How to Make a Spaceship: A Band of Renegades, an Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Spaceflight Hardcover – September 20, 2016

What is the purpose of life if you don't fulfill your dreams? All to often our dreams fade as we get older and experience failure. Do you have a dream you wish to make come true? Did you have a dream but deserted it somewhere along the way? “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”' Paulo Coelho, The AlchemistHow To Make A Spaceship is not only the story of Peter Diamandis, XPrize and the privatization of spaceflight, it is the tool to help inspire anyone make their dream come true and to forge ahead even when success doesn't seem likely. It's a reminder that you might hear "NO" 100 times before you get to a "YES". It's a REAL LIFE example of having a vision and seeing it through. It practically puts you in the pilot's seat. You feel the butterflies in your stomach like drops in altitude as your heart sinks with every rejection and celebrates with every victory. It's a must read for entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to take life by the control wheel and land the life they deeply desire. A HUGE thank you to Peter, Eric, Burt and all their supporters and the deepest, heartfelt appreciation to the author, Julian, for bringing this story of courage to the public which will surely inspire for generations.

I am a teenager who loves to make things, and I am now telling all of my friends to read this book. I love how Burt Rutan would never make things that anyone else wanted him to make but instead made things from his own imagination. He refused to follow someone else's rules, and ended up changing the rules. I also really like Peter Diamandis, especially the kid Peter Diamandis. He hoarded explosives and all sorts of chemicals to make his own rockets and engines. He flew rockets (also of his own design) whenever he could. When he grew up, or at least was in college, he kept building things - like the zero gravity machine at MIT. Another super cool person in the book is the pilot Mike Melvill, who is more daring than a lot of superheroes. He flew this little rocket to space, when he was 63. He's one of my heroes now. I read this book in two days - all 400-plus pages. Now I'm going to go out and build my own cool stuff.

Really interesting piece on the history (happening now) of private enterprise putting man into space. Enjoyed it a lot.

I thought I knew this story as well as anyone. I was wrong. Guthrie's rich narrative took me through the details surrounding the dawn of private, manned spaceflight in a way that was both extremely informative and thoroughly engaging. It was easily one of the most readable non-fiction works I've come across in years. I came into the story with considerable bias, as all of the major players in the story are acquaintances, and, in some cases, great friends. I was even lucky enough to have been an invited guest at the first XPRIZE launch in Mojave, but I discovered from the first few pages that I could relax and enjoy the ride. I very rarely write reviews, and almost never hand out five stars as that implies an all-but-unattainable level of perfection. In this case, however, in spite of 2 or maybe 3 tiny factual errors (I wouldn't be an aviation/space nerd if I hadn't found SOMETHING), the book clearly deserves it.It was extremely enjoyable, thoroughly inspiring, and merits my highest recommendation.

A great read, The story weaves together half a dozen character-driven threads. It's all about a cast of large characters: Peter Diamandis (the promoter), Burt Rutan (aeronautics prodigy), John Carmack (software genius), Erik Lindbergh (son of the great aviator), Michael Melvill and Brian Binnie (test pilots). The story brings to life the competition that led to the first reusable commercial suborbital spaceflights, My personal favorite is Burt Rutan. His creations have been amazingly innovative. One of my favorite scenes has MIke Melvill riding on top of the Rutan Raptor UAV prototype, flying it back to base like a some old-time cowboy. The book is packed with great stuff. The winning flights, of course, are the high points of the story. You've got to love the professionalism, determination, calm and expert piloting under pressure of both Melvill and Binnie. The Right Stuff indeed.

I have several teacher friends who said they were using this book in their classrooms, so I decided to give it a read. I LOVED it. The story is filled with the men and women who should be our mentors in society today. You have a boy (Peter Diamandis) who dreamed of space, another (Burt Rutan) who loved planes more than anything and goes on to make history. You have a grandson of Charles Lindbergh who finds his life transformed as he gets involved in this shared dream. You have test pilots who embody bravery. You have an amazing woman - an engineer named Anousheh Ansari- who comes in and rescues the whole effort. Great story. The writing was beautiful. I want to give this book to every student I know - and to adults who are looking for purpose and inspiration in their lives.

I am not a space geek. In fact, I only read this book on the recommendation of a friend who told me they cursed when they had to stop reading to use the restroom. I picked up the book with a moan and dove in wondering how many paragraphs I would make it through before I got bored of space. Three thrilling days later I set the book down with a satisfied sigh and bough 7 copies for friends who were space geeks and/or enjoyed a really good story well told. Julian Guthrie is now one of my favorite authors. I've already devoured her other book, The Billionaire and the Mechanic and have her first book on order. If you loved Into Thin Air, The Perfect Storm and The Boys in the Boat, you will love How to Make a Spaceship.

Good review of the X-Prize and the characters that pursued it. Not sure where else you could find this story.

An excellent read about the incredible effort individuals are putting in to advance the cause of space exploration and the human race.

I am happy, good book.

Every space geek should read this book. What born to run and Naturally born heroes is for runners, this read does for big dreamers! Exciting untill the last page. Somehow it is about how smart individuals can do way cooler things than nations. That gives hope, it inspires!

This book is a truly wonderful story of the fiercest perseverance. Even though it spans over a decade -- can you believe that a man can stay so focused on a seemingly possible dream for that long?--it is fast paced like a thriller. And the beautifully told fascinating/awe-inspiring/heart-warming back stories and side-stories of all those involved in the XPrize are nuggets of pure joy. Having never really been into aviation, my eyes are now open to the great history of commanding the sky, and now the great future of opening up space. I give this book a universe of stars! (Which I've just learned is more than all the grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth).