Reviews
A perfect accompaniment for the newly-released 'The Martian', this 2010 book by Mary Roach is both fun and insightful like her other books. Roach takes a look at behind-the-scenes (sometimes, literally) at the various machinations of space travel. She presents a lot of historical context and fun facts from the Gemini, Apollo, and the later Space Station missions. Even wonder how astronauts poop in space? Well, wonder no more (spoiler alert! You need good aim). The more interesting parts are ironically the most boring parts of an astronaut's journey. The drudge work of research that went into finding out what happens when people don't bathe for 2 weeks in zero gravity or the kind of food they have to eat and even whether they do stir-crazy when propelled into space at mind-numbing speeds into the frontier that no man had ever been blasted into. Space travel is exciting but preparing for it may not necessarily be. The nerds on the ground and at mission control are just as committed as the guys that get to ride the rockets. Forget Columbus, these guys were the real pioneers.
This is one of my new favorite books. I checked it out from the library, but might have to go buy it so I can enjoy rereading it at my leisure.
In Packing For Mars, Mary Roach (popular science journalist of the informative and grotesque) tackles the history and the science behind the US space program, and how it has had to deal with many of the everyday biological issues we take for granted– such as washing, eating, and defecating/urinating. Alongside of these biological inquires, Roach integrates information about the program in general as well as the Earth-based research supporting it. (She even includes a chapter on the future of space flight to Mars.) I learned a lot more about the early space program than I expected (I especially enjoyed learning about the careers of Ham and Enos). From Space Shuttle training toilets to NASA crash test sites (including a cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach has written a humorous, enlightening, and entertaining book on the science of life in space and space on Earth.
Eh. I thought I would like this a lot more than I did but it took me almost 6 months to finish it. If you read it, definitely don't get the audio book. I think I could have skimmed it if I had been reading it in print and enjoyed it more.
Super interesting and captivating. I love learning about space, but learning about the people that are helping us learn more about it is just as cool.
I love Mary's writing style and wit. If it were for me, she would write a book about every subject in science and society.
