Hargittai tells the story of five remarkable Hungarians: Wigner won a Nobel Prize in theoretical physics; Szilard was the first to see that a chain reaction based on neutrons was possible, initiated the Manhattan Project, but left physics to try to restrict nuclear arms; von Neumann could solve difficult problems in his head and developed the modern computer for more complex problems; von Kármán became the first director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, providing the scientific basis for the U.S. Air Force; and Teller was the father of the hydrogen bomb, whose name is now synonymous with the controversial "Star Wars" initiative of the 1980s.

Everyone knew the story of Kastory Impan... the first Martian on earth, or did they?excerpt"If this account reaches the eyes of Martians and may seem to them rather boastful and impertinent, I give them this reason: I have written spaceship, this in answer to Markin Lavlo's book, ""Martian Superiority."" It is merely a gentle reminder that beyond the remarkable flight of the First Martian, we Tellurians can claim to be the pioneers of space. It must not be thought that we of earth in any way minimize the great and historical space flight of the Pioneer. Far from it. We are as quick in our homage to his dead body and everlasting spirit in the museum at the spot of landing as his fellow-Martians themselves. The foregoing has prepared the reader for the story of the arrival of Kastory Impan, the First Martian, or the Pioneer, whose name is held today in reverence by the peoples of two great worlds. There are numerous other accounts of the arrival, but none have gone back into the past to show the connection between scientific research in transmutation and interplanetary flight; a point. I think, directly connected to the first space flight and subsequent establishment of commercial relationship. It is true, that without the flight of Dr. Sven's ship, the Earth would still be as far ahead; the Martians would still have come, but that does not detract from the honor and glory forever associated with the names of Professor Wilhelm Riehm, the founder of the science of transmutation, and Dr. Jarl Svens, who developed it. I challenge Martia, the super race of Mars, to bring up a scientist to compare with either of these two: And I may add that quite by accident I came across the little sub-plot which goes with story of the arrival of the First Martian. I'm certain no one ever heard of Gregory Stewart before.

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

In a near-future world of exurban decay studded with big box stores, daily routine revolves around shopping—for those who can. For Zoë, the mission is simpler: live. Last girl Zoë Zindleman, numerical ID 009-99-9999, is starting work at AllMART, where "your smile is the AllMART welcome mat.” Her living arrangements are equally bleak: she can wait for her home to be foreclosed and stripped of anything valuable now that AnnaMom has moved away, leaving Zoë behind, or move to the Warren, an abandoned strip-mall-turned-refuge for other left-behinds. With a handful of other disaffected, forgotten kids, Zoë must find her place in a world that has consumed itself beyond redemption. She may be a last girl, but her name means “life,” and Zoë isn’t ready to disappear into the AllMART abyss. Zoë wants to live.