Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Aug 07, 2014 Dana Berglund rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-grown-ups, audiobooks

A well read audiobook. Some days I would come in from my commute and couldn't stop talking about the fascinating things I had learned, and other days (the chapters on poop, mostly) i just wanted to forget! It still leaves me with questions about the research being done--what about women's menstrual cycles? where did astronaut ice cream come from? can i sign a petition allowing them to use an infinitesimal amount of my tax dollars to send up cream sherry (or vodka) or should we just rely on the R ...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Jaime rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2011, non-fiction, science

I’ve yet to read one of Mary Roach’s books and not find her entertaining. This book was more about the history of space exploration in general than Mars in particular, but it’s important to understand the history before we can jump into a mission that major. I learned a lot that I didn’t know, especially about the sort of "middle ages" of space exploration, between the first moon landing and the Challenger explosion. Sadly, I didn’t know a whole lot about that time period. For instance, I didn’t ...more

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May 22, 2014 Amy (folkpants) rated it really liked it

Mary Roach's books are delightful. She gives us very interesting facts along with a quirkiness that my sense of humor greatly appreciates. This book is no exception. It puts fun into knowing everything there is about surviving in the environment of space. Including an in-depth chapter about the mechanisms of motion sickness- which made me feel completely vindicated and not so much a weenie for getting all pukey in the car! ...more

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