The China Lake missile range in the Mojave Desert was created during the Second World War, and has always been shrouded in secrecy. But people who make missiles and other weapons are regular working people, with domestic routines and everyday dilemmas, and four of them were the Piper family. Her dad designed the Sidewinder. Once, when a missile nose needed to be taken offsite for final testing, her mother loaded it into the trunk of the family car, set off down a Los Angeles freeway, and even stopped off at the mall, leaving the missile in the parking lot. Piper's memoir also reaches back to her father's World War II flights with contraband across Europe.-- Adapted from publisher information.

Becoming China Lakers -- A teenage weaponeer -- Dynamic instability -- The Cold War at home -- Anything can be a weapon -- Off target -- Life without weapons.