1. Michael does not fear death. In fact, he believes it to be a change that should be under our control. Is this how we should all view death?

2. Jill's first encounter with Michael involves immersing him in water. What religious ritual does this suggest? Discuss the reasons Heinlein may have had for inserting this scene.

3. Jubal uses his astrologer friend to help him help Mike. What does Heinlein suggest by the presence of an astrologer in a society that is so technologically advanced?

4. Jubal tells Jill that he once thought he was serving humanity, but that he "discovered that humanity does not want to be served; on the contrary it resents any attempt to serve it." How does this observation apply to Michael later in the book?

5. At one point the astrologer Madame Vesant lies to her advisee about the "facts" of her forecast. She...