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What Members Thought

Shelley
Feb 15, 2016 rated it really liked it
Shelves: misc, history, 2016
An investigation into life in space and our future prospects of heading to Mars. Basically, a great accompaniment to The Martian, especially since Mary Roach is known for her conversational style and love of the absurd. Where else will you read lines like, "Nothing was shot in zero gravity...I happen to know what a "cum shot in total weightlessness" would look like. I know because I've read the 1972 NASA study "Some Flow Properties of Foods in Null Gravity," and those foods included butterscotch ...more
Rae
Jan 08, 2011 rated it liked it
Fun and informative read that answers all those oddball questions about astronauts and space--you know, things about food, hygiene, bone loss, anti-gravity, puking, flatulence, sex, bathroom habits, etc. Most entertaining.
Stephanie
Sep 03, 2010 rated it really liked it
Shelves: 2011
I really liked this book, it was interesting, educational, and often hilarious. (The author's footnoted asides are generally hilarious.) I am interested in space travel and the logistics thereof, and this book examined many aspects of that in detail. (LOTS of detail, even when I was tired of it. Let me say this: I didn't mind the chapter (or two?) on waste elimination, but could have done without the chapter on motion sickness.)

I liked this better than Spook, but that could be because the subjec
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Natalie
Jul 29, 2020 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: book-on-tape, 2020, scribd
You really can’t go wrong with Mary Roach.
Julianne Dunn
Feb 03, 2013 rated it it was amazing
Another hilarious book by Mary Roach. No other author would talk about the details that lead up to a trip to space including poop, construction of food, farts, animals, and did I mention poop? Laugh out loud funny in lots of places.
Loretta
Nov 04, 2012 rated it really liked it
The science of space travel is fascinating, deeply weird, and in many respects, really gross. Zero gravity combined with things like motion sickness, necessary bodily functions, small confined spaces and spacesuits- makes for a story that is sometimes ewwww, often hilarious, but overall well worth the read.
akaellen
Jul 02, 2010 marked it as to-read
Laine
Dec 13, 2016 rated it liked it
Isabel
Sep 07, 2010 rated it really liked it
Erin
Aug 04, 2011 rated it liked it
Shelves: 2011
Michelle
Sep 15, 2011 rated it really liked it
Mia
Sep 01, 2012 rated it liked it
Shelves: 2012-books
Nicole
Dec 08, 2013 rated it really liked it
Megan
Mar 09, 2015 marked it as to-read
Felicia
Apr 02, 2015 marked it as to-read
Lynne
Nov 09, 2015 marked it as to-read-science
Kim Marques
Apr 03, 2016 marked it as to-read
Elizabeth
Jul 15, 2017 rated it it was amazing
Nancy
May 15, 2018 rated it liked it
Shelves: bookclub
taeli
Apr 01, 2025 rated it really liked it
Carolyn
Nov 15, 2019 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: non-fiction
Cherie
Mar 08, 2020 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Clare
Mar 05, 2020 marked it as to-read
Tribefan
Apr 13, 2020 marked it as to-read
Jillian
May 14, 2020 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Dayna
Jan 04, 2022 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Rhiannon
Jul 21, 2022 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: non-fiction, science
Meredith
Oct 18, 2022 marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition