It puts a fresh face on one of "the Grandmaster of Science Fiction's" greatest works. I would recommend this book whether you are coming to it for the first time, or if you have read it many times before. His vocal characterizations are wonderful, and brought out elements of the character that I never noticed before, despite having read the book at least a half dozen times in the past. As good as the book is, Lloyd Jones improves on it. This contributes greatly to make the setting believable and real. The first person language used in the book contains a rich argot from the dozen or more nationalities that make up the lunar colony. Heinlein treats Mike's alienation and attempts to become "human" with a light hand and sympathy. The narrator is a one-armed computer repairman, whose best friend is only sentient computer in existence, Mike. The characters in this book are the among the most fully realized in all of Heinlein's work.
Heinlein keeps the plot zipping along with plenty of action and "gee, whiz!" techno gizmos that are only slightly dated today (the book was first published in the mid-60's).
These include: what does it mean to be human? What is the relationship between duty, responsibility and rights? Heinlein is able to pull this off by embedding the "politics" in a real page turner about a revolt by colonists on the Moon against the tyranny of the home planet.
While the premise is somewhat implausible (ship convicts to the Moon? More economical to ship hydroponic grain from the Moon than to grow it on Earth? - I don't think so), it serves as a platform for Heinlein to explore topics in politics and philosophy. This is quite simply the best book Robert Heinlein wrote.
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