Guest: Mike Mongo; Topics: Mike's award winning children's took "The Astronaut Instruction Manual, The Starship Congress 2017 in Monterrey, CA. Please direct all comments and questions regarding specific Space Show programs & guest(s) to the Space Show blog which is part of archived program on our website, www.thespaceshow.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.
We welcomed Mike Mongo back to the show for a one hour one segment discussion about his award winning children's book, "The Astronaut Instruction Manual." Remember, if you purchase this book through Amazon, please do so using the OGLF Amazon portal which is available on our home page. Amazon then donates a portion of the purchase price to The Space Show/One Giant Leap Foundation. Mike started off the discussion by talking about his personal story and history around age 42, all of which resulted in his becoming active in the space community and writing this book. Don't miss what he said because it was a different type of path than we typically hear from a guest, one in which I believe you find interesting and valuable.
Another topic of interest related to his books and self-publishing. He talked about the InkShares program, www.inkshares.com. For those of you interested in writing and perhaps self-publishing a book, this sounds like a great program so check it out. If you have used it, post your feedback on it on the blog. I am interested.
Mike spent lots of time talking about educational outreach and inspiring kids. He said his book was targeted for pre-teens. He told us quite a bit about his teaching and speaking approach and how he both motivates and inspires kids to learn about space and to "get it" that space can be a place for them to live, work and play in for their lives. He also talked about some of the feedback from the students that he has gotten over the years. It was very revealing as well as instructive so don't miss his comments.
Mike addressed other areas of his space interest. This included is association and work with the Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS). He even said he went back to college at a later point in his life just to be part of the organization. Another topic was the work being done on a TV show based on his book. This appears to be a work in progress so stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
In the remaining minutes of our program, we spoke about the upcoming Starship Congress event, August 7-9, 2017 in Monterrey, CA. You can see the list of Congress speakers on their Kickstarter site by scrolling down: www.kickstarter.com. You can get additional information at their Icarus Interstellar website, http://icarusinterstellar.org and clicking on the top far right menu item for the Congress. Mike spoke about some of the key speakers Alan Kay, David Brin and of course Dr. Miguel Alcubierre of warp drive fame. There is still time for you to register to attend this event. If you do go, make sure you find me as I will be there and am moderating a panel with Kim, Freemont John and Dr. Benaroya.
Please post your comments/questions for our guest on TSS blog page. You can reach Mike Mongo through The Starship Congress websites and me.
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