This episodic adventure story moves along at a pretty good clip, and was a fast read. In it, Robert A Heinlein liberally visits his favorite themes of description of government, free love, and breakfast. Friday is a strong character, female of gender and with darker skin than pictured on the cover. She also seems very much what RAH thinks the ideal female would be.

I first read this as a "new" Heinlein novel, after having read Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and several of the "juveniles". It was the Science Fiction Book Club selection of the month, and for me it was an eye opening introduction to his later books; I think I followed up with Stranger in a Strange Land. Upon rereading, I find this connects well to the juveniles (it tells a good story). It also connects to Gulf, which is one of four short stories in Assignment in Eternity, which I read for the first time in 2014.

Overall rating - 3 stars. I liked it, but definitely wouldn't recommend it as the first RAH to read.