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Reviews
Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History by Ben Mezrich
gilroy0's review against another edition
3.0
I suppose one can argue that stealing moon rocks counts as the most "audacious" heists in history. But I will admit to wishing there was more caper to this caper. The book starts slowly, fleshing out the life story of Thad Roberts (a NASA co-op who, with two women, boosted some samples from the lab of a lunar researcher). It has to -- there isn't much to the actual theft at all.
Since I'm a fan of the heist, this was a let-down. Looking past that, though, this is a diverting and interesting study of how a promising young researcher flamed out because he was driven to ever-more-grandiose schemes. The author had a lot of access to Roberts, and it shows: the prose tries very hard to cast Roberts as a sympathetic figure who stumbled due to enthusiasm and naivete. But in the end, it doesn't quite succeed: He still comes off as someone who had a lot of talent and had people believe in him, who threw it all away because he couldn't conceive of getting caught. His explanations are really just rationalizations, and it's to the book's detriment that the author doesn't see that.
Since I'm a fan of the heist, this was a let-down. Looking past that, though, this is a diverting and interesting study of how a promising young researcher flamed out because he was driven to ever-more-grandiose schemes. The author had a lot of access to Roberts, and it shows: the prose tries very hard to cast Roberts as a sympathetic figure who stumbled due to enthusiasm and naivete. But in the end, it doesn't quite succeed: He still comes off as someone who had a lot of talent and had people believe in him, who threw it all away because he couldn't conceive of getting caught. His explanations are really just rationalizations, and it's to the book's detriment that the author doesn't see that.
liakeller's review
3.0
I found it entertaining, but a bit over the top in places and unbelievable. I had no idea it was only 3.39 stars. I found it using the “Random” filter in our online library app. I did like the writing style. I just treated it like a TV episode that I knew was embellished and ridiculous, but entertaining.
lbmillan's review against another edition
3.0
A very interesting read, but I still can't believe that he threw away a chance to work for NASA by committing this crime. I can't decide if its just being too smart for your own good, or just plain stupidity.
gigiwiggle's review against another edition
5.0
I have never heard this story before. Fascinating read!
kellyfrecca's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.75
protoman21's review against another edition
4.0
What an outrageous story! Thad Roberts is a fascinating character with very questionable motives. He is a man who seems to have everything going for him and yet he risks it all for a small payoff. The added appeal for me about this book was the fact that I worked onsite at JSC right around the same time of the heist. Reading the descriptions of the buildings and locations at NASA was like stepping back in time for me. The details of the heist and eventual capture were tight and flowed well. I was also happy to read about Thad's time in prison and how he was able to survive and even thrive once he found an outlet for his time and intellect. Though he was a criminal, it was hard not to root for him.
goodem9199's review against another edition
3.0
Very well written, unbelievable in its truth...but wayyyy to much science-talk for me!