orcishgamer: You might want to re-read the book, the entire setting was a way to abstract out his thoughts on human selfishness. I think since you're older you may enjoy it a bit more. In eighth grade you were probably not too concerned with much beyond girls (I'm guessing, that's how I was, I could be assuming too much:) ).
By 8th grade I'd figured that I would be forever alone, so I pretty much said 'fuck it' and did shit I wanted. Every once in a while I consider re-reading it, but man, I just don't want to pick it back up. Although, thinking about it, I think that's the only Heinlein book I've ever finished. I've started reading Stranger in a Strange Land and Number of the Beast (that was him, right?), and never finished either of them. Maybe it's his writing style?