About the book
Robert A. Heinlein's 1961 science fiction novel centers on Valentine Michael Smith, a human born on a crewed expedition to Mars and raised by Martians after all contact with the crew was lost. A later expedition finds him twenty-five years on and brings him to Earth, where he is confined at Bethesda Hospital. Nurse Gillian Boardman slips past the guards to see him, and by sharing a glass of water she becomes his first water brother, a deep bond by Martian standards. The story follows his encounter with human culture. It was awarded the Hugo for Best Novel in 1962, and an uncut version appeared in 1991.
Tim Ferriss put it on his top 10 fiction list for non-fiction addicts, noting that Heinlein challenges old assumptions about religion, government and sexuality and that the word grok comes from it. TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington chose it in a piece urging readers to swap business books for science fiction.
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This book has 3 recommendations
Gunhee Park (Co-Founder/Populum)
I just finished up Stranger in a Strange Land, and am also reading Churchill, A Life and The Perennial Seller. I can’t really pinpoint what I expect to gain from any books I read, but am hoping to gain perspective and some valuable lesson that I can take away from each book. What that is exactly is different for every book.
Tim Ferriss (Author & Entrepreneur)
Ever feel like you don’t quite fit in? Don’t want to follow society’s silly rules?
Then you can probably relate to human-born and Martian-raised Valentine Michael Smith. In this controversial 1960’s cult classic, Heinlein questions long held assumptions on religion, government, and sexuality (free Martian love for all!).
It’s also where the term “grok” originated.
Michael Arrington (Founder/TechCrunch)
Valentine Michael Smith is a human raised by Martians on Mars, orphaned when the crew of a human expedition to the planet died. He comes back to Earth as an adult when a subsequent expedition finds him. He is initially weak because of the high gravity of Earth, but recovers. He’s superhuman and psychic, and teaches these skills to others. Just about everyone in power on Earth wants him and his followers dead. In addition to being an absolutely great book, Heinlein also coined the term grok for the first time in the novel. He also invented the notion of the waterbed in the novel.
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Often recommended alongside
- Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace (2 shared recommenders)
- Dune by Frank Herbert (2 shared recommenders)
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (2 shared recommenders)
Sources
- Gunhee Park (Populum co-founder) interview
- The Top 10 Fiction Books for Non-Fiction Addicts
- Grok This: Forget The Business Books, Go Sci-Fi To Stoke Your Imagination