Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

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.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 08/02/2010
ISBN: 9780393068474
Pages: 336
Weight: 1.07lbs
Size: 8.56h x 5.80w x 1.00d

Review Citations: Library Journal Prepub Alert 03/01/2010 pg. 62
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2010
Booklist 07/01/2010 pg. 16
Library Journal 07/01/2010 pg. 106
Entertainment Weekly 08/13/2010 pg. 78
Discover 09/01/2010 pg. 26
New York Times Book Review 08/08/2010 pg. 10
New York Times Book Review 08/15/2010 pg. 18
Publishers Weekly 09/27/2010
Library Journal 10/01/2010 pg. 102
Library Journal 10/15/2010 pg. 51
Discover 12/01/2010 pg. 35
Entertainment Weekly 12/24/2010 pg. 119
Scitech Book News 12/01/2010 pg. 54
Entertainment Weekly 03/22/2013 pg. 67
BookPage 08/01/2010