Rockets, Redheads & Revolution

This is the first book I've read written by Paul Hogan. A collection of articles he wrote for various scientific journals and short stories - along with some personal anecdotes - this work is created to make you think. Mr. Hogan seeks to debunk common beliefs regarding AIDS, the hole in the ozone and exposure to radiation. Regarding the latter: he states that scientific research actually shows that exposure to small amounts of radiation is beneficial. He points out that many scientific "truths" are actually political machinations and gives us the information we need to prove his point of view. As a person who prides herself in learning all I can about various things, it was a remarkable piece of luck that led me to buying this book. I definitely will want to pass this book around and let others read it. You should, too!

Most of us are slow to change our opinions about "big issues." That is a normal human trait. This book may actually cause you to do that about various issues, including the problem of AIDS, the issue about CFCs and the "Ozone Hole" and certain other trendy issues of the day.This book is a reprint of various science articles Hogan has written, a couple of science fiction short stories, and a few personal anecdotes. If you are a Hogan fan, you'll like most of this book. If you are not a Hogan fan, you very likely will STILL like the science articles. They are dazzling, well-written, and understandable to the layman.The most important part of the book is Hogan's analysis of the AIDS controversy. He points out numerous facts that the ordinary news media has refused to tell us. For example, no one has ever proved that the HIV virus causes AIDS. When you culture the HIV virus and try to infect a chimp or other animal, there is not a single case of the animal contracting AIDS. Nor are there any documented cases of a human being contracting AIDS by being infected with the HIV virus, unless such person was either a drug user, a hemophiliac, or a member of a similar risk group. This defies "Koch's Theorem," a basic premise of biology, which says that being able to predictably cause a disease (i.e. AIDS) by infecting a host with a virus (i.e. HIV) is a basic requirement for concluding that the virus causes the disease. If the "HIV causes AIDS" theory fails this test, then why do we believe that HIV does in fact cause AIDS? Hogan suggests some answers, and it's not pretty, but it's pretty darned thought-provoking. I am no scientist myself, but I will admit that Hogan managed to force me to "think outside the box" of conventional wisdom on this one.Similarly, Hogan's article "Fact-Free Science" questions whether CFCs have caused the "Ozone Hole" or, in fact, whether the "Ozone Hole" even actually exists as a man-made (or a dangerous) phenomena. If you are an environmental activist who believes this, at the very least Hogan's book will give your belief structure a good workout. It will make ordinary people question.Hogan consistently tries to think outside of the box. This is a recurrent theme in most of his writing. Sometimes he succeeds, sometimes, in my opinion, he fails. (The "Justice System" in "Voyage to Yesteryear," another one of his novels, was idiotic, and its economic system was asinine.) But at least he is thinking, and trying to make YOU think. That's more than most writers ever do.This is a book well worth reading and owning. I have bought copies for friends, who are sometimes angered and sometimes stunned, by the facts Hogan brings to light. I would say that he made them think as well.Recommended.

As Hogan is my favorite author, it's no surprise that Rockets, Redheads and Revolution was a pure delight. Even though it makes one think long and hard about one's opinions. It opens one's eyes on a variety of subjects; the Soviet Union and the Space Race, AIDS, the ozone layer, the theory of evolution and offers some thoughtful, but delightful "stories", as well. What can we do about bad, evil people? Read and see what you think of Hogan's "solution." If you think you know all, read and think again! Is it politics, or the media, or are we just not paying attention? If you want to challenge yourself, don't miss this one. And if you like this one, don't miss Minds, Machines and Evolution, a previous work in the same vein.

This book will challenge your assumptions. No, change that -- It will shake your belief system to its very core. This is not a book for the faint-hearted, or the mush-headed, because this book will actually expect you to THINK.And oh, by the way, Hogan will entertain you with some delightful stories for your efforts.Some will dismiss this book because they wrongly interpret one of Hogan's essays as pro-creationism, but it isn't. It is much more radical -in the good sense of meaning "getting to the root"- because it dares to ask science to look at the evidence and come up with a better explanation than the standard evolution theory. But he is not a creationist. He understands how science is supposed to work; he does not accept the supernatural or the irrational as a means to explain how the world works. The same is true for his essays on "ozone depletion" and on AIDS. He asks questions that others have been suppressed from asking. He takes some controversial points of view -- which some people don't even realize exist. He asks us to open our eyes, and look at the facts. I wonder how many of us will have the courage to look. As Hogan draws the analogy, how many of us will be like the bishops who refused to look through Galileo's telescope, and will deny the existence of those things that don't fit with our parochial view of the universe.It's not all science and politics, though. There's plenty of humor and warmth. His story "Madame Butterfly" is a wonderful exposition of the effect of "random acts of kindness". The tales of his struggles to restore a house in Ireland are bitter-sweet, like a cool pint of Guinness. So pull up a barstool. Take a sip. It'll sharpen your wits.

I have been a big fan of James Hogan ever since I first started reading "Inherit the Stars" more than 10 years ago. The only down side of that is that when I get a collection like this, it inevitably contains some material that I have already read. "Madam Butterfly" was excellent, I would say that it was worth getting this book for that story alone, although it is also available in other anthologies. Plus, there were three other stories, "Identity Crisis," "Last Ditch," and "Zap Thy Neighbor" that were new to me and quite enjoyable. "Leapfrog" and the novella "Out of Time" I had read before, but were worth a re-read. The non-fiction articles were in two categories: amusing auto-bographical sketches, and thought-provoking and sometimes controversial science articles. If you are a Hogan fan, as I am, you should definitely read this. If you are new to his work, this book could serve as an introduction. Either way, I heartily recommend it.