Title: Packing for Mars
Author: Mary Roach
Narrators: Sandra Burr
Genre: Nonfiction; Science
Pages: 334
Audio: 10.5 hours
Year: 2010
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Source: Library
Rating: 4/5
Summary:
When Mary Roach decided to write about space travel, she decided to take an interesting approach: how does the human element factor in? Astronauts need to eat, sleep, breathe, bathe, and urinate. It turns out this takes a great deal of planning. Packing for Mars examines each of these issues (and more) in detail.
My Thoughts:
Space is one of my biggest nonfiction interests. I read a fair amount of books on the usual science and history topics. This one gave me a whole new perspective.
We’ve all wondered how astronauts pee. Right? Well Mary Roach will answer this question in SO MUCH DETAIL you may regret asking it (except not really). Roach examines how limited gravity, oxygen, and cabin room affect the people we send to space and takes us through a history of space travel at the same time.
Packing for Mars is highly entertaining, informative, and definitely worth a read.
Audiobook Thoughts:
The audiobook was fine. Sandra Burr was a good narrator. But she just couldn’t capture Mary Roach’s voice and her sense of humor. I listened to the audio because that was the only way I could finally get to it, but I’d probably recommend trying the print if you can.
AND…to help facilitate that, I actually have a signed ARC (I know, I’m horrible to have waited this long) to give away. If you’re interested in reading this one, just fill out the form below to enter the giveaway (or click here to fill out the form here if WordPress doesn’t want to embed this properly).
my books. my life. 
I loved her book Stiff, and my book club is reading Bonk for this month. Thanks for the giveaway!
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my husband and I listened to this one together, and we were so enthralled with it. We have also listened to Stiff, and are working our way through Bonk right now. Bonk is a great book, but much more scientific than a lot of her other books. It is changing the way I think about sex, that is for sure! Great review on this one. I enjoyed it too, and enjoyed reading your thoughts on it!
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I have Stiff but haven’t read it yet. I’d like to read this one too.
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I have yet to read any of her books, and was contemplating some audio with her. But ugh! Mediocre narrator? Too many of those out there. And I am so awful with reading printed books. I’ll just sit here and pout for a minute, because I really think her sense of humor is something I would get.
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I’ve only tried one of her other books and that was audio as well and I HATED the narration, so maybe I do need to stick to print with her from now on.
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I have been on a big space kick lately, especially stuff about living in space / terraforming planets. I’d love know more about how humans actually survive in space 🙂 Sounds awesome!
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