Robert Heinlein shows his political science smarts in writing The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. The novel is a speculative science fiction story that addresses colonialism (and borrows a bit from the American Revolution) and then digs deeper into political topics such as libertarianism, bureaucratic hypocrisy, government propaganda, and a few other sociological norms.

What makes the novel especially addictive is the relationship he crafts between a computer engineer and an emerging artificial intelligence named "Mike," who becomes instrumental in the formation of the revolutionaries on Luna. The greatest drawback, perhaps, is that the early relationship does eventually become overshadowed by the revolution, which is a bit of a shame in that the relationship is what makes the book so immediately immersive and unassuming. Later in the novel, Heinlein seems to agree on this point because even Mike complains that the business of the rebellion has made it nearly impossible to explore his evolving sense of humor. He likes a good joke.

While some of the technical aspects may feel a bit dated (others are timeless), the novel had ages exceedingly well and feels as fresh as the first time I read it as a teen. This is an especially great book for anyone who has a natural sympathy towards those who want to throw off the yoke of oppression and also retain strong respect for their ancestors and heritage. Heinlein is among those few who do not see those ideas as mutually exclusive.