Mister B.: Living With a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist

by A Lynn Byk, Susan Lockwood Summers (Editor)

Overview

LARGE PRINT edition.

Blessed are the engineers who give us some answers to life's little perplexities.

This is the #1 Best Selling, Pinnacle Award Recipient. Mister B's jaunty calculating rhythm offers timely subject matter. Mister B proves he could care less about being politically correct. That's not his style.

A tender little laugh, a swept floor in reticence, a literary window into the home of a surviving physicist and his caregiver.

Can these multi-generational housemates discover why they still matter? Find out now, for a celebration of full life.

PRAISE FOR MISTER B:

Mister B springs from earthbound corners of immigration and poverty in rope-tied-baggy pants, into a self-made man who learns to defy gravity. Born in 1916, Joseph Byk, the Rhode Island son of Polish immigrants, charms the bejeebers out of the Greatest Generation, World War II, and the Cold War. In 2013, an old man's new companion begins to journal Mister B's bygone era. His family ideals confront the independence of a younger generation as he reveals a lifetime of secrets.

"Who is helping whom?" is the million-dollar question. This instructive and comedic memoir of story shorts on aging offers historic photographs. It can be found in the grumpy ol' men's section at your local bookstore.

Living with a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist inspires us to learn from history and science and to give a little more to multi-generational relationships.

Like The Life We Bury, Red Mountain, a novel; Where the Crawdads Sing; Sold on a Monday; Little Boot; Before We Were Yours.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780997162509
Publisher:	Capture Books
Publication date:	07/09/2017
Edition description:	Large Print ed.
Pages:	462
Sales rank:	936,794
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.93(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Prior Berean Bookstore manager, Graduate of Denver Paralegal Institute and Colorado Christian University with a B.A. in Contemporary Composition, Contributor to Psalm-Hymns Worship Leader, Books 1, 2, & 3 (2016)

Joseph Byk received his PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Alabama. He taught pilots in the air corps with Spartan Company and then worked through WWII and the cold war with Martin Company performing projects for NASA and the Department of Defense.

Published books: • Changing the World through Media Education (1998) • Media Alert! 200 Activities to Create Media-savvy Kids (2000) • EYE SPY Program (Early Youth Education Program): An Interactive Coloring Book (2000) • Get Them Thinking! Use Media Literacy to Prepare Students for State Assessments (2005)

Table of Contents

CONTENTS Preface i 1 THE OL' MAN 5 2 AUGUST ~ DISSEMBLE 23 3 SEPTEMBER ~ THIN GRINS 35 4 OCTOBER ~ OCTAVES 79 5 NOVEMBER ~ NESTING 115 6 DECEMBER ~ DECIBELS 137 7 JANUARY ~ JERRY RIGGED 167 8 FEBRUARY ~ FAHRENHEITS 195 9 MARCH ~ MOMENTUM 217 10 APRIL ~ INTERSECTIONS 237 11 MAY ~ BOUQUETS 255 12 JUNE ~ JOY 281 13 JULY ~ REJOINED 307 14 IN RETROSPECT 325 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 345 BOOK CLUB/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 349

Editorial Reviews

The humanity of Mister B is so wonderfully explored. It reminds me of an old Nevil Shute book, No Highway In the Sky, also the movie which starred James Stewart. It is rare to find a memoir that reads like fiction, but this one does. - Tim Truong

Living with a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist: Mister B by Lynn Byk is a memoir that reads like nothing I have read in a long while. It is well-crafted, with details that capture the very essence of the day-to-day life of a 98-year-old rocket scientist, his son, Paul, and his daughter-in-law, Lynn. Written in the form of journal entries, the memoir draws readers into the narrator’s perspective and follows the story closely. The memoir features moments of history in Mister B’s scientific work, and his contribution to WWII and the Cold War initiatives. When the couple decides to move into Mister B’s house, they are unaware that an exciting chapter is opening in their lives. "

Mister B is told in a humorous, endearing tone that will arrest the reader’s attention right off the bat, a rollicking ride, and a hilarious story that looks at the beauty of living with an elderly man who has seen many things and who has been at the heart of history. The humor is terrific and the author’s handling of family dynamics is one of the fortes of this narrative. - Arya Fomonyuy, Readers' Five-Star Favorite

This is a book - and a man - you won't forget. Mr. B is quite the character! I often found myself laughing out loud. I began to feel that the Byks were my neighbors by the end of the book, and I received a basic education in rocket science as well." -- Sue Summers, Librarian Jeffco Schools

Family, spirituality, science, history, friendship, and love are elements that are so brilliantly woven into this inspiring memoir. Living with a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist: Mister B by Lynn Byk and Joseph Byk is one of the best memoirs I have read in a while, a story that is laced with wit and humor.



Readers are introduced to a memorable cast of characters — an old rocket scientist who welcomes his son and his wife to live with him. What could have been a tragic experience soon transforms into an endearing story where readers are invited to drink from the wisdom of one who has contributed in shaping history with a revolutionary invention. Paul and Lynn might have thought that they would be a burden to Paul’s aged father when they move into his home, but to their greatest surprise, they encounter the warmth that would transform their lives. The reader follows these characters as they explore family dynamics from one exciting day to the next.



Living with a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist: Mister B is a great story of love, a spiritual and cultural odyssey, and an exciting read that will flood the hearts of readers with light and love. It is interesting to notice the protagonist’s journey from humble origins to becoming a reputable scientist. The story is original and the style unique. The first person narrative makes the story even more gripping because it forces the reader to experience the events through the eyes of the narrator, who happens to be one of the key characters in the story. Lynn Byk’s style of writing is awesome and the reader can feel the honesty in the narrative and the keen attention to detail. I couldn’t put the book down. - Romualdo Dzemo, humanitarian, activist

From the Publisher