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Loading... Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Voidby Mary Roach
  
No current Talk conversations about this book. Interesting book! Could not get through chapter 10 (not showering doesn't gross me out, but for some reason the biological descriptions did! (  ) jrsearcher | Feb 12, 2015 |  Full of interesting factoids, and written in a very readable, slighty snarky style that I enjoyed. I was, however, hoping to come out of reading this with something more -- a greater feeling of inspiration or hope for the space program and a possible Mars mission. Instead, I felt that mostly I just had a collection of factoids. Interesting, but somehow leaving me feeling unsatisfied. Also, I can't read about Laika the space dog without getting upset. So that probably affected my experience negatively too... devafagan | Jan 2, 2015 | This book is a very good factual book, it's full of very interesting information. 4Q3P The cover art is awesome and I'd recommend this to middle and high school students. I chose to read this because I really liked the title. GabeF edspicer | Dec 30, 2014 | As always Mary Roach takes a subject that most would find mind-numblingly boring and teases out the questions we all have but are afraid to ask. Covering such taboo areas as what happens when you vomit in space, and just how do you go to the loo in zero gravity, she keeps you interested and involved throughout the book. (  ) amymyoung | Nov 27, 2014 | Interesting. A little too much focus on sex and toilet matters...the latter, at least, is actually a concern for a long space trip. The discussions of how NASA makes contingency plans, and tests out concerns, are fascinating - it's really amusing what they were most worried about, when spaceflight was new (amusing now, with half a century of figuring it out behind us...). I found the discussions of early space missions the most interesting, and current ones less so, oddly enough; despite the title, there's very little about actually going to Mars or preparing for it (vague mentions of considerations for longer trips, interspersed with detailed discussions of tests and experiments about current space trips). Overall, I'm glad I read it but I doubt I'll reread. Oh, one intensely funny line (in a footnote about variations in gravity) - "If you carried a bathroom scale up to the top of Everest, you might find you weighed a tiny bit less. Aside from the marbles you've obviously lost." ( ) jjmcgaffey | Nov 26, 2014 |
 Packing for Mars Review The book starts with explaining how Japan picks which astronauts are fit to go on missions. They test them by their ability to do origami quickly. It then lists, by chapters, several examples of the “behind the scenes” aspects of different space travel situations. There is no real plot to the book, just examples and situations to show the less-glamorous side to space living/travel. I really liked this book, even though it is nonfiction. I usually read fiction books only because I feel like they are more interesting, but this book and Mary Roach changed my mind about that. Her funny, sarcastic, and lighthearted writing style made the book very enjoyable to read. There are some very serious and dangerous aspects to space living/travel, such as radiation, but Roach tends to stay away from these areas to keep the book more appealing and hilarious. A quote I found important was “the act of vomiting deserves your respect. It's an orchestral event of the gut.” This quote shows exactly the kind of humor Roach uses, and shows how she talks about the less glamorous side of being an astronaut. I would definitely recommend this to someone who doesn't usually read nonfiction books, because this really changed my mind about them. I also recommend it to anyone who likes a good laugh when reading, because Mary Roach is definitely capable of making you laugh throughout the whole book, even in the more serious parts of the book. I think this is a good book for teens to read because you learn a lot of interesting things about space, being in space, and the equipment used in space. You also are kept engaged in the book with the ever-changing subjects, but not in a way that confuses you, so it is fairly easy to read. From reading this book, I have learned to think about everything having another side to it. As Gatewood 2 Roach explained the less-popular aspects of space programs, it made me think that everything has other sides or aspects to it. A concert is one example of this. If you go to a concert, all you see is the stage, the lights, the performer(s), and other special effects or props. What you don't see are all the people working tirelessly to make all the lights and other effects go off without a hitch, and making sure all the music and singing sounds good and the systems are working properly. So there is a lot “behind the scenes” work that makes everything seem the way it is, and Roach explains that very well in this book by giving details about the unknown side of preparing for space travel.
References to this work on external resources.
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(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:33:19 -0400)
The author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can't walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As the author discovers, it's possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), she takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.… (more)
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2 editions of this book were published by Audible.com.
W.W. Norton2 editions of this book were published by W.W. Norton.
Editions: 0393068471, 0393339912
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