again, I think this aspect would have been not so much a sticking point if the author had a better understanding of not just the community, but gender and sexual orientation in general.
So beyond ALL THAT, Sherr is also bad at paring down to the necessary details. She begins with Ride's grandparents and great-grandparents, which feels like an elementary school essay approach. I don't need to know and I definitely don't really care where Ride's ancestors hailed from. The best parts of the book were nearer the end before Ride's death, when she goes into Ride's work trying to highlight and end the stupid gender biases that take root in young girls. Ride discussed the inane comments that parents and teachers make that can have a lasting impact at turning girls off from math and science because it's not widely accepted culturally. There was a great part where Ride would talk to kids about what scientists were actually like, dispelling the myth that they were all loner men hiding in dark basements with no appreciation for art and creativity. That's really cool and powerful and still relevant today!
Overall, I really wouldn't recommend this. Sherr inserts herself a lot and is clearly thinks that, because she is cool with gay people existing, she has no biases included in her writing. But she does! Hopefully someone from the LGBTQ+ community writers something about Ride in the future, because this just left the worst taste in my mouth.
April 8, 2019
The author’s personal friendship with Ride both help and hurt this book. On the one hand, it’s nice to hear these moments of Ride being an affable, everyday person, hanging out and enjoying life. But on the other, it’s frankly annoying to hear the author again and again place herself in Ride’s narrative even, incredibly, if only to mention “I wasn’t there for that.”
The aspects of Ride’s sexuality and her decades-long partnership with a woman are also presented a bit clumsily. There are simply too many questions that the author continuously asks about why Ride never came out publicly as a lesbian, despite the other constant emphasis on the fact that Ride was admittedly a very private person.
Overall, middle-of-the-road good. The space flight and time spent with NASA, both reasons I picked this up, are detailed nicely.
The aspects of Ride’s sexuality and her decades-long partnership with a woman are also presented a bit clumsily. There are simply too many questions that the author continuously asks about why Ride never came out publicly as a lesbian, despite the other constant emphasis on the fact that Ride was admittedly a very private person.
Overall, middle-of-the-road good. The space flight and time spent with NASA, both reasons I picked this up, are detailed nicely.
April 29, 2017
I very much enjoyed this biography of Sally Ride. It seemed mostly well-done, though it did occasionally seem a bit hagiographic, perhaps because it was her authorized (by her family, after she died) biography, and because the author was, as well as being a journalist who'd covered her, a friend.
Still, if nothing else, the book did a good job of convincing me that Dr. Ride was a very interesting person. It was interesting to hear about her feminist activism and teaching, and about her efforts to get more girls interested in learning about science.
The book also appealed to me as a former (mostly in high school) space flight fan. It was interesting, if depressing, to learn just how misogynistic NASA---including the Apollo-era astronauts I'd enjoyed reading about when I was in high school---had been. And how homophobic: apparently in 1991, NASA tried to implement a rule that would have banned gays from space because the agency considered them mentally ill.
Given the agency's homophobia, it's not surprising, even if it is sad, that Dr. Ride felt a need to keep her sexuality and 27-year relationship with her partner secret until she died. She seems to have been worried that it being known would have interfered with her efforts to be involved in science education for girls, and she was probably right. It is telling to note that she is still the only person who has flown in space who is publicly known to have been LGBT.
As a side note, since I listened to this as an audiobook, I should note that I thought the reader did a very good job.
Still, if nothing else, the book did a good job of convincing me that Dr. Ride was a very interesting person. It was interesting to hear about her feminist activism and teaching, and about her efforts to get more girls interested in learning about science.
The book also appealed to me as a former (mostly in high school) space flight fan. It was interesting, if depressing, to learn just how misogynistic NASA---including the Apollo-era astronauts I'd enjoyed reading about when I was in high school---had been. And how homophobic: apparently in 1991, NASA tried to implement a rule that would have banned gays from space because the agency considered them mentally ill.
Given the agency's homophobia, it's not surprising, even if it is sad, that Dr. Ride felt a need to keep her sexuality and 27-year relationship with her partner secret until she died. She seems to have been worried that it being known would have interfered with her efforts to be involved in science education for girls, and she was probably right. It is telling to note that she is still the only person who has flown in space who is publicly known to have been LGBT.
As a side note, since I listened to this as an audiobook, I should note that I thought the reader did a very good job.
July 7, 2024
The first half of this book was very interesting. Learning about Sally’s childhood story and how she became the first female astronaut in space was super intriguing. Despite facing all the pressure and sexism, she came out of it a great success, making it an inspiring story. I’ve always ate up biographies (hence my love for “Who Was” books when I was younger), and this was no different. But to be honest the latter half of the book, which was about her life after NASA, was hard to get through. Hence, the four star read.
May 15, 2018
ohhh man i finally finshed this book after taking mmm about a year but i have to say i really was captivated the whole time. sally ride had a beautiful life and i'm so happy it got to be shared through this really thorough and wonderful book.
July 22, 2019
A well-written biography of one of my lifelong heroes.
June 18, 2021
I think almost everyone knows something about sally ride, the first american woman in space, astrophysicist, tennis player, science education advocate, and much more. This book on the other hand tells her story from start to finish, not only covering her time at nasa and the shuttle. I can recommend quite a bit - except it sometimes felt, as if the author talked about herself unnecessarily much at times. But that might just be me.
August 7, 2014
I just lost my thoughts -- try two. I finished this yesterday and it is still in the front of my mind. I wish that this project would have been started before Sally was gone, so that Sherr did not have to piece this together with out Sally. I would have loved more anecdotes about her junior tennis, Alice Marble and Billie Jean King during that time. BJK plays in her story in later years too. At the time of her death, I remember reading how outraged many in the LGBTQ community were that she didn't come out. I totally get it, particularly given the 1970s and 1980s and her understanding of her place in women's history and her passion for creating more opportunities for women in science and math. I took away from the book that she also felt indebted to NASA given some of her last words to Tam, "I've been thinking things over. Being open about us might be very hard on NASA and the astronaut corps. But I'm okay with that. Whatever you think is right is fine by me." Sally never saw the obituary that Tam wrote. I feel sad that she felt unable to share her relationship with hardly any friends or even family.
The reason that I recommended this book to my niece is not her closeted relationship with Tam, but her struggles as the only woman grad student in physics at Stanford in the late 1970s. The comments and barriers that she and the other women in her generation had to contend and work through to get what they wanted made it possible and easier for those of us coming behind. I was in middle school when she was staying her course. I owe them so much in just those few short years. She embraced feminism and the importance of her success to future generations of women and girls in science. It appears from Sherr's book that she willing hid her personal life to help move opportunities for women forward. I would have loved to have lunch with her.
Also, some cool facts about the Shuttle and training -- as well as the two shuttle disasters.
The reason that I recommended this book to my niece is not her closeted relationship with Tam, but her struggles as the only woman grad student in physics at Stanford in the late 1970s. The comments and barriers that she and the other women in her generation had to contend and work through to get what they wanted made it possible and easier for those of us coming behind. I was in middle school when she was staying her course. I owe them so much in just those few short years. She embraced feminism and the importance of her success to future generations of women and girls in science. It appears from Sherr's book that she willing hid her personal life to help move opportunities for women forward. I would have loved to have lunch with her.
Also, some cool facts about the Shuttle and training -- as well as the two shuttle disasters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2016
This book was a pleasant surprise. I read it primarily because of my love of space exploration and science, and I remember Sally Ride's career as an astronaut well. I found out that I knew very little about her at all. While growing up, going through college, and throughout her NASA career she was always up against the "old boys club" which resulted in her becoming a strong feminist and devoting her post-NASA life to STEM education for children, especially girls. She was breaking down gender barriers from her teen age years on: she was a college tennis star when tennis scholarships were only offered to men, she was a genius student in astrophysics and was one of the only women in her high level science classes throughout college, and was one of the first three women astronauts who dealt with a historically all-male organization in NASA. She accomplished so much, the whole time hiding her same-sex relationships (her relationship with Tam O'Shaughnessy lasted 27 years until Sally's death) fearing that she, and (later) her science education organizations, would not be accepted by society if her sexual orientation came to light. The book was written by Lynn Sherr, who became friends with Sally while covering NASA as a journalist. The amount of research and number of interviews Lynn did for the book was impressive. My favorite story in the book was Sally arranging a secret meeting between herself and Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, when Sally was in traveling in Hungary. This was during the height of the Cold War and she was cautioned by the State Department not to talk to the Russians. It as a fascinating story - the first two women in space getting together while their countries were enemies. Once I got through the chapters about Sally's childhood years I couldn't put the book down. Highly recommended - 4.9 stars.
July 13, 2015
An extremely well written biography of an incredible woman, which also includes excellent historical and societal contexts for the reader. While I had a basic understanding of some of Sally Ride's contributions, this really blew my mind. Definitely a must read for any scientist, policy contributor, or really anyone wanting to be inspired.
March 21, 2024
After reading The Six, I couldn’t get enough and so sought out Sally Ride’s story. What a legend. I feel like there’s two kinds of intelligent people in this world. Those who have to work hard for it, and those to whom it comes naturally, and ironically, show a tendency towards under-achievement. Sally started out as the latter but luckily found her passion, and turned that under-achieving into one of the most epic bragging rights anyone could ask for - being the first American woman in space. She didn’t care about the title though. She was actually a very private person. Throughout this grand adventure her character continues to have fascinating paradoxes.
June 16, 2019
I listened to this twice. Sally’s experience as astronaut was interesting, but her private life was also riveting. I have a deep respect for her decision to “stay in the closet” . Yet she protected her partner of 27 or so years financially and otherwise with a formal partnership. I think I respect her so much because I can almost imagine how difficult it must have been for the two of them not to be able to share some of life’s experiences FULLY. The emotional pain that she experienced must have been at times overwhelming. I don’t know why, but reading her biography made me feel somehow “close” to her.
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October 16, 2023This book was awesome. A very balanced biography of someone whose disposition did not lend itself to being a life easily recollected, collated and shared. It's clear that there's still so much about Sally Ride that we will never know, and this biography was quite upfront about it. Nonetheless, I'm glad that her story was able to be told, because it really is amazing.
Also, I have massive crushes on late 70s/early 80s trailblazing women in jumpsuits (Sally Ride, Janet Guthrie, et al). Inspirational in careers, attitudes, and also my personal fashion choices.
Also, I have massive crushes on late 70s/early 80s trailblazing women in jumpsuits (Sally Ride, Janet Guthrie, et al). Inspirational in careers, attitudes, and also my personal fashion choices.
February 1, 2021
First (LGBT) woman in space, actually. Or to be very precise, the first and the last LGBT human that we know of (as of 01.02.2021).
As for the book - it's very interesting and informative. Perhaps, except the first chapter, where Sherr painstakingly describes all the (unnecessary) details related to SR's ancestry from both sides.
As for the book - it's very interesting and informative. Perhaps, except the first chapter, where Sherr painstakingly describes all the (unnecessary) details related to SR's ancestry from both sides.
September 28, 2017
The writing itself wasn't quite a five, though it wasn't bad, but I loved reading this book. It was engaging and thoroughly researched, and I came away from it with so much admiration for Sally.
October 10, 2023
Incredible. Sally Ride was a trailblazer and a national treasure. I am so glad I read this book.
August 30, 2024
"She, and we, deserved more time."
September 13, 2024
Definitely not the best written biography I’ve ever read. But the story of Sally Ride is so inspiring it didn’t matter.
May 29, 2023
Great book ...very informative and detailed
What a legacy
What a legacy
February 12, 2021
I am glad I have learn about Sally.
She was defiantly a glass-ceiling breaker with grace and knowledge she advocated for women in STEM!
But she couldn’t break all the glass-ceiling that encapsulated her
She was defiantly a glass-ceiling breaker with grace and knowledge she advocated for women in STEM!
But she couldn’t break all the glass-ceiling that encapsulated her
October 15, 2015
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.
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.
July 3, 2015
I went from skeptic to believer on this book. At first, I was concerned because the book started off with Sally Ride's ancestry and childhood anecdotes and was determined to tell her story in chronological order (not always the best storytelling method - sometimes the worst!).
I feared this biography was going to suffer from The Boys in the Boat syndrome wherein the author, having done a ton of research and interviews with friends and family members, now feels compelled to include all of it.
I was rewarded a third of the way in when Sally travels to space for the first time (1983), fascinating stuff, but wondered, "Well, now what?". However, this is where the book takes flight.
Sally Ride's story is exceptional and the book rightly portrays her evolution from "California girl" to legendary figure. Dr. Ride used her celebrity and achievements to advance equality for women, inspire girls to pursue science, and advocate for protection of our Earth. I loved how she went to space, looked back and thought about how to care for our Earth (this mirrors the female perspective lent to science fiction — writers who create new worlds and aliens to write about terrestrial issues).
It does feel like by the end of this book Sally Ride has lost all privacy as if she had lived her entire life on Facebook. It tells everything from the music she played to the foods she ate to who became her intimates. All of this ultimately tells a story of the ordinary rising to extraordinary. The result is inspiring.
Quotable:
"As first females know well, every small step by one is a giant leap for us all."
"That she could not, or would not, openly identify herself as a gay woman, reflects not only her intense need for privacy, but the shame and fear that an intolerant society can inflict even on its heroes. And the consequences of that secrecy on many of those close to her."
"NASA should embrace Mission to Planet Earth. This initiative is responsive, time-critical, and shows recognition of our responsibility to our home planet. Do we dare apply our capabilities to explore the mysteries of our own world — mysteries which may have important implications for our future on this planet?" — Sally Ride
"You know what was absolutely amazing to me was the feeling I had looking back at Earth...it's remarkable how beautiful our planet is, and how fragile it looks." — Sally Ride
"I remember the first time that I looked towards the horizon. I saw the blackness of space, and then the bright blue Earth. And then I noticed right along the horizon it looked as if someone had taken a royal blue crayon and just traced along Earth's horizon. And then I realized that that blue line, that really thin royal blue line, was Earth's atmosphere, and that was all there was of it. And so it's clear from that perspective how fragile our existence is. It makes you appreciate how important it is to take care of that atmosphere." — Sally Ride
Notable:
Sally Ride's launch took place June 18, 1983 (STS-7). She was the third female in space after Soviets Valentina Tereshkova (Vostok 6 1963) and Svetlana Savitskaya (Soyuz, 1982).
Following her diagnosis with pancreatic cancer when a cure and survival still seemed possible, Sally and her partner Tam, "After reading studies linking meat and dairy products to increased health risks, they both became strict vegans." Sally died of pancreatic cancer at age 61 in 2012.
At age 32, she was NASA's youngest astronaut to travel to space (and remains so 2015) and has been honored as the first LGBT astronaut.
I feared this biography was going to suffer from The Boys in the Boat syndrome wherein the author, having done a ton of research and interviews with friends and family members, now feels compelled to include all of it.
I was rewarded a third of the way in when Sally travels to space for the first time (1983), fascinating stuff, but wondered, "Well, now what?". However, this is where the book takes flight.
Sally Ride's story is exceptional and the book rightly portrays her evolution from "California girl" to legendary figure. Dr. Ride used her celebrity and achievements to advance equality for women, inspire girls to pursue science, and advocate for protection of our Earth. I loved how she went to space, looked back and thought about how to care for our Earth (this mirrors the female perspective lent to science fiction — writers who create new worlds and aliens to write about terrestrial issues).
It does feel like by the end of this book Sally Ride has lost all privacy as if she had lived her entire life on Facebook. It tells everything from the music she played to the foods she ate to who became her intimates. All of this ultimately tells a story of the ordinary rising to extraordinary. The result is inspiring.
Quotable:
"As first females know well, every small step by one is a giant leap for us all."
"That she could not, or would not, openly identify herself as a gay woman, reflects not only her intense need for privacy, but the shame and fear that an intolerant society can inflict even on its heroes. And the consequences of that secrecy on many of those close to her."
"NASA should embrace Mission to Planet Earth. This initiative is responsive, time-critical, and shows recognition of our responsibility to our home planet. Do we dare apply our capabilities to explore the mysteries of our own world — mysteries which may have important implications for our future on this planet?" — Sally Ride
"You know what was absolutely amazing to me was the feeling I had looking back at Earth...it's remarkable how beautiful our planet is, and how fragile it looks." — Sally Ride
"I remember the first time that I looked towards the horizon. I saw the blackness of space, and then the bright blue Earth. And then I noticed right along the horizon it looked as if someone had taken a royal blue crayon and just traced along Earth's horizon. And then I realized that that blue line, that really thin royal blue line, was Earth's atmosphere, and that was all there was of it. And so it's clear from that perspective how fragile our existence is. It makes you appreciate how important it is to take care of that atmosphere." — Sally Ride
Notable:
Sally Ride's launch took place June 18, 1983 (STS-7). She was the third female in space after Soviets Valentina Tereshkova (Vostok 6 1963) and Svetlana Savitskaya (Soyuz, 1982).
Following her diagnosis with pancreatic cancer when a cure and survival still seemed possible, Sally and her partner Tam, "After reading studies linking meat and dairy products to increased health risks, they both became strict vegans." Sally died of pancreatic cancer at age 61 in 2012.
At age 32, she was NASA's youngest astronaut to travel to space (and remains so 2015) and has been honored as the first LGBT astronaut.
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