SEX ON THE MOON by Ben Mezrich

The title Sex on the Moon annoyed me from the start. The book is not at all about sex. It is about the moon, or at least pieces of the moon. But, as they say, sex sells.

What drew me to this book (published in 2011, brand new to the Strasburg-Heisler Library) was the subtitle: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History. Amazing, Audacious, Heist – these words better describe the book than s-e-x.

Oh, and I was interested in the author: Ben Mezrich. Mezrich’s Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (which was the premise for the movie "21") captivated me. That story entered my mind and danced in my thoughts as I went throughout my normal day (my definition of a great read!). Ben Mezrich is also the author of the popular The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal, which I haven’t read yet, but surely will.

Back to Sex on the Moon, the true story of a NASA intern who managed to remove a whole safe full of lunar samples from the Johnson Space Center. Thad Roberts, a Utah college student, landed a dream job as a co-op at NASA. Intelligent and driven, Roberts dreamt of success and someday going to Mars as an astronaut. A fun-loving adventurer who thrived on attention from colleagues, Thad often had difficulty distinguishing between reality and fantasy. It was with this skewed view of reality and a healthy dose of testosterone, passion, fearlessness, and a giant ego that he devised and carried out a plan to steal moon rocks from an esteemed scientist.

Mezrich did not disappoint in delivering a nail-biting story. Granted, stealing moon samples from NASA would be a fascinating tale no matter the storyteller, but Mezrich’s writing style is exceptionally entrancing. Some have complained that his account is one-sided – Thad Roberts’ side to be specific. But since this is a book, not a news story, I don’t care. I’m a sucker for a great story. I figure if you are brazen enough to rob NASA of priceless national treasures, you may get a book written about you.

My rating: 5 stars
Based on my newly devised rating system:
1 star – Yawn or horrible writing
2 stars – Ick but slightly higher than horrible and boring
3 stars – Respect the author but it’s just not my thing
4 stars – Like the book but didn’t obsess about it
5 stars – Thought about the book day and night, hated for it to end, talked about it with anyone who would listen

JJ