Review: Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Posted by Kate on Monday, November 11, 2013. Filed under: history, non-fiction, published in 2010, review, reviewed in 2013, science
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
Published by: W.W. Norton & Company
Our source: Our local library
What it’s about (from Goodreads):
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 Mary Roach 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), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.
Our thoughts:
To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As Mary Roach 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), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.
Our thoughts:
This was really interesting, but it focused more on the history of space developments than I expected. I did appreciate the history lesson and seeing what different astronaut teams had to go through, but I expected a bit more current research. "Packing for Mars" as a title seems a bit mis-leading given that there was very little discussion of potential Mars missions and much more about pooping in space.
Most things in here tend to fall on the gross/weird/creepy side, so if that's not your thing, you'll want to skip this book. Also, Roach's footnotes were often the funniest part of the discussion. Don't skip them!
We would recommend this to:
Fans of space, those who like their non-fiction with a bit of humor and those who don't gross out easily.
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