#11
From: "James Oberg" <joberg@houston.rr.com>
Subject: Announcing new book
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001
David, could you run a brief announcement that my book on the US-Russian Space Alliance is now available, and I can send anyone more details and how to order it from me if they want an autographed copy.
James Oberg (281-534-4900; email joberg@houston.rr.com,
homepage www.jamesoberg.com)
McGraw-Hill, NY
$27.95, 354 pages, illustrated, index
McGraw-Hill publicity contact: Lizz Aviles, 212-904-6006 (fax 212-904-4091)
Why The Themes and Insights of 'Star-Crossed Orbits' are Particularly Timely:
As NASA descends into terminal financial crisis and the International Space Station is threatened with bankruptcy, politicians, the press, and the public are asking how it could have happened, how NASA could have overlooked or disregarded warnings about 'bad news' that top management refused to see. This book examines the shockingly self-delusional and arrogantly ignorant attitudes of Dan Goldin, the now-departed head of NASA, and how all outside advice and internal warnings were rudely rebuffed while NASA's dedicated space workers struggled harder and harder against unrealistic schedules, budgets, and new 'management plans'. Piled on top of these self-inflicted troubles was the notorious 'Russian alliance', a deal that was supposed to save billions of dollars and years of schedule, yet somehow wound up costing more and taking longer than the go-it-alone alternative.
ALSO: As the US seeks to build an even wider alliance with Russia in the current war on terrorism, the bitter lessons of the 'Russian space alliance' cannot be overlooked so carelessly as NASA disregarded all similar earlier lessons. Sound and trustworthy cooperation with Russia has always been possible, and will be in the future. But this is only as long as it is founded on reality and responsibility, principles which NASA abandoned in its own dealings with Russia. The frustrations and blind-siding costs of that misguided attitude are detailed in this book, based on insider documentation and reports which NASA -- in a repudiation of its traditional policy of openness -- has tried hard to 'spin', suppress and conceal.
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