A behind-the-scenes look into how NASA prepared its first astronauts for space flight is offered in this detailed and humorous documentary of the early days of the space race. Readers will learn why Dr. Chambers spent the night in a water tank and clocked so many hours in a G-force centrifuge, along with what compelled researchers to offer the flight stick to both humans and chimpanzees. The rigorous yet jargon-free prose is designed for the casual scientist and is interspersed with the often outrageous anecdotes that sprung up during the years of meticulous research and patient, relentless testing that were conducted before America's first manned space flight.