The Nuclear Rocket, part 1

Reading the book now and I'm up to p.82 or so.

I'll take a break from the reading here and make a few comments.

1. I'm still struck at the very inefficient use of energy of rockets.  It seems like heating a gas for reaction mass is part of the reason for the inefficiency.  This doesn't have much to do with the book, but is a reaction to his assertion that nuclear power is the only answer.  Just saying that maybe that isn't so.  But that doesn't mean I'm opposed to nuclear power.  Just the use of gas as a reaction mass.
2. He wants Congress to pass a law setting up something he calls "NucRocCorp"- short for nuclear rocket corporation.  You need the government involved because they will be handling highly enriched uranium, which requires government supervision and security.  You can make a bomb with this uranium, so you don't want to mess around with it.
3. Maybe I'm seeing a little of what Trent Waddington was talking about in his negative review of the book.  It's a tough slog.
4. I'm not being negative about the book, believe it or not.  I figured I was in the choir, so to speak.  I don't need to be converted.  But if he loses guys like Trent, he is screwing up.