I’ve read it twice. Once as a kid, and then as an adult, although that’s been a while now. I didn’t require my son to read it, but I did recommend it to him and he did read it, as far as I could tell.
I’ve always claimed it is the basis for the “drop” sequence in ALIENS, and I think this is when I reread it, and why my son got interested in it. I found out that the first chapter was 90% of what I remembered of the book, and the rest is incredibly talky, although I did remember various scenes.
His most amazing prediction : Sinead O’Connor
“But, do you know, once you get used to it, it’s rather cute. I mean, if a girl looks all right to start with, she still looks all right with her head smooth.”
At one point I had a long mental list of Heinlein ideas that rather blatantly slipped into Rodenberry’s Star Trek. I haven’t read RAH in years, so the list is lost to me now except for one item.
It seems obvious to me that Heinlein’s Flatcats became Tribbles.
I know there were plenty more. Anyone have any to share?
O'Connor is too much of a bowser for my tastes.