# The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

4 Hacker News commenters recommended The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a stellar, interesting account of Project Mercury and the first astronauts, helping readers understand why astronauts take such risks.

## Why people recommend it

- Covers Project Mercury and first astronauts (2 comments): "has a lot of interesting stuff on this wrt the first astronauts" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49027823)) "a stellar book about Project Mercury" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46731310))
- Explains why astronauts take risks (1 comments): "if you watch it you'd maybe gain an understanding for why astronauts do these things" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47583054))
- Shows first astronauts were test pilots (1 comments): "They mostly were test pilots prior." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47727016))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312427565?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780312427566) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe", https://hackerapproved.com/p/right-stuff/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).