Essays in Idleness

About the Book

R. Duane Seaman served in the U.S. Air Force before becoming an aviation pioneer and then the president and CEO of his own company—so he wasn’t exactly idle. During those rare times he was bored, he wrote down his thoughts to pass the time. That’s how he came to title his autobiography Essays in Idleness. The collection of memories, reflections, and observations take the form of short stories and poems that provide important insights about war, technology, God, and living a happy life. He shares his life’s highs and lows, including his role as a project supervisor on the Apollo “Moonshot” Program, which successfully reached the moon. He also examines the Columbia Shuttle disaster, and the reports he challenged after the tragedy. Although he was no longer involved in the space program when the disaster occurred, future reports would prove him right. He shares memories from growing up during the Great Depression and World War II—including one of his only attempts at fiction—as well as observations on the extraordinary, bizarre and outrageous.

About the Author

R. Duane Seaman served in the U.S. Air Force and attended college at the University of Missouri, Jochi Dai Gaku (Tokyo, Japan), and the University of Houston. He worked at Hanford Atomic Bomb Plant, Dynalectron Corp., and North American Aviation, which became North American Rockwell. He lives in Independence Missouri.