Sex on the Moon

The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History

By: Ben Mezrich

Narrated by: Casey Affleck

Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Thad Roberts, a fellow in a prestigious NASA program had an idea - a romantic, albeit crazy, idea. He wanted to give his girlfriend the moon. Literally.

Thad convinced his girlfriend and another female accomplice, both NASA interns, to break into an impregnable laboratory at NASA - past security checkpoints, an electronically locked door with cipher security codes, and camera-lined hallways - and help him steal the most precious objects in the world: the moon rocks.

But what does one do with an item so valuable that it’s illegal even to own? And was Thad Roberts - undeniably gifted, picked for one of the most competitive scientific posts imaginable, a possible astronaut - really what he seemed?

Mezrich has pored over thousands of pages of court records, FBI transcripts, and NASA documents and has interviewed most of the participants in the crime to reconstruct this Ocean’s Eleven-style heist, a madcap story of genius, love, and duplicity that reads like a Hollywood thrill ride.

©2011 Ben Mezrich (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Movie-worthy treatment to the guy who stole moon rocks from NASA" ( The New York Daily News)

"An in-depth look at Thad Roberts, who along with three other NASA interns, stole pieces of lunar rock to impress his girlfriend. Mezrich has done extensive research to recreate the story of how an aspiring astronaut ended up getting caught for stealing over 100 pieces of the moon." ( The Atlantic Monthly)

"Mezrich has uncovered another high-stakes, fascinating true story....part love story, part madcap caper, part astro-geekery, the book is one of the summer's most fun reads." (NPR)

not much sex, but a lot of moon

Another well crafted, non-fiction story about one misguided young man. Narration is so-so, but doesn't detract from the hilarity of it all.

Great story, monotone reader

Reader was pretty monotone. Story was very interesting and I really enjoyed it but there were a few places I got bored

Interesting but biased and romanticised

This almost reads like a pro-Thad PR fluff piece. While it certainly provides an interesting take into one of the more unique moments in NASA's history - the author's close collberation with Thad to write this book means that it it's far too forgiving towards Thad. Thad has demonstrated he's a clepto who likes to project a version of himself that doesn't exist which undermines the entire point of using him as your primary source - he isn't trustworthy and I have trouble believing the guy.

The author chooses to make weird sexual references to other young NASA interns. Could be construed as mysogeny at points. While this is supposed to be from Thad's prospective, it's uncomfortable and very heavy handed.

The reader's prefomance is alright - it's just very biased source content. Wouldn't recommend this unless you're a space buff or have specific interest in Apollo.

A Hollywood Movie Script (Almost)

I was expecting a more documental. Something that played like a documentary, but the book is like a novel. Actually I really think it is almost like a pop Hollywood movie. The writing is very engaging, but too much of inner dialog and persons impressions on the text. I guess if the book was a pure documental piece would be much more short... Maybe too short to become a book. But it is very entertaining.

DO NOT BUY - WORST OF STORE

I wish i could get my credit back or a refund or something because this is a terrible book and necessarily a worse audiobook.

After liking Mr. Mezrich's take on the MIT Math Club in 21 as well as his caricature of Zuckerberg in his facebook profile I thought I'd give his latest a try. This was a mistake.

I am no literary critic nor do I hold advance degrees in English or the like but I do have a college degree which I think entitles me to say this: THIS IS TERRIBLE WRITING. It is boring, overly flourished in places with details that do not benefit nor add to the story and often times detract from the narrative because the reader gets lost thinking...wtf. Terrible writing aside it wouldn't be much even is the writing was on the Pynchon level. ITS A BORING STORY in book for...it would be a great story for The New Yorker written of course by one of their staff writers.

I feel I've trashed the book more than I should have above so I'll move over to Casey Affleck's narrative/audiobook artist skills. In short: he has none, stick to acting if thats what you are good at. He is mono tonal, whisperish, slow paced and sounds completely disinterested in the story. He might as well have been reading pages from the United States Code. I had to listen to much of the book on 2x speed - Mr. Affleck put so much space between each word and sentence that it made the book sound like it was intended for people whose first language was not english or perhaps an ESL class.

DON'T WASTE YOUR CREDIT....please

Slander.

The main story itself would be ok, but the side story is total crap. I am talking about the persistent lies, slander, and attacks on the LDS church. He devotes an entire chapter to this endeavour at the beginning, and then regularly goes back to it throughout the book.
If he would have simply stated that his parents were religious and strict and kicked him out for violating the "no extramarital sex" rule that most religions teach, then we get the point and the rest of the story isn't tarnished by the constant interuptions for his misplaced blame and aggression.

THIS STORY IS FOR TEENAGERS.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

A TEENAGER. THE IMAURITY OF HOW THAD LOOKED AT RELATIONSHIPS WAS WAY TOO YOUNG FOR ME.

What was most disappointing about Ben Mezrich’s story?

THAT HE DID NOT GO IN DEPTH ON HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE IN HIS LIFE. HE SEEMED VERY SUPERFICIAL. RESEARCH ON NASA WAS GOOD THO.

Would you be willing to try another one of Casey Affleck’s performances?

NOT REALLY. HE WAS CLEAR BUT HIS VOICE IS NOT ONE FOR READING A BOOK.

What character would you cut from Sex on the Moon?

THAD'S WIFE MITE HAVE BEEN INTERESTING IF THE CHARACTER WAS DEVELOPED MORE.

Any additional comments?

HE WASTED HIS GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR SILLINESS

Terrible writing, terrible story

Any additional comments?

The NYT's review of this book was very accurate. Cheesy descriptions that read like a first time author, every woman in the book described overtly sexually and without substance, etc etc etc. I wish I'd looked into this more before I bought it because I could not even finish this book.