Disclaimer: I dislike 5 star reviews because I’ve been in school for too long and 4 out of 5 still translates as a B in my mind. This book is not B work. It’s A-, a 4.45, but there is no 4.45 category, so I went with 4, but please be advised that The Safety Factor deserves better than a mere 4. Here’s why:

This is a quick-moving, action-packed journey story that explores many universal themes: the search for one’s role in society and the world, the quest for personal fulfillment, and even the longing for genuine romance. And although the book incorporates a rather complex look into what it means to be human, while spanning time and space in a way only a delicate balance of science and imagination can, The Safety Factor will keep any reader engaged and aware throughout.

Jerry Travis and Josephine Mayes incorporate numerous thought-provoking facts about Astronavigation, Mathematics and Philosophy that the reader can take away—an important and difficult feat for such a dynamic, plot-driven book. I genuinely love this, the idea that I can leave a book feeling a little more knowledgeable about something [exp: I am now able to explain Zeno’s Paradox and just go ahead and ask me what a Babbage Engine is; really, go ahead…] and yet after completing this book, I also felt as though I read a solid story, and I cared about what happened.

Character-wise, I felt the book could be tightened a little—the dialogue could be pared down and the internal shifts often didn’t need explained. Some of the smaller details could have been illustrated, rather than stated. But these gripes are small when contrasted to the tremendous feat of incorporating such a complex plot with such powerful ideas.

I recommend this book to just about anyone who wants to read a fast-moving tale that causes the reader to pause every few pages. And, if you’re like me, causes the reader to jot notes every now and then so that she can further educate herself on certain theories that pique her interest. The Safety Factor offers complex thoughts and raises intelligent questions about the human condition in many respects, and it challenged me to stretch the left side of my brain (without making it hurt).