Reach new heights without leaving the chair

One does not have to believe in astrology to find it interesting that

this week marks the birthdays of two of the last century’s most

intrepid explorers.

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in outer space,

was born on July 18, 1921. His historic mission in Friendship 7

occurred on Feb. 20, 1962. Sir Edmund Hillary, with his Nepalese

guide Tenzing Norgay, was the first to attain the summit of Mt.

Everest in 1953. Hillary was born on the 20th of this month in 1919.

The courage and undaunted curiosity of such pathfinders has always

been a source of fascination for us terrestrial types. Armchair

exploring, though, can be great fun without running any risk to life

or limb.

For Hillary’s account of the first Everest success, there is “High

in the Thin Cold Air, the Story of the Himalayan Expedition, Led by

Sir Edmund Hillary,” written by Hillary and Desmond Doig. “Nothing

Venture, Nothing Win” is Hillary’s autobiography. He not only

recounts the ascent of Everest, but many of his other adventures,

including the 1960 quest up Everest in search of an abominable

snowman and expeditions to the South Pole. Also recommended is

“Ascent: Two Lives Explored: The Autobiographies of Sir Edmund

Hillary and Peter Hillary.” This is the dual account by father and

son of their climbing adventures and the two different visions they

have of their experiences.

Former United States Sen. John Glenn recounts his life and

adventures both here and aloft in “John Glenn: a Memoir.” From the

NASA archives comes “Friendship 7: the First Flight of John Glenn:

the NASA Mission Reports,” a blow-by-blow account of the preparation

for the mission and the flight itself. The highly detailed book also

contains a companion computer disc to enhance the reading experience.

If you want to broaden your reading on either endeavor, there are

such titles as “To the Summit: Fifty Mountains That Lure, Inspire and

Challenge” by Joseph Poindexter, which contains fascinating accounts

of scaling mountains around the entire globe. There is also the past

best seller, “Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest

Disaster” by John Krakauer that tells a less happy story than that of

Hillary’s successful climb.

The young adult book, “Great American Astronauts” by Chris

Crocker, offers a humanizing portrait of our 10 most famous

astronauts including Alan Shepard and Bruce McCandless II, who was

the first man to walk untethered in space. And, by the way, there are

oodles of children’s books that cover all the missions and all the

astronauts for those who have a young “astronut” in the house. “John

Glenn: Astronaut and U.S. Senator” by Robert Green, “Sally Ride:

Shooting for the Stars” by Jane Hurwitz, and “Mae Jemison: Out of

this World” by Corinne J. Naden are just a few examples.

Of course, such exciting, visually stimulating topics are not

confined to just books. The library also has some breathtaking videos

and DVDs. “Into the Thin Air of Everest” is a double feature that

includes “The Conquest of Everest,” about the first ascent. There is

also the IMAX film “Everest.” For more IMAX treats, we have “Blue

Planet” and “The Dream is Alive,” which were actually filmed for IMAX

by the astronauts.

So if you dream of scaling unprecedented heights, but would rather

stay at home, the library can help fulfill those dreams. One of the

great joys of books and films is that they can take us places we

would never dare to go on our own. It’s a much shorter and safer trip

to the Central Library or one of our three branches.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Library has videos and DVDs and not all of them are

entertainment features. There are films on just about everything

including mountain climbing, baseball, ballets, biographies and space

flight. They are free and they check out for a week.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Sara Barnicle. All titles may be

reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at

https://www.newportbeach

library.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of

the branch locations, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library

at (949) 717-3800, Ext. 2.