Mister B:

Living With a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist

By: Lynn Byk

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eBook | 18 May 2016

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352 Pages

Edition Type
Literary Trade

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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's prove he could care less about being politically correct. That's not Mister B's style.

With middle-age couched between quirky days and minutes of kindness, MISTER B's confessions roll from the earliest days of aerospace engineering in Alabama through World War II and the Cold War secrecy. So, how will life unfold when a chauffeur-cook decides to move into the home of this self-centered, 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist... will she really lend aid?

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

PRAISE FOR MISTER B:

_{"Wow! What an amazing, delightful book!}
_{"A first-class example of a man from the Greatest Generation. We see almost of a century of tremendous mechanical and technological changes through the eyes of - literally - a rocket scientist." - Christine}

_{"...Byk fully constructs Mister B from the Rhode Island coastal awe in his voice to his penchant for mustard on a peeled egg. In these small, perfectly executed moments, Byk brings her fascinating family to life for readers with warm and genuinely funny wit..." - KIRKUS}

_{"A wonderful book, brimming with humor and spirituality. The characters are lovingly drawn and Byk provides her readers with a day-by-day recounting of how her life intersects with the indefatigable Mister B, whose memory seems almost photographic even at the age of 98! The book is enlivened by photographs from early-to-middle twentieth century America. A very worthwhile multi-generational read." -Jan Kalickion}

_{If you like Jimmy Stewart in No Highway in the Sky, (Nevil Shute) or The Millionaire Next Door, or Hidden Figures, you will love Mister B. - Tim Truong}

Mister B springs from earthbound corners 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.

Industry 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